Creating dynamic Flash effects in SWiSH Max doesn’t have to be complicated. There are a number of ways to make text really stand out. One method involves creating a mask, into which you can put anything you choose.
Click on the Group As Shape button (if you have the Grouping Toolbar visible), or right click on your text, click on Grouping, and then click on Group As Shape. Whether you click the button or select Group As Shape manually, you will get a pop up asking if you want to make the overlapped regions of objects with the same fill style empty. Click Yes.
With the text ready, make two copies of the shape. Right click on Shape and then click on Copy Object. Right click on Shape again and then click on Paste in Place so that the copies are in exactly the same location. You should end up with three shapes.
Take a moment to rename each shape to avoid confusion during the rest of the steps. You do this by clicking on the word shape. Name the top one Outline, the second one Mask, and the third one Color, at least at first. Once you are comfortable using this technique, you can name them 1-2-3 or leave them as the default as you choose.
The Outline shape is the outline of the text, and displays in front of the mask. Set the Fill to None and make an outline around the text. There are no particular settings for the line, although a somewhat thick solid (as opposed to a dashed line) works better. Click on the eye symbol beside the other two shapes to make them invisible so you can see what you’re doing on the outline shape.
Click on the mask shape to make it active. You do not have to make it visible while you’re working on it. Click on the Group As Sprite button (if you have the Grouping Toolbar visible), or right click on your text, click on Grouping, and then click on Group As Sprite. Rename the sprite to Mask to help keep track, especially if you add sprites within this one. In the Sprite panel place a check in the box Use bottom object as mask. You can use effects and scripts within this sprite as well. Content you want to mask should go in the Mask sprite above the Mask shape.
Click the color shape to make it active. If you made the mask shape visible while you were working on it, make it invisible again so you can see what you are doing with the color. Here you are going to change the fill color to whatever you choose.
Save your movie as a SWiSH file, or export it to .swf format, as an .exe, or in .avi format.
You can create many different effects using this method. Once you have done it a few times it becomes an easy routine. Have fun!
