new to flash and impatient (wanting effects)

[faln]

First of all, I apologise for my deffinate lack in spelling skill.... Gotta love spell check :D.

Well Im new to flash, Ive had it since mx was first released but ive never really got around to using it.

Well Im sitting here doing the ever so wonderfull tutorials they have in the help file and I have inspiration hitting me from every which way. Which as im sure you are aware, is frustrating when you know what you want to do but also know you cant do it.

So I was wondering if I mentioned one of these ideas if you could tell me if there is a straight forward method of doing it and what it is or wether its too complex for a complete novis and I should stick with the tuts for a while longer..

The idea is for text.. You know when you have a pile of fine sand and you blow it, the effect of it scattering in the direction you blow? Its that kind of effect in reverse im after.

Many thanks

Faln

[VIPersona]

Here's the best that Flash can do without being a programmer:
Type your text, and don't animate it.
With text selected, go to Insert > Timeline Effects > Effects > Explode.
You'll get a preview of your letters flying apart. Maybe change the vertical default to the upper right so they all fall and fade the same direction.
If you run the Explode effect on a shape, it will divide itself into little squares that fall apart the same way. Squares look nothing like sand, and I don't think there's any way to make them circles. A folder forms with all the individual squares, and if you shape them into circles, it changes the original shape to a bunch of circles.

A harder way to get that effect without it looking professional:
Make a movie clip symbol, and in it animate ten or so tiny circles moving from the bottom to upper right in a way that looks good looping.
Place a bunch of these symbols, overlapping, in a new symbol about the size of your text.
In the main timeline, put the one large symbol of symbols on top of your text and animate it moving up to the top of your text.
Make a mask over the text and have the text disappear along the bottom line of your dust animation.
Done.

If you want something fancier, and I'll bet you do, I'd go with AfterEffects instead. You can import your .mov back into Flash. I haven't seen a plugin that can make that sand effect, but I haven't looked either, and I know AE is much more capable of making professional looking effects of all kinds.