art

[erica]

I've seen a lot of beautiful sites done in Flash. I don't think all the graphics started there though. What is the best program to make art for Flash movies? Corel Draw, Photoshop, Fireworks? Is it good to scan art? Thank you to anyone who can advise!

[Strok]

It is a very personal ,
I think is good to know and use all of them.
Photoshop is the most popular bitmap editor (which has the biggest plugin library available for the users)
Illustrator ---- vector based tool
fireworks = Photoshop but not so popular
freehand = Illustrator but not so popular
CorelDraw (full package) has a Bitmap+Vector tools but if you will save your stuff into EPS or PSD format then in Adobe products it doesn't will look the same !!!! (I had so many problems with that)

You have to learn a Photoshop and Illustrator and you will be able work in any programs

[Serpent]

All the graphics don't start in flash, but flash is a good rendering programme !
To get the smallest file size, and to use it for animation, you should use vector drawings .

if you like scanned illustation work then here is how i do it :
1. Use an ink pen to draw on paper.
2. scan it as line art.
3. open photoshop (if U have it)
4. gussian blur the image . 2 point
5. unsharpen mask (maximum)
// this should smoothen the lines.
6. use the Maximum filter to thin the lines !
7. trace it in freehand (i dont know about illustrator)
8. export it as SWF (from freehand).
9. open flash, 'break' image apart .
10. start colouring in. use more layers to add more shades !
you can use other progs to 'clean up' your image.

I got an example here, of my drawing @
http://www.geocities.com/belodara/ill.html
or:
http://www.geocities.com/belodara/illu/il.zip

//if link doesn't work, then email me & i'll send out a zip file of it .
CU :-)
//serpent

[Edited by Serpent on 04-27-2001 at 12:54 AM]

[Guy]

Erica,
Not to repeat but Photoshop and Illustrator (Adobe products) are still the most widely used in the industry and still the most user friendly I think.
I'm not sure what your end goals are as far as presentation but a general rule for Flash design is to use vector based imagery as much as possible. For that you would Illustrator. Not the easiest program to figure out at first but it is quite excellent.
For stuff like photos and pictures (bitmap images), Photoshop will still be required. I highly recommend using your File>Save for web command (assuming you have at least Photoshop 5.5) This is an imageready plugin that will allow you to optimize your image to obtain the smallest file size possible while seeing what the finished result looks like. Settings like .jpg, gif, and png allow for different levels of compression. If your pic has many colors...use .jpg. If your picture has few colors (say, under 4 or 5) use .gif. I never use the png setting. Really try to avoid too much bitmap imagery..it's a killer on file size and can ruin a presentation if not optimized correctly.
If your going to scan some line art (like a cartoon drawing), Serpents method will work but can be a bit time consuming on the Illustrator end. I like to export paths from Photoshop, this basically renders your image for you and then all you have to do is open it in Illustrator to get a vector based version of your original drawing.
For the purposes of keeping it simple, try this. Draw a stick figure and don't be afraid to use a thick marker (you can fix everything with software anyway). Scan that. Open Photoshop and open the picture you scanned. Go to your tools palette and click on the "magic wand" tool. Move your cusor to any part of the black line of your art....click on it. The magic wand will highlight the black line. (important to note: the magic wand only highlights a continuous line. Once there is a break, it will not highlight that so in order to make sure you get the whole image, hold down your shift key and click on all of the black lines not highlighted....this will highlight them too.) So the thing is highlighted now, go to Window>Paths and your paths window will come up. On the upper right of the window is an arrow, click that and you will see a menu: choose, "Make work path". This will do exactly that...make a path. Now go to File>Export>Paths to Illustrator and save your file as "whatever". Open "whatever" in Illustrator, drag your pointer across the screen to highlight your stick man. Just set the "stroke weight" (in your palletes) to whatever you like and "Wallah!!!!" there is your stick man rendered in a vector based format. Manipulate as you like, color in, whatever and then save it or drag it onto your Flash screen from Illustrator.
It will take you longer to read this then it will to actually do it. I realize your work is more involved then stick men (I hope) but it is an easy way to start the ball rolling.

Good luck

[electrotank]

With most graphics, you should use Flash's drawing tools to create your graphics. See why.

http://www.vectorkid.com

Cheers,
Robert Firebaugh