Introduction

Why ActionScript?

If you participated in our previous course you have learned how to create animated movies and if you had been persistent enough you have created a small Flash based website.

To navigate a timeframe, respond to buttons, load external Web pages you mayhave used the simplest elements of ActionScript Language. At the end of our course we advised you that Action Script is much more versatile than those first scripts.

Why learning ActionScript is worthwhile and who may benefit from knowing it?

If you are learning Flash only because of curiosity and don't really need it to make living, you may find this course difficult and a bit boring if compare to our previous basic Flash course. You may add couple funny tricks to your hobby home page and will make it look apparently better. Working on course you should keep in mind the idea of your site and try to incorporate examples into it.

If you work or going to work as a professional Web designer or developer, another words if you are intended to sell your Flash files – you need to approach this course very seriously. Current job market doesn't value too much those developers who rely only on automatic "drag and drop" tools or tricks, borrowed from internet. Modern Web site need to be a highly effective application allowing sophisticated user interaction, information gathering and treating, making decision based on user input.

You may achieve this goal by using traditional HTML design complementing with knowledge of client and server scripting techniques… but why don't use Flash with it's outstanding interface design capabilities?

If you a creative designer with artistic mind – ActionScript is also a right tool for you. If you wish to create a "scientifically looking" picture, anything, which is called "computer art" – ActionScript will help you to generate drawings and add motion to them. Ten line of code will substitute long timelines with motion tweening. Instead of endless moving and adjusting your motion guides you will play with parameters of the function.

If you want to create a game or cartoon – Flash is a perfect interface tool - but to add functionality you need to know ActionScript… and you will be able to shoot enemies with the computer gun or play craps with the computer.

So, you can see that if you like Flash and want to progress with it – there is no way to avoid learning ActionScript.

Be attentive to details and create examples after lessons by yourself and you will enjoy it!

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