Adobe Flash Catalyst CS5: Introduction

Course Description:

Flash Catalyst allows you to create and publish interactive Flash content without writing any code. This new technology enables you to create fully functioning professional microsites, user interfaces, interactive games and web prototypes using your existing Photoshop or Illustrator files.

Whether you are a web designer, an interface designer or a print designer with no web design experience, this course will teach you how to build powerful interactive web projects without writing a single line of code. Flash Catalyst is a breakthrough for designers who need to create interactive content for the web.

This Adobe authorised course provides the most effective way to learn Flash Catalyst.

This course includes the following modules:

Introduction

• When to use Flash Catalyst?
• Designing interactive content first principles
• Planning your project
• Do I need a storyboard?
• Starting a project from an Illustrator or Photoshop file
• The Catalyst interface
• Using the HUD (Heads up Display)
• Importing assets from Illustrator or Photoshop
• Importing layers and non-visible layers

Creating a Flash Catalyst project

• Converting artwork to components
• Using the Layers panel
• Different types of components: button, checkbox, radio button, toggle button, text input field, horizontal and vertical sliders, horizontal and vertical scrollbars
• Creating buttons in Catalyst
• Creating different button states
• Using the Properties panel
• Testing your first project

Editing artwork in Catalyst

• The selection and drawing tools
• Modifying object properties
• Importing assets
• Working with text
• Optimising graphic content

Adding pages to your project

• The Pages / States panel
• Creating a new page
• Using grids, guides and rulers
• Aligning and arranging objects
• Using the Library panel
• Linking from page to page
• Creating a Text Input field
• Working with the Library

Adding interactions in Catalyst

• Using the Interactions panel
• Choosing the correct interaction
• Creating conditional interactions
• Selecting when the interaction happens
• Creating links to external websites

Adding transition effects

• Using the Timelines panel to create animated effects
• Understanding State Transitions
• Adding a smooth transition
• Basing transitions on events
• Editing the duration of the transition
• Previewing your transition

Adding sound and video

• Placing video in your project
• Controlling video playback
• Adding sound
• Adding Flash content

Working with Design-Time data

• Using a Data List
• Creating a basic Data List building the components
• Creating a basic Data List adding the data
• Planning a complex Data List
• Testing

Publishing your Flash Catalyst project

• Publishing to SWF format
• Publishing to AIR format
• Accessibility issues
• Embedding fonts in your project
• Loading your SWF file to a website
• Testing your project

Taking your project to the next stage

• Working with Library packages
• Using the Code View in Flash Catalyst
• Communicating with Flash Builder developers
• Ensuring a smooth handover