Hi Im Fly Im new here and new 2 Flash this is only my 2nd post here... the cow?? I'm from Holland!!!! :>) haha
On the web and here - I see a lot of great sites. I see moving images...well just eye-popping sites. it's soooooo beautifull - I HAVE 2 learn how to do as much in Flash as possible I simply have 2!!!
How did u guys ever start out? If u are bored and feel like tellin' me a very long story about how u ever started and how u became good @ flash... feel free!!! And yes I know I have just started... but maybe if I get some tips on how 2 get into it (besides the tutorials) it will give me a more in depth view in the making of a flash website. The start. Do u make a sketch first. Do u just start...??? How does a site hang together... is it a collection of a couple of lil' movies????
I know it will take time for me... but I got plenty of that and more than plenty of motivation. I will check out all necessarry tutorials and read books.
One more time this question: CAN I MAKE A GOOD WEBSITE USING FLASH 4... I DO NOT KNOW ANY HTML - BUT IF I HAVE 2 LEARN THAT I WILL. And yes once I get a hang of FLASH 4.. I will get Flash 5!
I like books (especially for the start). A well written book for starters makes u understand the basics so u can communicate with the program and other flashers. Then read tutorials, take a look to open movies, think of a project and try to build it. Ask questions here in Flashkit. Then an advanced book for Flash and Actionscript will help u to extend your knowledge. But all is up to u, your time and your passion.
And yes u have to know some html. I suggest to use Dreamweaver. For many tasks no code knowledge is nesessary.
personally, i started out learning, and re-learning over and over the like 9 different tutorials that come with the program. then i went into the help section, and read all the stuff for the different topics. after reading that, i was able to understand flash vocabulary, so i read tutorials online. from there, it is just ideas, inspiration, and experimentation.
I have only been doing this for hm nearly four weeks! and flash is just such an awesome proggy i have only just scratched the surface but seems to me anything you want to do this proggy can do it!
When i first opened up flash i was very lost the tutes were really confusing to me and i normally dont have a problem working out new proggys...i actually gave up and put it away for a month until i saw an awesome site and decided i really want to learn how to do that!
My problem was where the hell do i start?? so i found my way here and found the flash typer and when i saw what i could create with a few clicks of a button i suddenly had something that looked great that i could use! now all i had to figure out was how to get it into my own fla and up onto my site! lol.......so after two weeks of flashing this was the result http://cheetah.iscute.com and the last two weeks i have done this http://home.iprimus.com.au/cheetah7/testindex.html
So my advice? go to flash typer make a text effect movie and then look through the boards and the tutes here on how to use it once you have something you can use in your flash movie straight away it really motivates you to work it out!
Good luck and dont what ever you do give up! its really brilliant and i hardly know anything!
and buy all of the Flash 5 books you'll see there!!
You don't have to read them cover to cover; when you're in a jam trying to do something, or you don't understand a command or menu item, go to the index, look it up, and read that part. You'll be up and running (and stunning your friends) in no time at all.
my friend was talking about it and i had no clue what it was. then i got my first computer. i've had it since Christmas. I saw the same stuff you did, all that amazing imagery and motion... I downloaded flash, went through all the help files like 4 times, and thought i was screwed. i gave up on it for about a month, then i found swish. Then the skys opened up and i found flashkit. i did some tuts, met some friends, and got on the boards.
I'm a relative newbie too and highly recommend Foundation Flash 5 from Friends of ED. The only little advice I can offer is to learn the debugging and make sure you keep in mind that this is primarily a web based media and many are still on dialup. Keep em as small as possible
He to all the replyers - thanx a lotta!!! Invaluable advice baby!!! I thought I was the only 1 who thought "WHAT THE #$@^!!!!" after doin' the tutorialz haha...
OK.. well I'm definitely gonna start by reading a flash 5 book. And basicly doin' what y'all flasherz have said. Tutorials, studying FLA's, reading! and a whole lot of trying!!!