I wanted to know what software you might recommend for creating flash animations. I want something simple to use that does not requre coding and is compatible with storyline and articulate studio.
Not a Flash coder and I don't play one on TV. With that disclaimer out of the way, here are some thoughts for you...
Be aware that there are still two underlying "scripting languages" for Flash, Action Script 2 (AS-2) and Action Script 3 (AS-3). Articulate Studio doesn't play nice with AS-3 yet so be careful.
Some pretty cool things can be done with Flash. If you find yourself wanting advanced results, you may have to bite the bullet and learn to code (shiver) or reach out to a pro.
Hope this is a start for you and maybe some of the Flash pros here will weigh in with more for you.
1. Consider why you want Flash animations in Articulate.
Are you looking for a more precise control over your animations? Do you want to add some very basic functionality like rollovers or clicking on one object causing something else to happen? Do you want more sophisticated functionality such as simulation? Flash has two aspects: an animation tool and a coding tool. You can replicate a PowerPoint animation with no or very little coding effort. On the other hand, you can create an interaction in Flash without using the animation timeline at all.
In short, a more sophisticated animation generally requires a more sophisticated user to make it.
2. If you'd like to get your feet wet in Flash with minimal cost (but a little bit of effort), check out your local library or Used Book Seller (or online Book Seller) and look for a book on Flash (I would highly recommend anything in the "Visual Quickstart Guide" family). You can start with something as old as (Macromedia) Flash 8, or go all the way up to Adobe Flash Professional CS 6. Most of these books have trial software and other goodies included on an accompanying CD. The animation tools don't change much from version to version. (Higher versions add more tools and components). Also, see if your company or library has access to any online ebook libraries or courses that might help.
3. You can even buy older versions of Flash online (from a reputable seller), or newer ones at a steep discount if you're a student. Before we upgraded to Flash CS5 last year, I was using Flash 8 (from Macromedia Studio 8) to make our Articulate animations with no problem.
We are not yet using iPads, but you bring up a good point to consider. No the animations do not have to be flash. I create a lot of animations in powerpoint and I was hoping for something that allows me more control over the animations. I think I may take a look at the flash animation tool that mentioned by Paul.
I'd agree that you can do a lot with the PPT animation. Swish is also a good tool.
As for purchasing Flash...it's pretty cheap now. Adobe now offers the entire creative cloud for around $30 per month. (Flash, Photoshop, and tons more)
We've also done a lot of work with flash interactions and games. We have a bunch of flash templates that have professional graphics and are completely programmed. (actionscript 2 and 3) You'd need to own Flash but we don't require you to know how to code...just type in your text. The big "plus" is that we give you the source file (fla) with each template. That allows you to customize anything and dig into every part if desired. Just insert the .swf right into Presenter. Works great.
6 Replies
Hi Cyndi,
Not a Flash coder and I don't play one on TV. With that disclaimer out of the way, here are some thoughts for you...
Hope this is a start for you and maybe some of the Flash pros here will weigh in with more for you.
Bob
I have done some basic coding in the past, but I am not advanced. I will take a look SWISH. Thank you for you input, I really appreciate it.
Cyndi
I am a Flash coder, and here are my thoughts.
1. Consider why you want Flash animations in Articulate.
Are you looking for a more precise control over your animations? Do you want to add some very basic functionality like rollovers or clicking on one object causing something else to happen? Do you want more sophisticated functionality such as simulation? Flash has two aspects: an animation tool and a coding tool. You can replicate a PowerPoint animation with no or very little coding effort. On the other hand, you can create an interaction in Flash without using the animation timeline at all.
In short, a more sophisticated animation generally requires a more sophisticated user to make it.
2. If you'd like to get your feet wet in Flash with minimal cost (but a little bit of effort), check out your local library or Used Book Seller (or online Book Seller) and look for a book on Flash (I would highly recommend anything in the "Visual Quickstart Guide" family). You can start with something as old as (Macromedia) Flash 8, or go all the way up to Adobe Flash Professional CS 6. Most of these books have trial software and other goodies included on an accompanying CD. The animation tools don't change much from version to version. (Higher versions add more tools and components). Also, see if your company or library has access to any online ebook libraries or courses that might help.
3. You can even buy older versions of Flash online (from a reputable seller), or newer ones at a steep discount if you're a student. Before we upgraded to Flash CS5 last year, I was using Flash 8 (from Macromedia Studio 8) to make our Articulate animations with no problem.
Remember that Flash cannot be used on iPads.
Must it be Flash? I use a lot of Powerpoint animations saved out as .wmvs and imported to Storyline.
Bruce
We are not yet using iPads, but you bring up a good point to consider. No the animations do not have to be flash. I create a lot of animations in powerpoint and I was hoping for something that allows me more control over the animations. I think I may take a look at the flash animation tool that mentioned by Paul.
I'd agree that you can do a lot with the PPT animation. Swish is also a good tool.
As for purchasing Flash...it's pretty cheap now. Adobe now offers the entire creative cloud for around $30 per month. (Flash, Photoshop, and tons more)
https://creative.adobe.com/#plans
We've also done a lot of work with flash interactions and games. We have a bunch of flash templates that have professional graphics and are completely programmed. (actionscript 2 and 3) You'd need to own Flash but we don't require you to know how to code...just type in your text. The big "plus" is that we give you the source file (fla) with each template. That allows you to customize anything and dig into every part if desired. Just insert the .swf right into Presenter. Works great.
http://elearningtemplates.com/elearning-activities/
There are also a bunch of HTML 5 games available:
http://elearningtemplates.com/html-5-game-templates/
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