The Flash 4 package contains a variety of media to help you learn the program quickly and become proficient in creating your own Flash Player movies—including online help that appears in your web browser, interactive lessons, a tutorial, a printed book, and a regularly updated web site.
If you are new to Flash, or if you used only a limited set of its features, start with the lessons. The lessons introduce you to the main features of Flash, letting you practice on isolated examples. The tutorial introduces the workflow in Flash by showing you how to create a basic movie. The tutorial assumes an understanding of the topics covered in the lessons.
To start with the lessons, choose Help > Lessons > 1 Introduction.
Using Flash contains instructions and information for using all Flash tools and commands. It is provided as both online help and a printed book. The online help contains a variety of Flash Player movies demonstrating effects and features.
For the best experience when using Flash Help, Macromedia strongly recommends that you use Netscape Navigator 4.0 or higher or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher on Windows, and Netscape Navigator 4.0 or higher on the Macintosh. If you use a 3.0 browser, all the content of the movies and the Flash Help is still accessible, but some features (such as Search) will not work. Running Flash and Flash Help simultaneously on a Macintosh requires up to 32 MB of memory, depending on your browser's memory needs.
To use the Flash Help:
| 1 | Choose Help > Flash Help Topics. |
| 2 | Navigate the help topics using any of these features: |
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Contents organizes information by subject. Click top-level entries to view subtopics. |
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Index organizes information like a traditional printed index. Click a term to jump to a related topic. |
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Search finds find any character string in all topic text. Search requires a 4.0 browser with Java enabled. To search for a phrase, simply the type the phrase into the text entry box.
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| To search for files that contain two keywords (for example, layers and style), separate each word with a plus (+) sign.
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Previous and Next buttons let you move through the topics within a section.
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Flash icon links you the Flash Developers Center web site.
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The Flash Developers Center web site is updated regularly with the latest information on Flash, plus advice from expert users, advanced topics, examples, tips, and updates. Check the web site often for the latest news on Flash and how to get the most out of the program at www.macromedia.com/support/flash/.