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Flash and Dreamweaver have one significant commonality: they both allow you to create diverse websites with interactivity and sound. But that is just the beginning of Flash.
In Dreamweaver, your files are all part of a site map that you can view, like a tree of relationships. You may have experienced broken links or missing images because files were inadvertently placed (or moved) somewhere different that what you inteded. Also, when you upload your Dreamweaver pages, you have to upload everything (all html pages, images, sounds, etc.). With Flash, you import all of your files (sound, images, etc.) into a library, where they will always be. You can move them to different folders inside the library, edit them, create distinct versions of them, and you don't have to keep track of its origin. In other words, your Flash file (fla) will include all of the items in the library, and you can move them in and out folders as many times as you desire. When you are ready to "publish" your flash file, you will create a movie, called swf, that compresses everything and again is just a single file. This makes e-mailing, uploading and downloading your flash movies much more graceful.
Does Flash usurp the position as your website builder? Not necessarily. We have found that our must user-friendly sites use a combination of the two. For example, you can create an html page in Dreamweaver, and them import your Flash movie (swf) as you would any other file. After you become more acquainted with Flash, you will learn how to most effectively use to achieve your goal.
Flash uses a score or "timeline" to organize your movie. Its default settings are to move from the first frame and continue moving to the right (and then looping the entire movie). On the other hand, the movie does not necessarily have to go from left to right. You have the power to jump from one frame to another, non-sequential frame by using Flash's interactive language called ActionScript.
Here is an example of a movie that consists of just nine frames (one for each note plus one for the "play") that play from left to right in the score.
With ActionScript, you can create as much interactivity as you can imagine. In this basic exercise below, you can hear the notes of the scale below by clicking on them.
One of Flash's premier purposes is to give the creator the ability to make animations. Have you ever heard of OOfun greeting cards? Check out their website to get an idea about animations that can be created in Flash. Animations can make your site more fun and yes, we think more educational.
Think of an interval identification exercise. You could have a website where students listen to intervals and then choose the correct quality. However, a similar project with could include things like a scoreboard, a timer, applause for correct answers, and create an atmosphere where students can have fun learning.
Although both exercises address the same goal, we perceive them quite differently. The first one is like staring at a textbook, whereas the second is more like a game (but serves the same educational purpose). It is safe to assume that must students would be far more dedicated to practicing the example with animation.
Flash cannot only create animation and interactivity, but there are many more
features that we haven't even mastered. Our technology department is working
with us to integrate sophisticated animation and interactive elements far beyond
the scope of this site. The best way to become acquainted with Flash and
its potential is to go through its tutorials and use its extensive library (not
to mention its templates and buttons library to build movies efficiently).