Anyone good wifh flash?

[IAIHMB]

Just recently I've started fooling around with flash, and I happened to come across this:

http://members.rogers.com/trendmonster/misc/dropkicksig.swf

At first glimpse I thought it would be fairly simple to do, but I proved myself wrong. I don't want to stick you guys with alot to read, so I'll just throw out some random questions:

-How did he get the image to spin all the way around? I can get an image to spin 180 degrees either direction, but when I try to get it to spin the full 360 degrees it will spin 180 degrees one way and back the same way. I've also tried making a sequence with the second sequence starting with the text backwards, and having it tween into the actual text forwards, that doesn't seem to work.

-How did he get the animation to start on mouse over? I tried making a button and putting the animation in the "over" frame, but I always managed to run in to problems.

How did you guys go about learning flash, I've been reading macromedias tutorials and they seem to go back and forth, no real lesson plan. :P Thanks for any help guys.

[thecoalman]

You need to set the orientation for example at: frame 1- 0, frame 2 - 90, frame 3 180, frame 4 270

[IAIHMB]

Ah, gotcha, thanks! Now I just have to figure out the mouse over jib. :P

[beavereater]

I am not expert...but I know there are some simpler programs out there that have everything pretty much code free...just pick the action and so on like with SWISH.

If you are keen on using Macromedia Flash, then you could always pick up a copy of Macromedia Flash for Dummies.

I also use an app called SWF catcher, and I can download any flash I see online, and it decompiles it into all its different parts so that I can see how its done. Pretty neat...

[thecoalman]

I have a simple flash animation app too, don't use it much.The only problem with those simple ones is just that, your limited in what you can do. Matter of fact the above advice came from my 3-d animator, I came across the spinning back the same way with it too. I personally won't use flash on any my pages, too long to DL and little return.

Not that it doesn't have it's uses, the two sites I have built so far are both business sites so I really haven't had a reason to experiment with it. If I ever do build one with flash it will have a non-flash version.

[beavereater]

I agree with you thecoalman . There are limitations, but its a start maybe. As far as using it on websites, I always like it when the menus are flash. It gives it a more professional look for some reason. As far as the opening page being a flash page, it looses its appeal after the first time. After that, there had better be a skip button..