Flash Vocabulary
  1. Symbols: A symbol is a reusable object used or created using Flash drawing tools and stored in the movie's Library panel. A Symbol can be reused throughout your movie or imported and used in other movies. There are three types of symbols: Graphics, Buttons, and Movie clips. (See Smart Webby website)
  2. A movieclip is like a Flash mini-movie -- it has its own timeline and so can be addressed and controlled independently of the main timeline and independently of other movieclips. It is a type of symbol, like the graphic symbol we used when making motion tweens.
  3. Keyframe: a frame that signifies a change in an object being animated.
  4. Mask layer: a layer used to cover up the objects on another layers and at the same time, create a window through which you can view various objects on the other layer.
  5. Motion tweening: the process used in Flash to automatically fill in the frames between keyframes in an animation that changes the properties of an object such as the position, size, or color, Motion tweening works on groups and symbols.
  6. Stage: the area of the Flash workspace that contains all of the objects that are part of the movie and that will be seen by the viewers. It shows how the objects behave within the movie and how they interact with each other.
  7. Panels: components in Flash used to view, organize and modify objects and features in a movie.
  8. Tools panel: the tools panel contains a set of tools used to draw and edit graphics and text. It is divided into four sections: tools, view, colors and options.
  9. Timeline: the component of Flash used to organize and control the movie's contents over time, by specifying when each object appears on the stage.
  10. Layers: rows on the timeline that are used organize objects and that allow the stacking of objects on the stage. Each new Flash movie contains one layer, named Layer 1. Layers are like transparent sheets of acetate that are stacked on top of each other. Each layer can contain on or more objects.
  11. Frames: The timeline is made up of individual chapters called frames. The content of each layer is displayed in frames as the playhead moves over them while the movie plays.
  12. Scenes: a section of the timeline designated for a specific pat of the movie. Scenes are a way to organize long movies. When you create a new movie, Scene 1 also appears in the timeline.