Graphics or MovieClips?

[aspera34]

This is the question in everyone's mind, and now it's in mine >(

I don't know which is which and what i should do. I've been using graphics for my character designs.
Firstly, the movie i'm making is like Bunny Kill and Madness. I noticed in Bunnykill that there were gradients used where the color cradually gets darker, especially on the metal objects. How do you do those effects?

I'm using Flash CS4; which Flash should i use to best create a Flash Movie? I have Flash CS3, but CS4 is a demo version.

All i know about Graphics and Movieclips is what i heard from a tutorial video, which said graphis are better for creating toon movies. I also read that movieclips stink at streaming sound? Or am i mistaking? I'd like to hear the final truth from you guys on all i should do. I'm not producing some crappy movie, so i'm going to exhaust all my options before i waste my time making graphics characters.

My movie has an extensive soundtrack playing throughout, so i need a software and symbol that can support this feature. Again, i'm not making some crappy movie that makes the sound files sound like SNES

Thanks for the help!

[Rustygames]

I think you need to read up on basic flash. There should be some simple tutorials and reading material if you press F1

The difference basically is that MovieClip's have their own timeline

[Version2]

I've got good news for you: flash allows you to turn a symbol from a graphic to a movieclip.

[aspera34]

lol i just found out i can convery graphics to movie clips, but what are the pros and cons of using one over the other?

[ertysproductions]

Graphics, as the name suggests, are used for graphics in Flash. It let's you add simple color changes and animation. Really useful if you want to check how the symbol animation is synchronized to the rest of the animation.

But the MovieClip on the other hand is widely used in Actionscript and when adding filters or blends to objects.

[Starogre]

Movieclips are good for looping animation and symbols, manipulating it with Actionscript (spawning it onto the stage, and basically doing whatever you need to with code), and it's good for a simple animation that you can get messy with on the main timeline and it will still loop.

Graphics are good for simple animation where you aren't planning on using code. You can set it to Loop animation, play once, or use a still frame from it, without having to code those things with Actionscript. You can also start it on a certain frame. They're good for syncing on the main timeline and manipulating the animation within it. I'd recommend using these if you're not going to code anything.

For example, if you were to use different weapons in a character's hand, you could make 10 different weapon hands inside a graphic and just switch between which frame you want (switch between which weapon you want him to be holding) in the properties window. Or if you want a wheel to spin once then stop, set it to loop for a few frames then enter a new keyframe and set it to Still Frame on the frame it ends on. If you wanted it to play more than once you could loop it and cut it short with a keyframe.

[TheSwindler]

So, in a nutshell, movieclips are more interactive than graphics.

[the1manwiththeplan]

Ive never needed to use a graphic ever...
and if for some reason I accidentally use one I end up with problems that could've been solved originally by using a movie clip in the first place.

I actually don't know what advantages they have over movie clips.

[hdxmike]

The only advantage of graphics is that you can see whats happening in the nested timeline happening in sync with the main timeline , movie clips are better for everything else and are used mainl in games.

Graphics are more useful when animating ,MCs are more useful for games.

[Nayhan]

Basically use Movieclips if you need to add script to it or if it's your giving it an instance name otherwise use Graphics.

I've also started grouping things (Ctrl + G) alot more, it doesn't clog up the library that way, you should try it out.

[YoinK]

boys have penis
girls have vagina
games have movie clips
movies have graphic symbols
k
thx
bye