In this chapter, we’ll learn to build simple interface elements and interactive structures. Both the elementary structures we build, and the techniques we learn will be used -and developed further- throughout the book.

This chapter is intended for readers who are new to Flash. It brings them up to speed quickly on editing conventions and ActionScript fundamentals. It also has an overview of the design of data and execution in our trivia game.

Scope

In this chapter, we do not attempt to conscientiously teach Flash graphics creation. That is the subject of many other books. This is not even an overview of the subject.

In fact this chapter is more of an underview. We offer a mouse’s-eye view of the construction of a few simple but sophisticated interface elements. We don’t suggest that our methods are the correct approach to each problem, or even the best. Multifaceted software like Flash invites creative approaches. The approach we show here, based on much experience in team-based production of code and graphics is one good approach. Consider it as you develop your own.