Adobe Flash Catalyst CS5 : Creating a New Wireframe Project

When you first launch Catalyst, you are presented with the Start screen (see Figure 1). If you want to wireframe your application, follow these steps:

1. Select the Create New Project option in the lower-right corner. A dialog box appears.

2. In this dialog box, give the project a name (see Figure 2). This will eventually be the name of the FXP file that Catalyst creates for the project, so be sure that it is a memorable name.

Figure 1. The Catalyst Start screen

Figure 2. The New Project dialog box

Sizing Your Projects for Display Online There is no absolutely correct size to use for your projects. Most Catalyst projects are designed for display on the Web, and therefore must display in a browser. However, there is no way for you to accurately know the size of your user's browser. JavaScript can be used to detect the user's screen resolution, but many Web designers fail to realize that the screen resolution and the browser size are not necessarily the same, as many users do not maximize their browser. Even if you can detect the screen resolution and make the false assumption that that is the browser size, there is no simple way to use that information to have Flash Player resize the application to fit. You need to set the application size based on your best judgment. Consider the application design: You do not want your application to either be much larger or much smaller than what is needed. Although you will never be able to be absolutely certain as to your users' screen and browser sizes, user testing may help you get a better idea.

You can also set the size of the artboard. The artboard determines the size of your project. All Catalyst projects use a fixed size. If you want to have your project scale to your user's browser window or screen size, you need to manually alter the application's settings in Flash Builder. You cannot choose to create a scalable project in Catalyst.

You can also set the background color of the project by clicking the Color Picker and selecting a color. The Catalyst Color Picker differs from those in other tools. You can either select from one of 40 preset swatches, or pick any color you want by selecting a base color from the spectrum and then setting the tint of that color.

To create a new Catalyst project, follow these steps:

1. From the Start screen, click Adobe Flash Catalyst Project.

2. Type a name for your project.

3. If desired, set a width and height for the project.

4. If desired, click the Color Picker and select a background color.

5. Click OK.