Glossary

.fla   
Is referring to the flash authoring file, the file that you create in flash and are able to edit
while working on your movie.

Shockwave movie
Refers to compressed, streamlined flash moive which is going to put on the web.
Remember that once this file exported, is no longer in an editable format.

Alpha
Refers to the transparency value of an object. An alpha of 0 is fully transparent, and 100 is opaque.

Anti-alias
Is the setting in flash that smoothes edges on lines, text, and bitmap.

Break Apart
Breaks an object down to its most basic level, meaning lines and fills. This is similar to ungrouping an object.

Dynamic Text
Refers to text that changes as the variable assigned to the particular text field changes during the movie.

Easing
Is an effect used during motion tweening to control the acceleration or deceleration of an animated object.

Frames
Are the building blocks of the timeline. Objects placed on the stage with a particular frame selected appear in the play back timeline at a particular moment. You can insert a frame choosing insert frame or using keyboard shortcut "F5".

Frame Rate
Is the speed at which your flash movie plays. The default frame rate is 12 frame per second.

Input Text Field
This field enable the user to input text on a flash front end. Input text field are used in forms or interactive applications, similar to an HTML text box.

Instance
Is the version of a symbol on the stage. The instance of a symbol can be modified in color, size, and shape without affecting the original symbol.

Keyframes

Keyframes are like markers in time, showing the start and end points for different parts of action. In other word your flash movie is consist of a series of keyframes spaced out along the timeline. To insert a new keyframe in to the timeline, simply click in the timeline at the position where you want to add the keyframe and choose insert > keyframe or use the keyboard shortcut "F6".
Blank keyframe is acting like a keyframe that has no content. You can use insert > blank keyframe or using keyboard shortcut "F7". Remember that blank keyframes are useful for stopping animations or dividing different pieces of content that exist on the same layer.

Layers
Are used to separate objects and symbols and to give more control and organization to your movie. Also, ued to arrange objects in front of or behind each other.

Library
Stores and organizes the symbols you create and the files you import to your movie.

Masking
A mask layer selectively hides and reveals whatever is on any masked layers below it.
The mask layer contains a filled area that acts as a window through to the masked layer. Remember that the mask layer can be static or animated.

Motion Guide
Guides an object's movement by defining the path that the object moves along during motion tweening. Remember that motion guides have their own layer.

Motion Tweening
Animates an object between two points, and also rotate, scale and change the color of the objects during the animation.

Onion Skins
Is displaying multiple frames of animation at the same time and showing what's on the stage in each individual frame.

Scene
Is refered to individual sections of your movie, which play in the order you specify.

Shape Tweening
Also referd to as morphing, takes an object (which must be ungrouped) and changes into another object over a chosen timeframe.

Stage
Is the working area of you flash movie and whatever placed inside the stage will appear in your final exported movie.

Static Text
Is the text put on the stage and stays the same and does not change.

Symbol
Are fundamental components of flash movie and objects. Objects that are converted into symbol get stored in the library. Symbols are helping to keep the file size low, when using the same object more than once. There are three types of symbol:
graphic

button

movie clip is refered to a movie on the stage which runs independently of the main timeline and has its own timeline. It is a movie within a movie when is used.

Timeline
The area above the stage that shows all the frames you have created in your movie. Also, it allows you to organize the content and length of your movie.