Section 2.6. What s Next?

2.6. What's Next?

In this chapter, you learned how to customize your workspace to make your work easier and faster. You know how to use tools such as the Align panel, Timeline Effect assistants, and the History panel to make production more efficient. Now you can get through the sometimes tedious tasks that require a little extra precision, and get on with creating.

To expand on your work so far, replace each box instance in the file you built with custom content. Try text, a logo, or perhaps an animation piece to bring your file to life. If you don't yet feel sure enough to take on a project like this, keep readingyou'll soon feel your confidence grow.

If you're interested in extending Flash, Chapter 15 discuss this briefly. If you can't wait that long, visit the Macromedia Flash Exchange at http://www.macromedia.com/exchange/flash/. The Flash Exchange features many commands, as well as components (pre-made widgets, such as buttons, menus, and other user interface controls) and other extensions (tools, panels, and other utilities) that you'll learn more about later. These add-ons allow you to further customize your workspace, enabling you to do more than Flash can do out of the box and saving you lots of time and energy.

In the next chapter, you'll create your first animation. You will:

• Work with layers and the timeline

• Learn how to animate symbols using keyframes and tweening

• Animate a symbol along a specific path

• Add a touch of realism to your animations with custom easing

• Write your first ActionScript

• Publish your movie for playback in a web page