Flash frustration

Perhaps blogging is a good arena for some good 'ol fashioned venting. I have been a bit frustrated by the Flash application. It is an amazingly powerful and creative tool and I enjoy that potential. But, I have found that if even the smallest step is omitted, the project does not work.

For example, while creating my jukebox, I selected three formatted buttons, modified them to a button symbol and double clicked on each to edit. In this edit mode, I added another layer, added the music that I loaded previously to the library, added a keyframe on down, dragged the music to the stage. Voila! It was supposed to work but no music would play when I clicked the buttons. Time after time, I re-checked my work. I started a whole new flash project starting again from scratch and still it would not work. I followed the notes I had taken and my professor's description on the classes' Blackboard page. Argh! I was ready to give up. Then, I opened my project one last time, edited the button and added a keyframe to the 1st layer that had no sound but was just the button loaded. It worked. By neglecting that step, the whole project did not work. This was not in my notes nor in the description.

Now, I will go back and add new buttons as I have learned that at the present point, one button cannot serve two functions. So, one button cannot start and stop music. I had misunderstood and thought that when selecting 'event' when one is assigning the music, it would cancel out any other music started in the same project. So, I will try yet again. I'm frustrated because I usually understand things quickly. This has been a test of my patience....

I am looking forward to trying my hand at writing ActionScript. It is reversing the process of what we have been doing. The former has been visually prompted and now we will have to verbalize what we want to do visually. What we think about and express correctly can be made a reality. This could be difficult, freeing, and expressive.

I am anxious to start Dreamweaver and learn how to incorporate small bits of flash INTO an existing webpage. So far, we have only processed various Flash projects as it's own webpage.

Hopefully, in my next blog entry I can reveal a wonderfully working Jukebox!