How to Gain Access to the Flash Authoring Tool

• Purchase the software yourself. Make sure to take advantage of the educational discount price! Adobe Flash CS3 currently costs about $250.

• Have access to the computer lab on the Tahlequah, Oklahoma campus.
  Adobe Flash CS3 (the latest version of Flash) has been installed on the computers in room 129 in the Business and Technology building. Note: The last time I checked, there were 3 computers in the second row that did not have Flash installed because of insuffient memory.

• Have access to the computer lab on the Muskogee, Oklahoma campus. Adobe Flash CS3 (the latest version of Flash) has been installed on four computers on the left hand side of the room in NSUM 116. There is never a lab attendant, but if anyone has any problems they can use the phone in the room and call Ext. 5023.

• Have access to the computer lab on the Broken Arrow, Oklahoma campus. Adobe Flash CS3 (the latest version of Flash) has been installed on four computers in lab 137 in Building B in Broken Arrow. One computer on each of the four rows has it, and are marked. If you are looking at the lab from the front of the room, looking left to right, the PCs are: 2nd machine on the 1st row, 5th machine on the second row, 4th machine on the third row, and the 3rd machine on the 4th row. These PCs are also labeled indicating they have Adobe CS3 installed on them. The labs in Broken Arrow have 24 hour access Monday-Thursday, and are open 8am-11pm Friday-Sunday. There should be a lab attendant on duty 12-9 Monday-Friday, and 4-9 Saturday and Sunday. However, a lab attendant is not guaranteed during all shifts.
• Download a free 30 day-trial version of the software from the Adobe website. This is not a guaranteed option - see the two warning messages below. I do not recommend taking this course, if you must rely entirely on the free trial-version of the software. (For students taking this course Fall 2008 - contact me if you are unable to download a free trial version.) If you do use the trial version, you might want to wait and install the software when you can devote a lot of time to this course.
  • Risk #1 - Adobe may disallow this option as it has done several times in the past. For example, Adobe typically does not allow trial versions to be downloaded - when they are close to releasing a new version of their software.
  • Risk #2 - The software you download may not be the same version as the software used in the class textbook or shown on training videos the instructor has created.

NOTE: Unless otherwise indicated, in this course the word Flash will refer to the Flash authoring/development environment. (This should not be confused with the Flash player which is free.) In the past few years, the following three different version of Flash have been released. Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Macromedia Flash Professional 8 Adobe Flash CS3 - released May 2007 In April 2005, Adobe acquired Macromedia and thus the name change. My guess is that most of the exercises can be completed using any of the three Flash applications. Personally, I will be using Adobe Flash CS3.