If you have Flash MX, the mixer should start out on the right side panel, and you want to lower the Alpha value I think. I can't wait to see what you make =)
Look into Action Scripting too, I've tried to make a few games with it, but you can probably to better.

Try putting a black box around the canvas. Put it in its own layer, then just hide it(Put it on a top layer). Then when the movie is run, it will unhide it.

You can create a mask to hide anything you don't want. Not having Flash here, I can't give instructions, but it shouldn't be too hard.

When I'm in the middle of editing my project I keep getting a "A needed resources was" and then the rest of it is blank, error. I then cant start flash without getting that error until I restart my computer. How do I fix this?

Well, it's odd because after I ran Rambooster it still did it, even though it seems like ram would be the problem.

800mhz athlon processor
256mb ram
30 gigs of hard disk space
Nvidia Geforce II Video Card

Yeah, Flash takes up a lot of memory. Flash player doesn't, of course. Flash player is the same as Dream Seeker in as much as if you run a nasty infinity loop it'll use up all the memory allocated to it and crash itself.

But anyway. Flash 'maker'. Yeah, it's quite hard on the RAM. You might want to get a better computer, or cut down on what else you are running at the same time.

Well, I made an animation to see what I could do and such and to learn some basic Flash skills in.

Presenting:


THE MOST DISTURBING VIDEO EVER CREATED.


...Do you dare view this horrific animation??



*
uhhg, I can NOT get the damn loading screen to stay up there! It just rushes to frame 2 with the button even when it's still loading!

if(_root.getBytesLoaded()>=_root.getBytesTotal())
{
this.gotoAndPlay(2)
}
else
{
gotoAndPlay(1);
}

That's my code, I also tried it just like this (without the loop to replay frame 1):

if(_root.getBytesLoaded()>=_root.getBytesTotal())
{
this.gotoAndPlay(2)
}

What am I doing wrong here??]




Also, is there a better way to do "closeups" that doing a motion tween? The motion tween just seems too stubborn for it.
*

ActionScript can sometimes be a bitch with these things. I've found it horrid to debug in the past.


if(_root.getBytesLoaded()>=_root.getBytesTotal())
{
this.gotoAndPlay(2)
}
else
{
this.gotoAndPlay(1);
}


Try adding the this to gotoAndPlay().
Also if you haven't noticed, the . operator is much the same as the / operator in DM.

That's my code, I also tried it just like this (without the loop to replay frame 1):


if(_root.getBytesLoaded()>=_root.getBytesTotal())
{
this.gotoAndPlay(2)
}

Try having on frame 2 a this.gotoAndPlay(1). It might work, hopefully.

Also, is there a better way to do "closeups" that doing a motion tween? The motion tween just seems too stubborn for it.

Motion tweens are for symbols, shape tweens are for vector graphics that haven't been symbolised.
Word of warning about shape tweens:
If you don't use them right, they often look rubbish!
They also sap CPU like anything (and Flash player doesn't get that much memory in the grand scale of things), so they can really slow down animations.

You COULD use code for making things bigger, but remember this is a lot harder to know what's what, since code won't imply any graphical changes on the canvas.

For example, if you have a box, then write some ActionScript to make it spin and grow big, then it will only do that at runtime. In author(compile)time, it'll stay like it was.

Aaaanyway. You'd have to make it a symbol (movieclip is good), then give it an ID (on the properties menu).

Then you'd do it like, box4._x ++ (to go one along the x axis), box4._y ++ (to go one down the y axis (yes, flash's y axis is upside down. Remember this. Easy judgement comes from enabling "rulers" on the toolbar).
box4._xscale ++
That would increase the x scale by 1%
box4._width ++
That would increase the width by 1 pixel


But yeah. Zooming in flash. Personally I'd go with motion tween, not code. But whatever.

Maybe you could use _root.yscale or something? Maybe that would enlarge the entire movie?

Try it.

Also, tip:
Don't put code on the same frame that has an image or something in. I often make a new layer, putting it at the top of my layers called "code", and put the code there. Otherwise flash can get a little confused and stuff, doesn't like it.

Meh, some quirk of flash I guess.
I'm sure there's some obscure article about it some where.