This tutorial was written for the Flash Designer software, which allows you to create flash animations in a much easier way than by using Macromedia Flash. You may get Flash Designer here.

The following tutorial illustrates how to create scrollable text object and use ActionScript to scroll the text up or down.

1. Launch Flash Designer and choose "Blank document" from the startup screen.

2. Choose "HTML Text tool" and draw a rectangle to create blank HTML text object. This will be the text to scroll.

3. Type some text in the "HTML Text" edit dialog:

4. Create scroll button. Choose "Button tool" and draw a button under the text.

5. Rename the button. After the button appears choose "Item" > "Edit Properties". Change button text to "Down".

6. Find out what is the name of HTML text. Select HTML text object and choose "Item" > "Placement Properties". Make sure the item name is "HTMLText1". If it's not change it to "HTMLText1" and click OK.

7. Specify the action script code to execute when the button is pressed. Select "Down" button and choose "Item" > "Actions" > "On Click". Select "ActionScript", type the following code and click OK:

8. You have to initialize HTMLText1.scroll value. Choose "Frame" > "ActionScript", type the following code and click OK. The code is execute before the frame is displayed.

9. Change the frame to static so the animation will not loop. Change "Delay" value to "Stop"

10. Now you can press F9 to preview the document in Flash player. Click "Down" button to scroll the text.

Hit "Esc" to quit preview. Create antoher button to allow scrolling up. Draw the button using "Button" tool. Use the following actionscript for button's "On Click" action:

HTMLText1.scroll = HTMLText1.scroll - 1;

To export Flash file choose "File" > "Export SWF File". Type the file name and click OK. To insert Flash in your web page choose "File" > "View HTML Code". Select entire HTML code, right click mouse button and choose "Copy" from the popup menu. Click Close. Paste the code to your HTML page.

Download Flash Designer source project: t1001.zip (1kb)