Flash is an authoring tool for animated
multimedia both on and off the Web. When we first discovered Flash we
immediately realized this was the Web's most revolutionarily useful
tool. It is today the most widely accepted technology for creating fully
interactive real-time animation's on the Web. The most amazing thing
about Flash animation technology is its low bandwidth requirements compared
to animated GIFs, Quick Time movies, or even Shockwave Director technology.
Flash file size requirements are
extremely low due to its use of vector art as compared to bit-mapped
art used in Shockwave and animated GIFs. Vector art uses geometry to
define shapes and colors rather than bitmaped art which is defined by
coloring each individual pixel (represented by a group of data bits)
in a user-defined fixed sized matrix (often called a "raster").
Programs such as Photoshop, Painter, XRES, and your scanner software
use bitmap graphics.
Flash can be used to make simple
animated banners and graphics or used to create an entire Web site.
The developer of this product, Macromedia, has designed Flash to work
on all operating systems and has designed it to play with the Shockwave
plug-in or through JAVA-playback and Active X if you don't have the
plug-in. Viewers of Flash animation's who have the plug-in will notice
the presentation start quicker than those without the plug-in. Flash
can also be used for CD-authoring, and is a powerful illustration and
presentation making program.
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