There´s no doubt about it. Flash is a program that every serious web designer should know, inside out. Flash adds dimensions to a web page that are virtually impossible with any other program. It´s ability to let you integrate sound, animation, titles, symbols and images is astounding. Few would disagree, though, that Flash offers a learning curve for virtually every web designer. It takes time to master it´s intricate applications.

One great way to begin to understand Flash is Swish. Swish is an inexpensive software program that allows you to get the hang of combining sound with images, text with animation and so on in an intuitive and straight forward program environment. The output is an .swf movie file, the same type of file produced by Flash. Most modern browsers are already set up to view a Swish movie, since they are already plugged in for Flash movies.

The effects possible with Swish are quite impressive, considering that the program uses automatic programming to write the movie code. The commands are so intuitive, people often learn the program in an evening. Swish was first developed to produce stunning text effects. Newer versions still do this, but also provide the capability to work with other forms of media, like images and sound.

Text Effects Galore!

Swish´s interface makes creating with text, child´s play. Working with this program really can help you learn Flash when you perceive the process you are engaged in as you create. Text effects like "vortex," "fade in," "3D Spin" and so on can be set in seconds using the drop down menu. A Timeline graph is used to set the timing exactly to the second - which makes matching up your text´s gymnastics with sounds, images, buttons and such, a breeze.

Sound to Delight the Ears!

Swish offers the amazing capacity to incorporate either wav or Mp3 files in your animated movies. Flash does not support Mp3 at this time, which puts Swish at the advantage, in the sound department. The whole process of adding sound is so effortless and seamless, you are sure to be delighted with it. To add sound, you just need to select a sound file from your hard drive, insert it in the Timeline graph
at the appropriate spot, Press the "Add Action" button, then "Play Sound" on the drop down window. The sound will automatically be added exactly where you specified on the Timeline graph. If you choose to move the sound to another part of the movie, repairs are easily made.

Animate with Images

Images saved as jpg, gif, or bmp files can be integrated in your Swish movies - the combination of text, images and sound really bring your movies to life. Again using the Timeline the image is added as a separate layer which can then be manipulated to move and fade, blur or spin in symphony with your sounds and text. In Swish all you need to do is go to the Timeline tab, select a frame where you want the animation to begin and then click on the "Add Effect" drop-down menu. This presents you with several effect choices that you can instantly apply to your image. All you need to do is to set the number of frames and preview the result to make sure it’s what you´re aiming for.

Display It For the World!

Once your movie is complete, simply save it as a .swf file. Then, it is a snap to embed the finished product into your website. Voila! You´ve created a professional and eye-catching animated, sound-enhanced, graphic and interesting movie for your web site. Of course, if you are serious about design, you´ll still want to master Flash. But, as you learn Flash, why not practice the fine art of movie design using this wonderful little helper, Swish?

Links

SwishZone at https://www.swishzone.com/


Kirupa´s Swish Guide at https://www.kirupa.com/developer/swish/