date |
assignments |
|---|---|
|
This schedule is web-based at facstaff.uww.edu/bertozze/flash and is subject to
constant change. Regular small assignments may be added to this schedule by the instructor.
These changes will always be announced in class before the assignments are due but
the student is responsible for checking this web page for information about assignments.
There is no such thing as late work in my classes. If it is not done on time, it doesn't
get any points. You do have to have all of the assigments done, however, in order to have
a final grade for the course. The swf examples are all viewable on-line. The fla version is usually in the shared class folder.
Jump to week
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
|
|
| Week 1: January 19 |
Introduction to the class, begin structure of Flash and How it Works. Bring in a piece of paper which states "I have read the syllabus for MAGD 271, I have taken the quiz and I understand Prof. Bertozzi's expectations for the course." with your signature at the bottom. This should be the first page of your design notebook. You will also make a folder in your web folder entitled "271". Create an index page inside that folder that will link to your assignments. Use simple code that you write yourself. No heavy graphics! This is how I will find and grade your assignments
|
| Week 2: January 24 |
Read: intro chapter in TYA.
Drawing in Flash We don't do much of this, however, you should know:
Actionscript of the week: Hour 1 in TYA
In-class assignment:
Make drawings of yourself in Photoshop and
Flash. Import the photoshop drawing of yourself and a bitmap into Flash. Trace the bitmap and see what happens. Add some text. Put the Flash file up on your web site. Example 1, Example 2
By the end of this week (6pm Sunday night) you should have a file with at least 30 keyframes that does something interesting with your initials. This should be animated step by step with keyframes, no tweens please. Here is the example. |
| Week 2: January 26 |
Take a look at Storyboarding. Good storyboarding skills are essential to your success in this class. We will talk about how to build them, what tools to use and how to present your work. Here are some good templates. How are comics and storyboarding related? Write about this in your design notebook.
Actionscript of the week: telling buttons what to do. TYA Hour 2.
|
| Week 3: January 31 |
Chapter 1 of Understanding Comics
Flash : How to make a button, Example: starting and stopping animations Assignment 2: By the end this week, you should have a Flash file with at least four buttons (two if toggles) that start and stop at least two animation subtimelines .
Quiz 1 : on Flash through TYA Chap. 2 |
| Week 3: February 2 |
Read: Chapter 2 of Understanding Comics
Drawing in Flash. Spend some time with the various tools and draw things. Put them on different layers. Learn how to use the library and what symbols are. Practice modifying instances of symbols. Use more sophisticated drawing skills. Next week we will learn how to use motion guides and movie clips.
ActionScript of the week:
starting and stopping MC animations (car example and stars example, ball in a box example).
In your design notebook: what are the differences between comics, sequential art, graphic novels? How does consciousness of the frame help you advance the story? |
| Week 4: February 7 |
Assignment 3: By the end of this week (Sunday, 6pm), you should have a file that includes multiple instances of a symbol that flies. Check out the example.
Quiz 2: Flash to date and Chapters 1 and 2 of Understanding Comics
|
| Week 4: February 9 |
Today we will learn how to do motion tweens. See the falling leaf or the effect of a Scotch-filled tulip on a bee.
Read the Flash vs. Html usability test. In your design notebook, discuss which Flying things you liked and which worked less well and why. Start discussing usability in Flash. First usability test. Here are the questions. |
| Week 5: February 14 |
tricks with text. Three kinds of text in Flash and how to manipulate them.
Actionscript of the week: Creating and filling dynamic text fields. First half of TYA Hour 3.
This is a way to play with text.
Assignment 4: By the end of this week, you should have a
file that includes motion and shape tweens, static and dynamic text. See the example.
Quiz 3: Usability, actionscripting terms from TYA and know the types of text fields and what they
are for.
|
| Week 5: February 16 |
Read: this tutorial on controlling sound
|
| Week 6: February 21 |
Actionscript of the week: controlling sound with functions. Second half of TYA Hour 3. Here is a good source for sounds: http://www.soundsnap.com/.
Here is another site with free eduational sounds.
Look at this sound example each plane has a
different sound when it enters the frame and they each have the same sound
when you click on them. Here is a song/tweens example.
|
| Week 6: February 23 |
Today we will spend more time on how to manipulate sounds and you will come up with good ideas for the midterm. Storyboards are due next week.
Your midterm should tell a story of some kind. Use what you have learned from Understanding Comics to communicate a message with visuals, audio and interactivity. I often have clients who would like you to do something for them. Ask me, and I'll try to find an appropriate project for you. Quiz 4: How sound works and why we use different kinds. You should know:
where you attach scripts, the kinds of scripts we discussed in class. Also know the types of text fields and what they
are for.
|
| Week 7: February 28 |
See the Flash with
actionscripting and variables example
Actionscript of the week: We will discuss how to use variables and input fields for game design. Start TYA Hour 4
|
| Week 7 March 2 |
Due today: Poem or Song in Flash. Look at last semester's work. Each student will present his/her work, discuss
technical challenges and usability.
Read about Preloading, publishing, optimizing files -- pgs 313-320 in TYA.
Next week we will build a preloading sequence for a large flash file. Look at these two examples: only text and with graphics |
| Week 8 March 7 |
Look at this example of a file that has inputs and outputs based on user behaviour.
Due next class on: a preloading sequence for your poem/song project. We will work on them in class today.
Quiz 5 : Sounds, Basic Actionscripting, variables, outputs
|
| Week 8 March 9 |
Chapter 3 of Understanding Comics
Finish TYA Hour 4
Presentations of audio assignments with preloaders
|
| Week 9 March 14 |
Complete paper storyboards for your midterm.
Class presentations of midterm storyboards.
|
| Week 9 March 16 |
Turn in Design Notebooks. with midterm storyboards We will walk through how input assignments work: Here are two examples Snowy and Humiliating quiz. Both games draw text from internal variables. Here is an example of a file that is downloading text from an external text file. Look at this example: test me Quiz 5 preloaders |
| Week 10 March 28 |
Inclass assignment: Create a file that uploads external text and places it in a dynamic text field. This should be linked to your index page and counts as the weekly assignment for this week.
|
| Week 10 March 30 |
Midterm project presentations and evaluation.Every one in class responsible for reviewing the next 4 people in our class from our class list. This review form can be found hereWe are importing video into flash next week. Come to class with a chunk of video from some source that you will integrate into flash in some way. |
| Week 11 April 4 |
Assignment 7: By the end of this week, post a file that includes a video clip.
There are two ways you can choose to do it. Here is the flv example. Here is the embedded swf example
We will learn how to load text from external text files. And do a usability test. Today please turn in your usability sheets and summary of results both on paper and on the web.
Quiz 6 Understanding Comics Ch. 3/Inputs/ Comparisons of Variables/ Outputs |
| Week 11 April 6 |
Understanding Comics Chapter 4
Importing Video -- how to import it, how to make
it work.
|
| Week 12 April 11 |
Quiz 7 on Actionscript to date and Understanding Comics 4Due in class today, a 1-2 page summary of your final project which serves as the first part of your complete storyboards. Discuss:
|
| Week 12 April 13 |
Quiz 8 on Flash Facts to date. Your task is to build something that works the same way this does and post it to your website.
Assignment 8: Due by the end of the week: A file that dynamically manipulates movie clips-- makes things appear and disappear
in response to user interaction. Take a look at this example.
TYA Hour 7
|
| Week 13 April 18 |
Today we discuss how to make masks in Flash. Here is an example, and here is another.
Link to a sample contract.
TYA Hour 8.
Due: Storyboards for your final Project
|
| Week 13 April 20 |
Learn how to create bars that change based on user behavior- or whatever else you need for your final project. |
| Week 14 April 25 |
Assignment 9 Due linked to your site by the end of the semester or as part of your final: File that uses masks
Quiz 9 on Usability
|
| Week 14 April 27 |
TYA Hour 14: scrollbars
Today we will discuss how to build full screen projectors, minimize file size, and discuss the importance of meta tags for search engine optimization. issues. |
| Week 15 May 2 |
Quiz 10 projectors and publishing
Work on Final Projects discuss audience and usability issues
Due to me on or before our final exam on May 9:
|
| Week 15 May 4 |
Build projectors and cd to turn in.
Work on your design notebook and add a section discussing your feelings about the class. Did we try to cover too much material? What would you have liked to spend more time on? less time on? Was the time we spent on actionscript useful? Would you have liked to spend more time/do more exercises with actionscript? Suggestions for the class in the future? |
| Exam Week |
We present the finals during our scheduled final exam times. Section I: 1pm Monday, May 9th. Section II: 3:15pm Monday, May 9th.Every one is responsible for reviewing the next 4 people in our class from our class list AND the projects that you like the best. Evaluation forms are online. You must present your final project to get credit for it. All of your work for the class must be turned in to me at the conclusion of the final presentations . |
Last changed, 2011 ©2000-11 Elena Bertozzi