3. Flash Movies

Flash movies can contain graphics, animation, sound, interactive navigation controls, and dynamic data that updates in real-time. Flash movies are stored as .swf files, and are displayed inside an HTML page using the <OBJECT> tag. (The Flash and Dreamweaver applications can generate the HTML code for you.)

Symbols are a way of re-using the same content in different parts of a movie. No matter how many instances of a symbol you create, Flash only needs to load the symbol once. Symbols can be graphics, sound files, fonts, buttons, or movie clips. Buttons can function as links or trigger actions such as pausing or starting a movie. A movie clip is a piece of Flash animation that's embedded within a larger Flash movie. You can animate a movie clip just like a normal graphic symbol—you can even have movie clips within movie clips!

Common Symbol Types