Is Flash difficult to learn?

suzjor · 05-08-2007, 10:55 AM

I have a new web client that is an author of children's books. She wants the eyes from one of her characters to move. So...I'm thinking of purchasing Flash but is this ridiculous for me to believe learning this can be easily done in a short period of time.

Owen · 05-08-2007, 11:10 AM

If you just want moving eyes, why don't you try using an animated GIF ?

example:

suzjor · 05-08-2007, 11:12 AM

How do you do that though? She is sending me a picture of one of her characters and wants me to have the eyes move. So how would I do that? Wouldn't I need a program to do that effect?

Owen · 05-08-2007, 11:20 AM

Just gave a quick Google and came up with:

http://www.download.com/Ulead-GIF-An...4-5422267.html
and
http://www.freewareweb.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?ID=288

Not familiar with either of them though. I used to use an add-on to Paint Shop Pro in the past (I think)

It's just a matter of getting the image and coming up with a sequence of pictures, example one with the eyes looking to the left, one to the middle and one to the right. The package will do the rest

Here's more instructions how to do it: http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ani...ient=firefox-a

suzjor · 05-08-2007, 11:27 AM

Thank you so much. I really had no idea.

phacker · 05-08-2007, 11:55 AM

Flash can be as difficult as you make it, or you can learn to use it as tool. I would never be without it. Funky animated gifs can't compare to it.

**3ncryptabl3_lick** · 05-08-2007, 08:29 PM

It really depends on what you plan on doing with flash. Doing what you suggest, wouldn't be difficult to do for me or anyone else who knows flash but the learning curve is quite steep if you want to do anything, right.

Of course doing the eye thing as an animated gif will work, in flash you have many more tool available and the end result (if you compare gif to swf) would be a much better product. With a gif, it'll always be a gif. Limited bit depth, ((and by that i mean in terms of compression)) choppy loading and repetition. With flash, it could just as easily be an jpg sequence with proper loading (compression without those tell-tale signs like gif's) and statements to avoid the repetitive gif-like sequence.

big drunk · 05-09-2007, 03:28 AM

If this is all your going to do with Flash then I would just go the gif route. It can be a steep learning curve with Flash, which is fine if you plan to use it more often in future.

Domestic Diva · 05-09-2007, 05:39 PM

There's a progam called SwishMax which is a million times easier and more user-friendly than Flash - with equally great results, imho. Plus, it's much less of an investment than Flash. It's around $100.

http://www.swishzone.com/index.php?area=home

**3ncryptabl3_lick** · 05-09-2007, 06:07 PM

Yah, that's like the 'frontpage' for flash design.

Domestic Diva · 05-09-2007, 08:03 PM

lmao! Well put - it's exactly that!

I guess you won't be surprised to learn that I also love FrontPage.

Any program that lets me work in "design view" is the one for me. Learning extensive coding is not something I have ever had the time, need or desire to do. So, I use the little wimpy programs and hope that nobody notices.

I highly recommend the wimpy programs - they're fast, easy and cheap. (Not unlike Paris Hilton?)

chicgeek · 05-09-2007, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by do-over

I highly recommend the wimpy programs - they're fast, easy and cheap. (Not unlike Paris Hilton?)

Okay, you can stay.

Domestic Diva · 05-09-2007, 08:36 PM

**3ncryptabl3_lick** · 05-09-2007, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by do-over

... Learning extensive coding is not something I have ever had the time, need or desire to do...

I was a huge frontpage advocate... For those very reasons. WYSIWYG apps are great.

Now though I work primarily in flash and have someone else do all that other stuff. Flash *can* be allot more complex and so to the problems and debuging that goes along with it. I just spent the last few hours debugging a major issue with my site and I'm still nowhere near fixing it.

But such is the way if you're doing full sites.

However, that said, with a handfull of codes and basic understanding of the fundementals of timelines and nested elements that flash (ab)uses, you can create an online experience.

cashcannon · 05-10-2007, 12:54 AM

Macromedia and adobe products will always have the quality stuff.

Nowadays you have a program called Flex. I'm really enjoying that a.t.m

suzjor · 05-10-2007, 04:53 AM

Cash, what is Flex? I guess I could go do a search

cashcannon · 05-10-2007, 04:58 AM

It's based on flash, but I guess it's more for designers than programmers

adobe information

suzjor · 05-10-2007, 05:04 AM

very cool...one day. Thanks for the linky!

Karen_Harwood · 06-01-2007, 10:33 AM

I loved working with Flash but it was a real pain in the....