Part One: Getting Started

Chapter List

Chapter 1: The Flash Authoring Tool

Chapter 2: Flash ActionScript

Part Overview

Before you can create games, you must learn to program, but before you can program in Flash ActionScript, you must learn to use the Flash authoring tool. ActionScript is built on this tool, so the first order of business is to learn all its basics. We follow that with the basics of ActionScript programming. From there, the games will start popping out like popcorn.

This part contains two chapters that lay the foundation that is necessary for game programming. What follows is a brief rundown of those chapters:

• Chapter 1, "The Flash Authoring Tool," gives a breakdown of the various tools and windows that are associated with the authoring tool. After reading this chapter, you will have a good idea about how to do things like create movie clips, import graphics, create simple Flash movies, and publish finalized Flash movies from your authoring tool. This chapter covers only the parts of the authoring tool that are essential to game programming. This chapter should be supplemented with the built-in tutorials and Flash manual.

• Chapter 2, "Flash ActionScript," introduces you to the ActionScript programming language that is embedded in Flash. This language is your primary tool for creating interactivity in your Flash movies and will serve as your greatest ally in your quest to build video games. This chapter focuses on how to write scripts and how to attach them to movies. It also introduces some of the simplest ActionScript elements.