1.2. A Tour of the Flash Desktop

Even though it has more controls and gizmos than a jumbo-jet cockpit, don't let Flash's interface intimidate you. Each toolbar and panel plays a part in the life of an animation, and most are designed to give you, the animator, full and flexible control over your creation. Once you know why and how to use each type of control, all becomes clear. That's what this section does.

1.2.1. Menu Bar

Running across the top of the Flash desktop (or the very top of your screen, if you're on a Mac), is the menu bar. The commands on these menus list every way you can interact with your Flash file, from creating a new file—as shown on Section 2.2—to editing it, saving it, and controlling how it appears on your screen.