Wanting to learn Flash from scratch. Just go straight to Flex?

[callumd]

Hi There,

I am a PHP/MySQL programmer by profession, but may need to soon start looking at incorporating some Flash in to some applications. I am just wondering whether it is worth trying to learn straight up Flash, or if I should just skip to a framework like Flex.

To put another way, is Flex to Flash what JQuery is to Javascript? (Although I am not hardcore Javascript programmer, I do need to sometimes incorporate it in to some of my websites, and JQuery usually takes care of whatever it is I need, minus the headaches). Is Flex likely to be able to do the same for me if I need to put a bit of Flash in to my PHP applications?

Thanks in advance.

[Eye for Video]

Being a newbe to Flex but a veteran Flash developer, I suggest you follow the old goal setting adage "Start with the end in mind". So define exactly the specs for 3 or 4 sample application that you envision incorporating into your work. That should help you get a better grasp on what you need to learn to accomplish that goal.
Are you planning to create the Flash or just use store bought templates? Will there be complex interactions between the Flash and other elements on the page? Is the Flash static, or dynamically changing depending on user inputs? Do you want to be able to edit, update, or alter the Flash content on a regular basis? etc. etc.....
Best wishes,
Eye for Video
www.cidigitalmedia.com

[criterion9]

This past year I learned Flash (AS2 and AS3) and Flex both after spending most of my development time in PHP/SQL/Java/Javascript. I found flex to be a little easier to swallow when compared to Java and AS varieties easier when compared to Javascript since the syntax of AS2 and the main core of AS3 are the same as Javascript. When I build RIAs I use a bit of a hybrid of AS3 and Flex. It really depends on what you will be doing with it. Check out lynda.com for awesome tutorials and such though (caught me up to basics in about a week or two).

[astupidname]

As a person who recently got in to learning flash myself, I can say I had the same thoughts at first about using Flex may be a lot easier. Until I dabbled around a bit and was horrified to find the hugeness of the final .swf file size created via Flex. Since for me, about everything I will be using flash for currently will be internet web-page based (not local intranet apps), I decided learning and coding entirely in AS3 is my best choice, as the .swf files created via Flex are a tremendous amount larger than necessary. Yes I did do a lot of research about trying to reduce file sizes from Flex, but nothing I could come up with made the final files come anywhere's near the much smaller size of purely AS3 produced files.
So this may be another consideration for you, or then again maybe I still just don't know what I'm doing with Flex.... :) After having tried for a day or two to get the sizes down to "reasonable" size and not having anywhere's near enough luck, I gave up on beating my head against the wall there.

[derekjackson]

Hijacking the thread a little (apologies), but I've got a similar question. I did some flash training about 5 years ago but haven't really used it since. I know a fair amount of PHP / JavaScript / CSS / HTML, and understand the basic syntax of ActionScript fine.

I'm looking to do my first fully functioning website in Flash, but don't know where to start. Most of the beginner tutorials I've come across are of the "this is how to draw a rectangle" type - does anyone know any good (free) tutorials on how to put together the basic structure of a website? Haven't really come across any that cover the general setup of a website design - which elements to do as movieclips, how to lay it all out in the timeline, etc...

Any help much appreciated!

[criterion9]

I really understood the video tutorials on Lynda.com. They broke things down in a way that I could understood quickly and easily. I'm not sure how much of the tutorials you get for free since I convinced my work to buy me a subscription (though the return on value is worth the cost and I believe they have a free trial period for you to try it out).

[callumd]

Thanks everyone.