.fla: file An editable Flash file
.swf: file A Flash file meant only for distribution---it can be watched, but not edited.
.swt: file A Flash template file for use with the product Macromedia Generator
A
Actionscript: The computer language Flash uses
Animated graphics: Moving images of any type. Often, Flash graphics and animated GIFs are image types seen on the Web.
Aspect ratio: The ratio of height to width. Like a television or movie screen, the shape of a Flash animation remains the same---no matter its size.
B
Bitmap graphic: See Raster graphic.
Blank keyframe: A keyframe that causes nothing to appear on stage. See also keyframe.
Button: An item that a user can click that causes an action.
Button state: A visual version of a button. For example, during clicking, the button is in the down state; when dormant, it is in its up state. When the mouse is hovered over the button, the button is in its over state.
Button symbol: A symbol used to create interactive buttons that respond to mouse events. See also Symbol.
C-F
Coordinates: Numbers signifying a place in a Cartesian plane, represented by (x,y). The top-left pixel in Flash, for instance, is written (0,0) or (0x,0y).
Down state: A button state that occurs when the user clicks the button with his mouse.
Export: To move a file or object from a Flash file. Often, the term is used to discuss the creation of distributable Flash files (.swf).
Focus: The state of being active. Usually the last object clicked currently has focus. In Flash, a dark line indicates which option has focus in a Timeline. See also Timeline.
Framerate: The rate, stated in frames per second (fps), at which each frame in an animation is played back for the user
Frame-by-frame animation: Animation using a series of keyframes with no tweening that creates a flipbook-like animation Flash file.
G
Graphic symbol: Used for animated symbols which need to be previewed inside Flash. Graphic symbols should only be used for situations requiring this such as lip syncing.
Grid: Like grid paper, a grid is used for precise placement of objects in a Flash file. See also Ruler.
Guide Layer: A special layer that does not export when you export a Flash file. This layer can be used to help registration of various elements of a Flash file.
H
Hit state: The clickable area of a button.
Hyperlink Text: an object (such as an image) that can be clicked to take a user to related information, as used on the World Wide Web.
Hypertext Markup Language (html): The language read by Web browsers to present information on the Internet.
I
Import: To bring a file or object into a Flash file.
Instance: An occurrence of a symbol used form the Library---especially helpful because, although more than one instance can exist, only the master symbol must be saved; thus, file sizes are kept small. See also Library and Symbol.
Interface: The design with which users interact.
J-K
Keyframe: A frame in which you establish exactly what should appear on stage at that particular time.
L
Layer: Aptly named, one of a stack of media in a Flash file Timeline. This is especially useful in animation because only one object can be tweened per layer.
Library: A storage facility for all media elements used in a Flash file.
Library item: Each media element in a Library is called an item. See also Symbol.
M
Masking: A kind of layer property with at least two layers: one for the Mask and one that is Masked (like Motion Guide and Guided). The graphical contents of the Mask layer will determine which parts of the Masked layer will show through.
Morph: A kind of animation that transitions one shape to another. See also Shape Tweening.
Motion Guide: A Guide layer that has an adjacent layer (below it) that is set to Guided. Tweened objects in the Guided layer will follow a path in the Guide layer.
Movie Clip: symbols A symbol that contains interactive controls, sounds, and even other Movie Clips. Movie Clips can be placed in the Timeline of Button symbols to create animated buttons. Movie Clips follow their own internal Timeline, independent of the main Timeline. See also Symbol.
N-O
Onion Skin Tools: Tools that enable you to edit one keyframe while viewing (dimly) other frames before or after the current frame.
Over state: A button state that occurs when the user passes his mouse over a button.
P
Panels: These are the smaller windows in Flash that have all the options and parameters for making work in Flash. For example, the text panel, for making text, or the swatches panel for choosing color.
Panning: An effect that makes a sound seem to move from left to right (or right to left).
Parameter: A specifier used in Actionscripting
Playhead: The marker on the Timeline that indicates where the user is (in time, and in frames) on the Timeline. It appears in the Flash authoring environment as a vertical red bar.
Q
Quicktime: A video format created by Apple. A common file format found on the internet.
R
Raster graphic: An image file format that contains the color information for each pixel. Raster graphics’ file sizes are relatively large.
Real Player: A streaming video player created by Real Networks. RealMedia (Real Player files) is a common format to find on the Internet.
Registration: The process of making sure screen components are properly aligned (often from one frame to another). See also Guide layer.
Rollover sound: A sound effect that plays any time a user places his cursor over a button.
Ruler: Like a physical ruler for Flash, a ruler is used for precise measurement of objects in a Flash file. Also, the Rulers must be visible in order to create dragable guides. See also grid.
Runtime: The point at which the user is watching your movie (as well as when you’re testing the movie.
S
Scale: To resize as necessary.
Scene: A component part of a Timeline in a Flash file.
Scrub: A technique to preview your animation by dragging the red current frame marker back and forth in the Timeline.
Shape Tween: A utility to create a fluid motion between two objects. See also Tween.
Smart Clip: A movie clip with parameters unique to each instance. In addition, Smart Clips can include a custom user interface to populate the parameters.
Stage: The large, white rectangle in the middle of the Flash workspace where a file is created. What is on stage is what the user will see when he plays your Flash file.
Statement: A single line of code in a script. See also ActionScript
Static graphics: Graphics with no animation or interactivity. The computer-image equivalent of a photograph or a painting.
Symbol: A graphic, Movie Clip, or button that is stored in the Library. This is especially useful because no matter how many instances of a symbol are used, it only has to download once, and changes made to the master symbol are immediately reflected in all instances already used. See also Button symbol; Graphic symbol; Library; Movie Clip symbol.
Sync: The timing between an animation and a corresponding sound. You choose sync settings in the Sound panel.
T
Timeline: An object on the Flash workspace that contains the sequence of frames, layers, and scenes composing an animation.
Tween: Used as a verb, "to tween" is to have a change made between two objects. For example, you can use a Shape Tween to morph a solid circle into a doughnut.
U-Z
Up state: Normally a button’s default state, which occurs when the user has not clicked or passed over the button with his mouse.
Vector graphic: A vector graphic file contains all the calculations to redraw an image onscreen. A vector graphic’s file size remains small, and the image can be scaled to any size without any degradation to image quality. Flash .swf files are saved as vector graphics.