Book Description
Explore the depth and flexibility of Macromedia Flash 8 with Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia Flash 8 in 24 Hours. Fundamental topics are presented one-by-one in a series of 24 one-hour lessons that will help you master the basics of Flash. Author
Phillip Kerman, an internationally-known Macromedia trainer and multimedia expert, offers you a clearly-written, well-organized introduction to Macromedia Flash 8 without becoming too overwhelming. You will cover such subjects as:
- Drawing and Painting Original Art
- Using Motion Tween to Animate
- Animatng Using Movie Clips
- Using Actions to Create Non-Linear Movies
- Optimizing a Flash Site
- Publishing a Creation
Not only will you master the basics of Macromedia Flash 8 with Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia Flash 8 in 24 Hours, you will also be better prepared to learn more advanced topics in the future.
Customer Reviews:
Good Info but..........2007-05-12
It takes FOREVER to get to the point and many times there is repitition over the instruction. Sometimes in the same paragraph! A good book that gives information yes, but it could easily have been cut to a third the size.
Not worth it a nickel.......2007-04-18
I bought this book last month due to some good feedbacks. But when I read, it seems the book is too much unnecessary words just to make it look thick but the actual content is thin. I would recommend to learn from the help section of the flash program itself. It's much more clear and right to the point not like this book. From there then google up and you will find a lot of more better tutorials than this book and best of all, it's free!
Great book for beginner........2007-03-18
Hi all, first of all, I just want to thank all the people who had written the comments on this book. It had helped me a lot in making a decision in buying this book. Thanks.
As for the book, I just got it. I am in Hour 2 and so far, it has helped me soooo much. I am new to Flash and I think this will be a great book for all the people who are new like me. I gave it a 4 stars rather than 5 since I haven't finished the book yet and can't comment on the whole book. But base on the first 2 hrs, I think once I am done with the book, my rating would be a 5 star.
flash for dummy!.......2007-03-17
u cannot finish this on 24 hours. I have Flash background but I finished "chapter 5" in 13 hours, which was supposed to finish in 5 hours. Sooooooo many text and difficult for ESL students. Not step by step and not too many graphic. No CD or resource files to do tutorials.
I recommend flash 8 24 hours........2007-03-09
I recommend Flash 8 24hours...I believe it will take more than 24 hours to get through the book. But it is a good buy and I found it helpful in understanding flash.
Book Description
Do you like to learn by doing? Do manuals leave you bored and craving real-world examples? Do you want to concrete training that goes beyond theory and reference materials? If so, this book is for you.
These hands-on exercises teach you to start creating Flash animations and interactive files with little effort. You’ll learn to create vector animations using a wide variety of drawing tools and Timeline effects, and add interactivity and dynamic content to your projects by using ActionScript 2, Components, and the Behaviors panel. You’ll also learn how to import bitmaps, sounds, and video to make your Flash projects more engaging, and find extensive coverage of the new Flash 8 features: the improved text tool, new text rendering engine, new graphic filters, and more.
Complete with insider tips, illustrated with detailed graphics, and accompanied by a CD loaded with classroom-proven exercises and QuickTime movies, this book ensures you’ll master key features of Flash 8 in no time.
Customer Reviews:
thorough, clear and comprehesive introduction to flash.......2007-09-23
I used this book for a class I took. I found it very useful. The hands on training in the form of color tutorials was very useful for learning flash. This book is only an introduction to flash as is shown by the fact that you only learn how to use preexisting Actionscript rather than program your own code. Also, the new version of flash (CS3) uses a different version of Action Script so what you learn here will not be useful. Still, this book is more than adequate even for the new version of flash. Although it is expensive you get what you pay for in this case.
Not for a Flash newbie or an H O T books fan.......2007-08-23
If you are a fan of the hands-on-training (H O T) books series (as I am) you might tend to be disappointed in this particular one. Indeed it is the least effective of all of the hands-on-training series books I have used.
A novice to Flash, I had used the H O T series books with great effectiveness, in particular the entire Dreamweaver H O T series from DW3 on up. I therefore figured that H O T was the way to go to bootstrap myself into Flash. This did not prove to be the case. Unlike other beginner's level H O T books this one seems to be uncomfortable with issues such as its level of approach and depth. It hangs somewhere between giving you the constant feeling that it is being dumbed down for you on one hand and that Flash is really too complicated to be taught to you on the other. The publisher's own Beginner AND Intermediate level rating is an accurate tip off.
As a teacher I know that if I go into a classroom (even on a topic I know stone cold) still unsure of how I am going to approach a topic, there is a good chance of an ineffective classroom experience. This author undoubted knows Flash; he simply doesn't know how to teach it well in this format.
Instead of using the Gonzalez book I dropped back to the Flash 5 Hands-on Training by Kymberlee Weil book of the same series. The book was just great, everything the Gonzalez book was not. It was classic H O T learn by doing, step by step, instruction. At two chapters a day, in a little more than a week I was up-to-speed despite having to spend the extra time bridging the differences between a Flash 5 book and the Flash 8 Professional application.
So if you are buying this book based on past positive experiences with the H O T series, beware!
Yes! A 'must have' book for the beginner and intermediate user........2007-08-23
By using this book, a know-nothin' beginner can be up and running with Flash 8 in a weekend. No kidding. I never even opened the program before receiving this book, and after a weekend I was designing some pretty decent stuff. I have extensive experience with Photoshop and Illustrator, but even without these as a background I feel that anyone can create something useful after only 8 hours with this book.
The step-by-step instructions are precise and quite explanatory. That's not to say that exercises go on forever, they're just thoroughly explained. For example: four pages are devoted to the sometimes frustrating concept of Merge and Object Drawing Models. A newbie may find this concept confusing unless they have had it shown to them. (Example: A student next to me was getting furious over the fact that his overlapping ellipses kept eating away the shapes behind them. That is until I showed him page 50.) Simple to some, but without some formal training it would just seem frustrating.
The disc includes some decent exercise files and the typical instructional videos that we have come to expect at the point in the game. Not that they are bad in any way, just not much different than other I have seen. I personally enjoy the videos when it comes to a complex topic.
Another notable that was important to me was the big section at the end on importing content from Photoshop, Illustrator and Fireworks. Nice and easy once you know how to do it properly.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn Flash 8. It will give you the basics and functionality of the program. If you are not very experimental and don't have the time to push the limits on your own, there may be another book out there for 'tricks, tips, cheats' to help you go wild with it. This book is not the 'tricks, tips, cheats' kind of book that will show the 'hidden secrets' so many others claim. But, it is complete in the fact that it will show you how to perform the basics of each function. And for some areas, a little beyond the basic functionality.
Not that it should matter, but you will deal with the single concept of the snowboarder for almost every exercise in the book. Not every exercise is the same file or image, but almost all of them are snowboarding-related. You'll see why when you get to the motion and video portion of the book.
Great Book for Helping Someone Learn Flash.......2007-07-19
I got this book for a course that I was taking on Flash. It is a great book and I am happy the teacher recommended it.
The chapters are arranged in easy to follow exercises that teach all the basics of Flash. I really liked this style of teaching because it forces you to open up Flash and do the exercises. Much more useful than a book that you just sit and read.
The author of the book is also very good about telling you multiple ways of doing something. In the course of the exercises there are little colored boxes that will talk about how you could have done the above action this way or this way or this way. The fact that these tips are usually separate is nice if you don't care and want to skip the additional information.
So far I am about 3/4 the way through the course and the book and have been very happy with it. A great book; especially for a newbie that doesn't have any programming background.
Beginner Flash Programmers MUST Have This Book.......2007-06-27
I was building a website, and wanted to add a Flash slideshow to it, but had no idea how to do that. I used the Flash tutorials that came with the program, but they were somewhat lacking in detail. I ordered this book from Amazon, and two days later it was at my door. I used the book from page 1, performed all of the easy to understand exercises, watched the included videos, and by the end of the month I was able to finish programming my website and publish it on the internet. This book made understanding Flash a breeze; I couldn't have completed my website to my satisfaction without it. [...].
Book Description
Well before Ajax and Microsoft's Windows Presentation Foundation hit the scene, Macromedia offered the first method for building web pages with the responsiveness and functionality of desktop programs with its Flash-based "Rich Internet Applications". Now, new owner Adobe is taking Flash and its powerful capabilities beyond the Web and making it a full-fledged development environment.
Rather than focus on theory, the ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook concentrates on the practical application of ActionScript, with more than 300 solutions you can use to solve a wide range of common coding dilemmas. You'll find recipes that show you how to:
- Detect the user's Flash Player version or their operating system
- Build custom classes
- Format dates and currency types
- Work with strings
- Build user interface components
- Work with audio and video
- Make remote procedure calls using Flash Remoting and web services
- Load, send, and search XML data
- And much, much more ...
Each code recipe presents the Problem, Solution, and Discussion of how you can use it in other ways or personalize it for your own needs, and why it works. You can quickly locate the recipe that most closely matches your situation and get the solution without reading the whole book to understand the underlying code. Solutions progress from short recipes for small problems to more complex scripts for thornier riddles, and the discussions offer a deeper analysis for resolving similar issues in the future, along with possible design choices and ramifications. You'll even learn how to link modular ActionScript pieces together to create rock-solid solutions for Flex 2 and Flash applications.
When you're not sure how ActionScript 3.0 works or how to approach a specific programming dilemma, you can simply pick up the book, flip to the relevant recipe(s), and quickly find the solution you're looking for.
Adobe Developer Library is a co-publishing partnership between O'Reilly Media and Adobe Systems, Inc. and is designed to produce the number one information resources for developers who use Adobe technologies. Created in 2006, the Adobe Developer Library is the official source for comprehensive learning solutions to help developers create expressive and interactive web applications that can reach virtually anyone on any platform. With top-notch books and innovative online resources covering the latest in rich Internet application development, the Adobe Developer Library offers expert training and in-depth resources, straight from the source.
Customer Reviews:
The title should be FLEX ActionScript 3.0.......2007-09-26
I bought this book because I wanted to learn how to use AS3 over AS2. This book claims to be a ActionScript 3.0 which it is, but ONLY if you have the Flex Application.
I don't have Adobe Flex but I would like to learn ActionScript 3.0 - this is too advanced for me and the applications aren't what I thought they would be.
This book may be good for advanced users of ActionScript but for someone like me who was just getting used to ActionScript 2.0 and wants to learn how AS3 works- it's the worst book you can buy.
As much as I like O'Reilly books, I feel this book is misleading.
Novice to Advanced users may think otherwise.
A Poor Sequel to Actionscript Cookbook.......2007-09-17
Here's an example of why this book deserves just one star (if that!):
Cre{2}l matches creel but not crel or creel
This example was taken from the section on regular expressions. There are other inaccuracies on that page. Overall, this book is riddled with inadequate, poor explanations that appear to typify the worse of IT personnel - bad communications skills. Anyone who gives this book high marks has not read the book entirely and is relying only on reputation.
Here's another example:
var example:RegExp = /(\d)abc(\d*)/;
var result:Array = example.exec( "7abc" );
// Displays: 3
trace( result.length );
// Displays: 7abc
trace( result[0] );
// Displays: 7
trace( result[1] );
// Displays:
trace( result[2] );
Notice that the last display is missing. Really sloppy work. Not convinced? Try it at your own peril.
Skip this book.
Disappointing.......2007-09-13
I have many O'Reilly books and I sorry to say this is my first diappointment. Many of the recipies are simply slight extensions of obvious constructs that are essentially just part of the Actionscipt language rather than interesting examples of how to put Actionscript to work or clever work-arounds as can be found in, for instance, the Perl Cookbook. To take one example, the multi-dimensional array recipe pretty much rehashes the Flash documentation - an array declared at 'compile time' - rather than expanding on it and showing the less trivial example of, for instance, a dynamicaly declared array.
What is normally useful about the Cookbooks is that they are an excellent way to learn a new language for people who prefer to learn by example, deconstructing code rather than trawling through an enumeration of the elements of a language in a manual-type book. Most of the examples in this are sadly not complex enough to work this way - they're too close to a one-concept-at-a-time manual - to show you how different elements of the language can acually work together to tackle full real-world programming tasks.
Great book on Actionscript..........2007-09-05
I've been learning Flex 2 and wanted to know a bit more about Actionscript and this book delivered! Plenty of good examples that have given me a MUCH better understanding of Actionscript. I never really learned much about Flash and so never wrote one line of Actionscript until I started to learn Flex (if you haven't heard about Flex yet go to Adobe.com and read up about it, it's pretty cool) and the books I had would show about 1/2 Actionscript and 1/2 mxml. So after getting a good understanding in mxml and basic Actionscript I wanted to learn more and this book was a big help. If you're even remotely interested in learning Actionscript this is the book to get!
The end of a tunnel.......2007-08-04
I consider myself as an early adopter of anything in interactive communication. I founded my company Falcomedia in 1989 with only one goal: to produce interactive multimedia communication. By then only possible on Mac's with programs like Hypercard, Supercard (in color) or Macromind's Director (called Videoworks by then). I definately see AS3 as the end of a tunnel and the start of really great things to come. It's possible now, no workarounds, pure OOP and this book is basic.
Read als Keith Peter's Actionsript 3.0 Animation and let your visions flow. I can't see anything stopping us from bringing good UI, quality design, functionalty, efficient production and scalability to the next generation of the web.
Peter Bohny, Falcomedia Systems AG, Switzerland
Book Description
Written by two of the industry’s top Flash experts, this new edition of the best-selling classic has been revised and enhanced to cover the very latest release of Macromedia Flash. User-friendly, yet in-depth this is the book that serves as an indispensable reference for anyone -- from the web novice to the accomplished web worker -- and functions as the perfect, real-world guide to the workings and capabilities of this powerful program. The accompanying CD-ROM includes trial software, custom components and finished examples.
- Totally enhanced and revised edition of the all-time Flash classic reference!
- Everything you need to know to learn and master the Macromedia Flash 8 -- the most comprehensive Flash reference available
- Includes a CD-ROM packed with files from the book and valuable tryouts.
- Co-author Robert Reinhardt is one of the two or three top stars in the Flash developer community, speaking regularly at FlashForward, the Macromedia User's Conference, WebTEK, Macromedia's traveling user seminars, and major universities. No other title matches this one in both comprehensiveness and author reputation.
- Includes expert tutorials from the world's leading Flash gurus
- Includes tips for integrating Flash with other programs
- Includes unpublished tricks, techniques and time-savers
"When I'm planning the FlashBelt conference, Reinhardt is the first one I call. His knowledge reaches to the farthest corners of the software."
-Dave Schroeder, Director, FlashBelt conferences; Owner, PilotVibe Music and Sound Design
"Its range and depth make the Flash Bible a must-have for designers, developers and producers of Flash content." -- Matthew Carroll, designer, Wieden + Kennedy
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-09-03
The book arrived in perfect condition, However the CD that came with it was broken in half. I contacted the publishing company and in 4 days They had a new CD in my Hands. I would definitly purchase more books and plan to in the near future.
Jim L. A Satisfied Customer
Great Book for Great Software.......2007-05-09
If you are not already familiar with Flash then this book is going to be a thick read. The software itself makes the subject hard to learn. Macromedia does things their own way, so you'll be learning all kinds of new ways to do things. This book can help, but don't get in a hurry unless you've already got some experience with the software. For the experienced and expert Flash user this is a great reference tool. A bit overpriced, but then again I'm not sure there's a book of this type that isn't.
Up LATE with FLASH 8.......2007-05-07
haven't finished it yet. but i hope to. this thing is packed with tons of helpful information and sparks my creative juices which i had thought were dry.
Dont waste your money........2007-03-18
What a waste of money. Sure the book has absolutely everything you need to know about Flash, but so what. It is completely boring. Why put yourself through the painful process of reading this 1300 page book-stop. It has no hands on training, which is what really matters, especially for me. If you are new to Flash and really want to learn it, try Macromedia's Flash Professional: Hands on Training. it is a much better buy.
Great for beginners and wow great for advance.......2007-03-09
I am studying in a design school in Milano, they didn't provide me many information, lessons and tutorials of flash. Well, this book is lovely, absolutely the best book! Buy it and make it your girlfriend ! Its more than a bible! I am still reading the last pages and I am so much enjoying it that I am getting sad knowing that i am finishing to read it!
Its really a great book!
I want to say thank you to the autors !!!
Book Description
ActionScript 3.0 is a huge upgrade to Flash's programming language. The enhancements to ActionScript's performance, feature set, ease of use, cleanliness, and sophistication are considerable.
Essential ActionScript 3.0 focuses on the core language and object-oriented programming, along with the Flash Player API.
Essential ActionScript has become the #1 resource for the Flash and ActionScript development community, and the reason is the author, Colin Moock. Many people even refer to it simply as "The Colin Moock book."
And for good reason: No one is better at turning ActionScript inside out, learning its nuances and capabilities, and then explaining everything in such an accessible way. Colin Moock is not just a talented programmer and technologist; he's also a gifted teacher.
Essential ActionScript 3.0 is a radically overhauled update to
Essential ActionScript 2.0. True to its roots, the book once again focuses on the core language and object-oriented programming, but also adds a deep look at the centerpiece of Flash Player's new API: display programming. Enjoy hundreds of brand new pages covering exciting new language features, such as the DOM-based event architecture, E4X, and namespaces--all brimming with real-world sample code.
The ActionScript 3.0 revolution is here, and
Essential ActionScript 3.0's steady hand is waiting to guide you through it.
Adobe Developer Library is a co-publishing partnership between O'Reilly Media and Adobe Systems, Inc. and is designed to produce the number one information resources for developers who use Adobe technologies. Created in 2006, the Adobe Developer Library is the official source for comprehensive learning solutions to help developers create expressive and interactive web applications that can reach virtually anyone on any platform. With top-notch books and innovative online resources covering the latest in rich Internet application development, the Adobe Developer Library offers expert training and in-depth resources, straight from the source.
Customer Reviews:
Well beyond the essentials.......2007-09-18
I've been getting deeper into "Essential ActionScript 3.0" and I'm amazed at the thoroughness of this book. I was first introduced to Colin's writing with "ActionScript for Flash MX, the Definitive Guide". I'd just came from two years of teaching Java for Sun Microsystems and loved the way he handled explanations in the book, often he'd even compare AS to Java and go deep in the details. With AS3, we finally have language rivaling Java, and (IMO) a better set of APIs.
The amount of information is stunning, it boggles the mind. Colin covers AS3 in more detail, with better explanations, and a better grasp of the subject than the Adobe documentation. If you are programming in AS3, this book is must. I don't think you could get the most out of AS3 programming without it, or maybe you could but it would take quite a bit longer!
A side-effect of this book is the shear size of it gives you an idea of the depth of the subject matter. AS3 is an object-oriented programming language and framework, not just a scripting language.
I just have two minor criticisms (which by no means affects my recommendation of this book). The first is that he covers a ton of material in the beginning but does not have the reader compile until chapter 7 (page 130). AS3 is so much fun in how easy it makes graphics programming, that I feel he could teach the first six chapters more effectively if he had the user compiling and running examples along the way (even simple examples). My second is one that is probably just my own pet peeve... at the end of each chapter he has a paragraph about the next chapter, it's distracting to me, I'd rather read about the stuff in the next chapter in the next chapter.
This is a well-organized, clearly written book, with great examples throughout. If you are coming to AS3, this book should be within arms reach if not already sitting open on your desk.
Great primer!.......2007-09-17
Coming from a java and javascript programming background I found this book very informative and easy to learn. This book is a must-have if you are new to AS3 and also if you want to learn FLEX 2. I highly recommend this book for beginners who wants to learn AS3 programming language.
Not for the young at heart.......2007-09-11
Great reference. But if you are still learning, get another text with this one to guide you along.
Beginners not Welcome; Seasoned Coders Only.......2007-09-06
Overall, a comprehensive and possibly exhaustive treatment of AS 3.0. I bought this book after finding the author's Essential Actionscript 2.0 a very intelligent and accessible book on AS 2.
Essential AS 3.0 is highly recommended only to coders who are already familiar with programming lingo (no this does not include HTML or CSS). Unfortunately, some of the sophistry of Essential AS 2.0 emerges with remorseless abandon in this book which is choked full of sophistry and excessive erudition that serves nobody. Take this passage:
"object.instanceVariable = value
In the preceding code, object[italics] is the object whose instance variable will be assigned a value, instanceVariable[italics] is one of object's instance variables (as defined by object's class), and value[italics] is the value to assign."
The book italicizes the words noted in italics above but this notation does little to detangle the tautologies that explain nothing and confuse everything. Only seasoned coders versed in coding terminology such as "object" will understand the sentence and then only vaguely. Obviously, the first directive to coders, KISS, was lost on this exhaustive book.
Here is another statement that a good publisher would have demanded rewriting:
Via the scope chain, code in an instance method's scope can access these definitions:
*
All definitions available to code in the global scope
*
All definitions available to code in the scope of the class containing the instance method definition
Isn't the second point circular? It's basically saying that instance methods can access code that is accessible by instance methods. This writing is AWFUL. Sorry to see this series which was the ActionScript franchise deteriorate into such a cesspool of unnecessary and foul erudition.
I can't change the star rating given before this update but a warning to everyone: when a book is more difficult to understand than the underlying substance it purports to explains, BEWARE. 0-Zero stars because so many trees feel to publish this book. I withdraw my recommendation and recommend everyone to read Essential AS2 first, then update your AS 3 by skimming through this book. There is no satisfaction in pondering the complexities of this book like there is on Heidegger's notion of being.
An invaluable reference........2007-09-06
ESSENTIAL ACTIONSCRIPT 3.0 by Colin Moock is for advanced programming libraries and for ActionScript web developers who seek a detailed reference on the topic. ActionScript 3.0 is a major upgrade to Flash programming: it's faster and more sophisticated and requires a deeper level of understanding - offered up by ESSENTIAL ACTIONSCRIPT 3.0 alone, making for an invaluable reference.
Book Description
An improved script editor (with a visual interface), a revamped library interface, a new Undo feature, powerful run-time effects, breakthrough motion-graphics capabilitiesâthese are just a few of the reasons Web designers are raving about the newest version of their favorite Web tool, Macromedia Flash 8. Whether you’re a beginning user looking for a good introduction to the topic or a veteran user seeking a convenient update reference, you’ll find what you need in this task-based guide. Using simple step-by-step instructions, straightforward language, loads of screen shots, and a plethora of readily accessible examples, author Katherine Ulrich shows you how to create engaging interactive content for the Web with Flash Basic 8 and Flash Professional 8. From basic vector graphics to animation with motion tweening and beyond, this inexpensive, easy-to-use guide promises to get you up to speed fast on the most important application in your design toolboxâMacromedia Flash 8.
Customer Reviews:
It's a lookup book.......2007-08-18
Everyone who uses the Visual Quickstart Guides should be informed: they're lookup books, resources, not step-by-step how-tos.
Not so helpful.......2007-03-24
If you know your way around most toolbars, this book won't teach you much. It has been written for people who haven't used any complex software before. I had to buy the book for a course on Flash, but was disappointed when we covered most of the book in the first day. Easy to understand for a complete beginner. May be useful then.
No lessons - "this is how you use this, this is how you use that...".......2007-02-25
I bought this book to learn Flash...and I was dissapointed. There are no lessons, it's pretty much a user's manual. "Here is the brush tool and this is how you use it. This is the fill button and how you use it. Now, draw a line as mentioned in section 2." If you like learning a program function by function, then this book is for you. I'm going to exchange this book for sams teach yourself Flash 8 as it has lessons and you learn to use the program as a whole.
Book Description
Phillip Kerman's Macromedia Flash 8 @work: Projects and Techniques to Get the Job Done approaches learning from a different perspective than the typical book on a web graphics application. Rather than simply describing how to use each feature of a product, Macromedia Flash 8 @work introduces key tools in a single chapter and then moves on to what you really want to know -- how to use Macromedia Flash to complete the projects you're likely to face every day on the job.
You'll get step-by-step coverage of how to complete 10 common projects chosen by a panel of Flash users. Plus, tips, tricks, and notes will provide you with the information you need to apply what you learn on these projects to others you'll undoubtedly be asked to create at work.
Customer Reviews:
If you really want to learn how to make things work in Flash, this is the book for you because.......2007-08-03
I have tried to learn Actionscript for around 5 years and bought several books about this theme so far. So, this year I told myself: "You love Flash... So you HAVE TO understand Actionscript because you need to be more professional!". Ok... So I started studying again from the begining searching on the internet for the meaning of terms like variables, events, methods, object, classes, etc... just to check if I had left some important concepts behind. But even knowing those concepts, I still could not find myself writing code from the scratch! This book from Kerman cleared my mind and taught me how to implement code within the scope of a real Flash project. It guided me troughout the whole process of making a Flash application and made me understand how a Flash professional like Kerman deals when facing to everyday's Actionscript's challanges. So that's really a good choice for you to understand how you can implement a Flash project from the basis. Important: read every page carefully. If you dont't undestand a single line, try do do it so. You will realize that you have a priceless book in your hands to really get your job done!
Can't recommend.......2007-06-26
I wouldn't say the book is "totally useless" but the decision the author made to serve up ActionScript without explanation because he thought we "didn't want to get our hands dirty" was a bad one. I see in his reply that he says he never claimed to do otherwise, but you don't realize this until you have read two chapters.
I would prefer it if he had given us less projects but gone over the code in his .as files for us.
Also, the author should understand that no one buys a book to get ready-made projects. We are buying these books to learn how to do these things on our own. If I just wanted a ready-made project I could just Google what I want and find one of the countless FLA examples people are good enough to share online. When I buy a book, its so I can learn to do it myself.
Better books elsewhere... Not for those trying to Learn quickly.......2007-05-14
With all due respect to the author, (who obviously knows his stuff quite well), this book is terrible for learning. The author, however, does not promise to teach you, which is in its way his safeguard. You are not meant to be taught, so do not expect to learn. The information the book contains is mostly lots and lots (and lots) of discussion ABOUT Actionscript put in a way as though Actionscript gurus would sit around discussing functions and classes and whatnot. If you are not up to reading 'about' Actionscript, skip this book. The first 57 pages bored me to tears... I guess I suffer a bit too much from A.D.D. to be able to sit and read 'about' Actionscript. Instead, I want to LEARN Actionscript, so that perhaps one day I, too, can be a guru sitting around, drinking my Red Bull and discussing Actionscript like some people discuss nuclear fission or jet propulsion.
If you are the type who can handle reading and reading and reading in order to learn some minor information regarding a complex scripting language, best of luck to you with this book. However, if you're (obviously) dull minded like myself and cannot learn from reading paragraph after paragraph of stuff like this:
"...although the third-pary product Captionate...is needed to inject Caption and Marker cue points, these cue point types are definitely worth including in this list...." then this book is not for you. For me, however, just tell me WHY and show me HOW.
When will someone write a book which is clear and concise, which demonstrates step-by-step in as few words as possible how to do something (other than tweening and drawing) in Flash? I've got a dozen books from which I've been able to learn a few things, but for the most part I find myself falling asleep reading the same thing over and over again. I don't want theories on how I can write a function and an array; I don't want simplistic examples that leave me wondering how to do something a bit more complicated. I need real world examples, real world learning. Write a complex function and teach me how to do it! Don't tell me I can use XML, show me HOW to use XML. Be creative! Inspire me! I have projects to do, and don't have time to sit and read and read and read... I don't have time to cross reference with the Flash Bible to try to figure out what you're talking about, either.
Lynda publishes some better books, (in particular to learning Actionscript in a real-world example), the Beyond the Basics book is excellent.
Not worth it a nickel.......2007-04-18
I bought this book last month due to some good feedbacks. But when I read, it seems the book is too much unnecessary words just to make it look thick but the actual content is thin. I would suggest to learn from the help section of the flash program itself. It's much more clear and right to the point not like this book. From there then google up and you will find a lot of more better tutorials than this book and best of all, it's free!
great book, shows how it is done.......2007-02-26
I enjoyed this book for the very fact that it was project based, using Flash 8 features as well as traditional uses. As an experienced Flash user I appreciated the format, but this would not be a good book for a novice. I enjoyed the use of XML in projects as it allows users to leverage the capabilities of Flash to a whole new level.
I bought this book as I enjoyed his other book "Macromedia Flash MX 2004 for Rich Internet Applications" as it too explored great but practical uses. There are not enough project based books out there as most Flash books are aimed at novices that offer a general overview, but lack substance that you can really chew on.
Book Description
If you want to take your Flash Professional 8 skills to a new level while learning how to produce games that rival anything available on the web, this is the book for you. Macromedia Flash Professional 8 Game Development is written by a professional game developer. Using the power of Flash and the most recent advancements in ActionScript, the book progresses through the entire development process to teach programmers and Web developers how to create professional quality games quickly. It teaches techniques for producing fast 3D effects that can be used with "cheat" techniques to produce powerful, high-performance results. It details the actual science of game development, including design, character development, the physics and motion of a game, and audio issues. And in this new edition, all of the latest features of Flash Professional 8 are covered, including the new sound channels, bitmap caching, texture pages, and more. The book covers many advanced topics in a simple, easy to understand way. It emphasizes the incredible power of the new BitmapData class and teaches how it can be used to take the performance of Flash games to a whole new level. It has never been easier to get right down to the pixel level and manipulate things at blazing speeds, making previously impossible games a breeze to make. So get to your computer, insert the CD-ROM, and prepare to begin your journey into the world of Flash Professional 8 game development.
Customer Reviews:
Good for the intermediate Flash programmer.......2007-07-30
The book provides several examples that progress the reader through the programming of gradually more complex games. The reader should have a basic knowledge of Flash and Actionscript, as the book brushes over beginner-level concepts. At the time, the book is fairly up to date, however there is supposedly quite a jump between Flash 8 and Flash CS3, which uses Actionscript 3.0. Nonetheless, the concepts taught in the book are universally applicable regardless of what Flash version you are using. The inclusion of a CD-ROM is an added bonus and a must with this kind of book.
Great Book.......2007-06-11
I found the book easy to read and very practical. The use of examples to explain things is great. And of course, examples that do work is great also!!!
It's the right book for those that already know something about flash and actionscript (doesn't need to be an expert), and want to learn to develop some games in flash, and perhaps aplly those technics on other apllications.
The book is great fun!!!
very limited discussion of incorporating physics.......2007-05-29
As a physicist, I looked at the chapter on "Physics for Games". It's very introductory Newtonian mechanics. Applying these in time-discrete form for moving objects in the game. Gravity is considered for vertical motion, and wind is incorporated to affect horizontal motion. Freshman level stuff. If you are developing a game where you need to seriously incorporate physics, there are entire books devoted to it, like Physics for Game Developers.
Though to be fair, the book is about learning Flash and its effects. Other chapters offer code fragments. Of necessity, these are all elementary, from a programming complexity standpoint. But they help explain how to apply Flash.
The most intricate part of the book seems to be when you model a 3d world. Nice rendering examples. Doesn't go very deeply here. Flash almost certainly has more advanced functionality.
In-Depth game Development!.......2007-05-17
I've bought this book with the purpose of starting to make flash games. Well, i couldn't have chosen a better way! The book is very easy to read and understand and the the examples are incredible. It explores the appropriate tools to create games like the BitmapData while giving other tools an explanation too. 5 stars!
Specifics for beginners, bad habits for mid-levels.......2007-04-28
If you've worked with strongly type languages like Java/C++/etc then this book might make you cringe a bit. First, the code is very terse with clever tricks to shorten the number of lines. Eventually it makes sense but methods like makeFader() don't really make a fader, they do other things like remove a game object from the scene.
So along with softreferences ( for i to 10, make a variable box_i=i ) - ew, and bad naming conventions, it plays out more like an Oreilly Cookbook that encourages bad habits. Granted, I ordered it and I'll keep it as a book full of complete examples. But I think any of the examples that I copy/type/study, I'll refactor later to be more clear and well-coded.
It's a fast ramp-up to ActionScript 2.0. If you're looking for smarter and more mid-level code then maybe wait for a book on AS3.0 that is more class oriented and less procedural like this book. Else, if you just want to see end-to-end examples as fast as possible the author does a good job of explaining code blocks as he goes even if he's encouraging bad habits.
Book Description
Are you already up to speed on the fundamentals of Flash? Do you know how create simple animations and write elementary ActionScript? If so, you’re ready to move beyond the basics.
Macromedia Flash 8 Beyond the Basics is all about stepping to that next level. This book expands your skill set and shows you how to integrate those skills with advanced ActionScript. Through a series of carefully developed, step-by-step exercises and demo movies, you’ll learn how to build a professional, interactive Web siteâusing source files and designs supplied on the book’s CD-ROM. Along the way, you’ll learn about the new Flash 8 features: the improved text tool, new text rendering engine, new graphic filters, and more.
50+ Step-by-Step Tutorials:
• Format dynamically loaded text using HTML, CSS, and nested images
• Create an ActionScript-driven menu
• Build a preloader with MovieClipLoader class
• Add a progressively downloading, multi-track MP3 player
• Create a video player that allows users to control playback
• Build a slideshow that loads images and text dynamically
• Utilize components to create a feedback form
• Create a Flash plug-in detector
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2007-10-03
Excellent for beginners - easy to follow step by step format.Macromedia Flash Professional 8 Beyond the Basics Hands-On Training
Good tutorial and well structured.......2007-05-24
I believe this book taught me quite a lot. The tutorial guides you through one project from beginning to end, which also highlights the challenges in the planning phase. It may appear difficult at the beginning (and it is) but Shane explains the contents in an excellent way that makes you want to learn more. The book is definitely for an intermediate to advanced FLASH developer, who have a good grasp of actionscript. If you are new to actionscript this book is definitely NOT for you. Having said that, this book was worth it for me.
Easy to Understand.......2007-05-12
This book does a great job of explaining ActionScript techniques. It seemed like every time a question popped into my head, I found the answer right away in the next paragraph. The author explains things in a way that everyone can understand.
The only problem I had with the book was that the explanations got a little too repetitive sometimes. I think they over-explained things, but I suppose they just wanted to make sure everyone understood it.
Basically Intermediate, Slightly Beyond.......2007-04-19
Add this one to your library, folks!
This book totally lives up to it's title. It is a solid resource for getting things done with Flash. From concept to finshed product, this books walks you through the proper way to accomplish intermediate-level tasks in a straight forward manner. The step-by-step instructions are some of the best I've seen. And I've seen a lot.
It really is best to have some basic knowledge of Flash and to understand the terms and concepts used, but the beginner will also gain a lot from this book. (if they have a glossary nearby and are willing to do some work). The novice, once going through the material, will be a proud intermediate. There also a few advanced techniques touched upon.
For working designers using Flash this is a tremendously useful book. The entire book is a walk-through of building a website that has many features that will come up in design and development: The design process, fonts, integrating your tools, organization and architecture of your project, loading data from text files with LoadVars, formatting text with textFormat class, building slideshows, preloaders, forms, video and audio players, and navigation menus.
And the CD of files and videos are very well-done and extremely helpful.
HOT Books are Hot.......2007-01-04
The Flash 8 Hands-On-Training book is written in a way anyone should be able to comprehend, retain and use the lessons learned to do what they wish with Flash. I have purchased several of the HOT books, and have not been disappointed with any. A must buy!
Book Description
Macromedia Flash is fast becoming the Web's most widely used platform for creating rich media with animation and motion graphics, but mastering Flash isn't easy. Most entry-level books teach through simple examples that concentrate on either animation or scripting, but rarely both together. To get the most from Flash 8, you not only need to be proficient in programming/interface design, you need the creativity for story telling and the artistic insights to design fluid animation.
Flash 8: Projects for Learning Animation and Interactivity teaches Flash design rather than simply Flash itself. With a standalone series of walkthroughs and tutorials for Flash beginners coming from a graphics field, this book teaches Flash in the context of real-world projects. Rather than learn a Flash tool for the sake of it, you learn which areas of Flash are important, and which are less used, simply by seeing how typical content is actually created. And rather than a text-heavy approach, this graphically rich book leads you through hands-on examples by illustration.
Each project in the book starts with goals and broad sketches before moving to design and scripting. This helps you understand design intent-the why of the process-rather than just learning the interfaces and the how of it all. Along the way, you'll create Flash content that includes traditional animation techniques (as seen in full-length animated features), and ActionScript-based interactive animation, such as custom web site interface designs. You also learn how to combine both traditional animation techniques and ActionScript to create feature-rich Flash assets from the ground up.
Co-authored by educational developers with years of experience creating compelling content, interfaces, and applications, Flash 8: Projects for Learning Animation and Interactivity offers a content-driven approach that is also inspiration-driven. You learn because you're accomplishing something tangible, not because you think you need to know how a tool works.
If you want to understand how various features of Flash come together to create a final end design, this book provides you with both the insight and the know-how.
Customer Reviews:
Look Ma! I can Animate! And Interact!.......2007-04-19
I like this book. It's easy. It's clear. It reminds me of the wise words: "Keep it Simple Stupid!"
I used this book to teach a class of teenagers about Flash and it was great. I gave it to a marketing guy who professed an interest in making some stuff in Flash and it was great. And I've used it myself. Again, great. The authors have filled the book with practical mini-projects that explain various concepts in Flash.
This is a book about the basics for beginners. It covers the basics of a whole range of methods and techniques. And it touches upon more advanced concepts briefly and helpfully. All the way from the drawing tools in Flash to using some action script and bit map effects. It has a very clear explanation of what a conditional statement is, for example. And also exaplins variables and scope succintly and accurately. It also tells you how to make a roll-over button in Flash. Awesome! (Hey... remember the first one you made? I still get excited about swapping images on the fly with code, so I can dig it.)
If you know somebody who has NO CLUE - and I include myself in that category at times, obviously - how to: center something on the stage (Align), undo to ten steps ago (History), make a photo move around (Importing, Tweening), have a cartoon character walk believably (Walk Cycles), display only part of a photo (Masking), make a volume knob for your own web radio station (Sound Control), let people email them from their Flash website (Form Data)... Well, then! This is the book for them.
This is great for the beginner.......2007-04-18
Flash 8 Projects for learning Animation and Interactivity
By Rich Shupe & Robert Hoekman, Jr.
Publisher: O'Reilly
Copyright 2006
IBSN: 0-596-10223-2
Review by: Linda Weller
The books learning style is organic. They pair topics with goals. You learn by doing. Shortcuts are highlighted. Self teaching is encouraged by allowing you to expand on the projects using what you have learned. Sample files are available online or on the CD Rom.
They try to spoon feed you a little ActionScript in the sidebars of the book. Then you get to the chapter on creating a form and wow your using somewhat complex ActionScript and a PHP form. I hope you have a server installed that allows PHP for this one.
This book is filled with lots of special little tips. For example they tell you the difference between object level undo's and document level undo's. I bet you thought it was just ctrl +z.
Some of the Flash 8 features that are covered are Object drawing and Merge draw and when to you each one, metadata fields to make your Flash files search engine friendly, copy to grid assistant and, the distributed duplicate assistant.
Productivity tips are covered using the align panel, timeline effect assistants and the history panel. Have you ever needed to change a symbol's registration point after it is made? Go to the Info window.
Usability is covered. The author's show you how to add an active content bar to your menu buttons so the user knows where they are in the menu. Also, using the anchor from the label type drop down menu which is like an HTML anchor enables the back and forward buttons to work when navigating browsers.
There is information on all the basics: making an invisible button, tweening, shape tweening and, masks. How to work with assets is discussed. They show why we use PNG format in Flash with a rather graphic example. You can access round trip editing with a program of your choice.
Chapter 7 is loaded with lots of animation techniques such as using shape tweening to have a house draw itself, gradient masks, enabling bitmap caching with ActionScript on the mask and masked movie clips. There is a whole exercise to help you learn to decide when you would use scripted and when you would use timeline animation.
The chapter on sound give you some great tips on trimming unused portions of your sound and using short loops to optimize your files. They even tell you of a free sound editor. You create an MP3 player and a video player with ActionScript as well as creating players using the components.
All the new Bitmap caching and filter effects are discussed. You make bevel filters using ActionScript 2.0 classes.
They close off the last chapter with lots of web resources and tips. For example for file optimization purposes you can go to "file--save-- compact new" this totally removes deleted files from the system and reduces file size.
VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!.......2006-10-10
Are you a beginning Flash user who wants to bring their project ideas to life? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors Richard Shupe and Robert Hoekman, have done an outstanding job of writing a book that includes everything you need to get started in Flash.
Shupe and Robert Hoekman, begin by showing you how to use Flash's vector drawing tools. Then, the authors describe how you can set up your work environment the way you feel most comfortable. The authors then show you how to use a few essential techniques to create your first animated Flash movie. Next, they show you how to give your audience some control through the use of buttons and ActionScript. The authors also show you how Flash can work with other applications to help you meet your project needs. They continue by showing you how movie clips allow you to create animations that play independently of one another. Then, the authors show you how to create an animated advertisement for the sale of a home; as well as, other experience with some of these techniques. Next, they show you how to work with sound. They continue by showing you how to add video to your projects, with and without Action Script. Then, the authors describe how you can composite bitmap and vector assets on the fly and learn how to inject a heightened sense of expression into your files with real-time filter effects. The authors then show you how to use text. Next, they focus on solving one problem: Keeping initial download times to a minimum without compromising too much quality or creativity. The authors also show you how to use a template and components to construct a three-question quiz about what you've learned so far. They continue by exploring two slightly less conventional distribution methods for Flash content. Finally, they show you a few projects that demonstrate some of Flash's less common uses.
Several techniques are used in this most excellent book to help you better understand and retain the information you are given. More importantly, the preceding approach is what makes this book more effective learning tool than other books on the shelf.
Learning Flash animation for beginner.......2006-08-13
The Flash 8 projects for learning Animation and Interactivity book is a good resource for beginner to learn animation. It takes you step by step using practice examples to teach you basic animation techniques. The title of the book show two issues the first one is learning animation and I think the writer covered this part very well for beginners. The second issue is Learning Interactivity, which is covered along with the animation. The chapter that causes confusion for me is the 13th chapter. As it talks about e-learning in Flash, which is a very big issue that can not covered in one chapter, even for beginners. I think this part needs another book to cover deeply and give the beginner a strong beginning step in the field of e-learning.
Regardless the 13th chapter I see the book focused well and this helps the beginners to grasp the idea of the animation in Flash.
A Good Channel through which to learn Flash interface and action script.......2006-05-17
As the title states, this project-based approach to learning Flash 8 covers everything from becoming familiar with the interface to using both vector graphics versus pixilated images to the power of writing action script.
For the beginning Flash 8 user, this book starts from scratch on how to draw objects. It begins by having the reader draw a simple box; by then end of the third chapter, what started as one object has become a movie, complete with alpha effects, motion effects, and even a first stab at action script. The remainder of the book builds off these core aspects of Flash. As a beginner, the book made it easy to follow through the step-by-step processes required to make Flash 8 work as desired.
Not only does the book walk Flash users through the step-by-step processes, it also includes very useful sidebar notes and separate comment boxes (not to mention the wide sidebar space that just happen to be perfect for note-taking). These features are helpful in understanding how Flash `thinks' about the commands given in the projects. Also, the side notes will oftentimes refer the reader to the chapter in which a process is discussed in more detail to aid those more experienced users who have skipped around rather than reading the book cover-to-cover. Another handy feature of Flash 8: Projects for Learning Animation and Interactivity is the appendix titled "Tips and Resources," which lists some optional websites to extend Flash 8s possibilities; there is also a list of sites to practice with more tutorials.
One potential downside of working through these projects comes with any book that uses the project-based approach: time. It takes time to work through the examples, even the ones that start out with some of the background work already done for you. However, this approach also gives a more thorough understanding of Flash 8 and should be beneficial to anyone who prefers a hands-on approach to learning the software. As such, it may be best suited for beginning users, but definitely has some information throughout that all semi-experienced Flash users should know.
Books:
- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel
- Soul Psychology: How to Clear Negative Emotions and Spiritualize Your Life
- Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board
- Stories on Stage: Children's Plays for Reader's Theater (or Readers Theatre), With 15 Play Scripts From 15 Authors, Including Roald Dahl's The Twits and Louis Sachar's Sideways Stories from Wayside School
- Streetwise Paris (Streetwise)
- The Barn at the End of the World: The Apprenticeship of a Quaker, Buddhist Shepherd
- The Basic Book of Photography, Fifth Edition
- The Beat of Urban Art: The Art of Justin Bua
- The Big Book of Breasts
- The Chicago World's Fair of 1893: A Photographic Record (Dover Architectural Series)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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- History: Fiction or Science
- Gallow's Thief
- Gary Null's Mind Power : Rejuvenate Your Brain and Memory Naturally
- History: Fiction or Science
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- Introducing Physical Geography
- Portrait of Utah
- Diana: The Secret Years
- The Other War: Letters from a Gi in India in 1944 and 1945
Flash
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Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 in 24 Hours (Sams Teach Yourself)
Macromedia Flash 8 @work: Projects and Techniques to Get the Job Done (@Work)
Dreamweaver 8: The Missing Manual
Macromedia Flash 8 Bible
Foundation ActionScript for Flash 8 (Foundation)
