Macromedia Flash has become the Web design tool of choice for several reasons. First, Flash provides Web developers and designers with greater control over the display of their work. When designing Web pages without Flash, the end result is at the mercy of the browser on which the user views the site. Using Flash allows you, as the designer, to determine exactly how the site will function and appear, regardless of the browser used, simply because it will be viewed using the Flash Player. Add to this the Flash Player’s easy accessibility (it is included in major Web browsers, system software, and often ships standard on new computers, as well as being easily downloaded from the Macromedia site) and you can see why Flash has become a Web standard.
Macromedia Flash packs a lot of functionality into one easy-to-use
program. Not only can you create animated movies from scratch
with Flash, but you can also import graphic content created
with other programs and use Flash to animate it.