Adobe Flash

Drawing in Flash

When you draw in Flash, you create vector art, which is a mathematical representation of lines, curves, color, and position. Vector art is resolution-independent; you can rescale the art to any size or display it at any resolution without losing clarity. Additionally, vector art downloads faster than comparable bitmap images. This tutorial shows you how to create vector art of a bolt and logo.

Set up your workspaces

First, you'll open the start file for the lesson and set up your workspace to use an optimal layout for taking lessons.

  1. To open your start file, in Flash select File > Open and navigate to the file:
    • In Windows, browse to boot drive\Program Files\Macromedia\Flash 8\Samples and Tutorials\Tutorial Assets\ Creating Graphics\Draw in Flash and double-click drawing_start.fla.
    • On the Macintosh, browse to Macintosh HD/Applications/Macromedia Flash 8/Samples and Tutorials/Tutorial Assets/Creating Graphics/Draw in Flash and double-click drawing_start.fla.

    Note:The Draw in Flash folder contains completed versions of the tutorial FLA files for your reference. Flash opens in the authoring environment.

  2. Select File > Save As and save the document with a new name, in the same folder, to preserve the original start file. As you complete this lesson, remember to save your work frequently.
  3. Select Window > Workspace Layout > Default to configure your workspace.