The Web Wizards Guide to Flash by Michael

CHAPTER 5 Sound Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. 2

Chapter Objectives n n n Understand the role of sound in Flash Import sounds and place them on the Timeline Modify audio settings for playback Optimize the download size and quality of sounds Control sounds with actions Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. 3

Importing Sounds n n n Flash is not a sound editor Use a sound-editing program to change the duration of a sound Many existing sounds are available on the web and from other sources Use File > Import command to add a sound to a Flash movie Manage sounds from the movie’s library Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. 4

Placing a Sound on the Timeline n n n Similar to a symbol, you must place an instance of a sound on the Timeline to apply it. Drag a sound from the library to any keyframe to create an instance of that sound. It’s best to dedicate a specific layer just for sounds. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. 5

Applying Playback Settings n n n Use the Effect parameter to change the playback volume of a sound/ The Sync parameter determines how a sound is triggered. Specify a Loop value to repeat the play of a sound instance. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. 6

Options for the Sync Parameter n n Event: Entire sound must download before playing. Once triggered, an event sound will play through. Start: Same as Event, but only one instance can play at a time. Stop: Stops the play of a specified Event or Start sound. Stream: Sounds downloads one frame at a time, and plays in step with the Timeline. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. 7

Maximizing Sound Compression n n Set up the compression for a sound from the library. Set the compression for each sound individually to maximize quality and minimize file size. MP 3 is best general compression ADPCM is good for short sound effects and is compatible with older versions of the Flash player. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. 8

Adding Sounds to Symbols n n n As with other assets, you can add a sound to any symbol. Add a sound to a button for a “click” sound when pressed. Place a sound in a movie clip and it can be controlled via a Tell Target action. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. 9

Sound Strategy n n n Use multiple instances of the same sound rather than several different similar sounds. Loop shorter sounds in place of longer ones. Compress sounds as much as they can stand. Simplify a sound in a sound-editing program. Import smaller sound files. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. 10