Book Description
This practical, nuts-and-bolts toolkit puts theory into practice with ready-made answers to common Flash development questions. It's the perfect resource for Flash developers, as well as designers who are ready to start doing development work.
Flash 8 Cookbook offers quick look-up (and cross-referenced) recipes in four main categories:
- Creating Flash Content
- Building Interactive Flash Interfaces
- Adding Multimedia and Data
- Planning Flash Projects
Using O'Reilly's popular Problem/Solution/Discussion Cookbook format, this book offers 280 standalone recipes that include a brief explanation of how and why the solution works, so you can adapt it to similar situations you may run across in the future. For people who say, "I understand everything in theory, but I don't know where to start in practice," this book offers ready-to-use answers to real-world problems.
Joey Lott is the author of
ActionScript Cookbook (O'Reilly) and co-author of
Flash MX 2004 ActionScript Bible (Wiley). He's a leading speaker and consultant in the Flash development community.
Customer Reviews:
Start Cookin with this one.......2007-03-28
I am not keen on any book that has Cookbook in the title. This book however is more of a Hanes manual for your old Volvo 240. You will have lots of shop spills (coffee not oil) and dog eared pages on this when you finally move on to a future version of flash. Even then this will become a great tool.
The book has four main solution sections: creating content, building interactive interafaces, using projects (I never get around to actually doing that!) and adding multimedia and data.
O'Reilly put a lot into this book, with a load of solutions, with the if, how, why and here you go.
Best if your up to speed and know your way around Flash well. For me, its a matter of understanding and implementing solutions as I encounter them. "Damn, how do I best deal with that problem? - Dunno? Read the book".
Short and too the point, you will need this if your a professional - either from the design side or the programming side of Flash. Not much use to students, though educators should read it through and get up to speed to increase the amount of knowledgeable students coming out of courses (enough of the bouncing balls already).
Cooking with Flash 8??.......2007-02-15
Flash 8 Cookbook
Joey Lott ISBN: 0-596102402
Cooking with Flash 8??
Reading the Flash 8 Cookbook is a painful experience considering you pay $44.95 for it. If you need answers to real-world problems don't look here. This book is a semi-helpful reference guide for those designers who are just beginning to branch out into Action Script. They try to make everything in the book very easy for you to the point that some of the chapters talk down to the reader.
The meatiest information is concentrated from page 200-340 of an almost 500 page book. Some of the information in this section is about fading movie clips in and out, the key word "this", working with Java Script in Flash, and adding event listeners.
This book features one of the best explanations I have seen on how to create a listener object and add an event listener on page 346. They break all the code down there with samples.
A bonus to reading this book is that you can download a number of great low file size components written by Joey Lott . Some of the unique components are the form controller, slide show, and window controller.
This book even introduces you to 3d Max and how to use it in conjunction with Flash. There is info on video and mobile but, surprisingly no chapter on Office Yoga for the Flash Action Scripter. They lumped together a number of topics that could have individually comprised a number of 500 -1000 page books.
I think too many cooks spoiled the Action Script in this case. I consider this to be an easy fast read. Great to take to the gym or the beach. If you had to buy just one book on Flash 8, this wouldn't be the one you would choose.
I should have listened.... Very basic!.......2006-09-19
This is a book for beginners, not even intemmediate level readers. If you are familiar with any other design software like Illustrator, Photoshop, CorelDraw, etc. you will find that much of this book is useless since you already know it! This is a perfect exapmple, quoting the book:
"1.1 Drawing Straight lines
Problem: you want to create a straight line segment or a shape made out of multiple straight line segments.
Solution
Use the line tool[...], the pen tool[...] or the pencil tool."
This is by no means a "cookbook" and I'm very disappointed with O'Reilly being the publisher, since most of the time their books are great.
The book probably focuses on REAL ACTIONSCRIPTING up to 15% its entire content!
Only consider it if you never worked with a design application in your whole life and don't have the time or patience to read more than 2-page long chapters.
Excellent source.......2006-06-29
As an intermediate Actionscripter, I find this book incredibly useful on a daily basis. It's well-organized and well-written, with several juicy tips and tricks.
Basic Flash information presented as a 'cookbook'.......2006-06-08
Hardly any information that would constitute as worthwhile if you have a decent grasp of Flash. There is entirely too much elementary information here. One recipe is a small excerpt on how to create an invisible button by only putting content in the hit state of the button. Also, although the cover reads "Using the Flash IDE to build Flash animations and applications", it includes entirely too much information on Swift3D in a Chapter discussing 3D in Flash. The chapter should probably have been renamed "Creating 3D in For Flash using Swift 3D" instead of the misleading name "Simulating 3D in Flash".
Book Description
Macromedia Flash MX 2004 For Dummies guides beginning animators through the basics of creating their first Flash animations. Authors Ellen Finkelstein and Gurdy Leete, both experienced Flash professionals and trainers, help users create basic figures, add text and layers, incorporate user actions, edit and add sound, and publish the final results. Macromedia Flash MX 2004 For Dummies comes with a CD that includes all the examples used in the book, sample animations from other Flash users, and a trial version of the product itself.
Customer Reviews:
Usually Dummies books are good, but this one...........2004-08-07
A horrible book to introduce you to Flash and a waste of money. At the end, I really didn't understand how the program worked - only how certain tasks are done. There's a lot of fluffy chapters. A much better book is Rosanna Yeung's Flash MX 2004 Hands-On Training.
I bought this Dummies book based on the quality of other Dummies books I have, but this one was a real disappointment.
OK, but feels like a copy/paste from old book/flash version........2004-04-20
This book is pretty good but has some flaws.
1. Although I haven't read the previous Dummies book for Flash MX (non-2004) by these authors, I get the feeling that the book inherits much of its content from it. Some of the features mentioned in the book just don't seem to exist in my copy of Flash MX 2004 Pro, like the common sound library. I purchased & downloaded my copy of Flash from Macromedia, so perhaps I didn't get the sounds because of that. Next time, I'll definitely get the CD...
2. The examples from the CD are old and most of them give the warning to save in Flash MX 2004 when you close them, that is, they are from previous versions of Flash. The first example even uses an image file that I had to load & export using a graphics program to correct the transparency of the image. That said, the examples are not horrible, but most are contributions from others and not designed/developed by the authors.
3. There are some worthless chapters and appendixes like some of the top 10 chapters and how to install Flash appendix. Considering how sites come & go on the Internet I'm surprised space was used to list the authors top 10 favorite Flash sites. It's only a couple of pages, but might fit better on the authors web site where updates can be more current.
Overall, about 90% of the book will be relevant but there may be other books that are more focused on the MX 2004 version of Flash. If you don't know anything about Flash, you'll come away knowing how to do a lot of the basic stuff after reading this book.
Fabulous for those starting out.......2003-12-22
Before reading this book, I had never used Flash and had only created websites by writting my own HTML. After reading the first few chapters, I was able to create my first movie! This book is definitley for beginners like me and is a great book to get you up and running. I would certainly recommend it for those starting out.
Perfect introduction and reference for Flash.......2003-12-06
Finkelstein and Leete have written the perfect introduction and reference for Flash.
I recently started using Flash because one of my clients' legacy websites had a couple of Flash animations that needed to be updated. I stumbled around with Macromedia's documentation and a couple of online websites, but somehow Flash kept doing things I didn't expect.
Finally, I found this book and read it cover to cover. "Oh, of course!" I kept saying as I read. "There's a neat technique for layering. That's how to reduce the file size. That's how to make it run faster. That's how to get the sound to synchronize with the motion." On and on. Macromedia should just ship this book with their software. Plus the book comes with a CD-ROM packed with useful stuff.
My client is thrilled with my new versions of his Flash animations.
I want to especially commend the authors on Chapters 12 and 13, "Putting it all together" and "Publishing your Flash files." This is where I found that information that showed me how to put out a clean professional final product.
I've gotten so into Flash that I rewrote a complete interactive game in Flash. It used to be in Java, was 500,000 bytes (not to mention the 2Mb Java library), and only seemed to run correctly on a handful of machines. In Flash, the whole thing is under 100,000 bytes and runs EVERYWHERE no problem.
I couldn't have done that rewrite without this book.
When you're done reading this book, I also recommend "50 Fast Flash MX Techniques" by the same authors, to take your animations to "WOW!"
An Excellent Resource for Newbies.......2003-11-30
I am writing to thank you and Gurdy Leete for your wonderful book. I am creating an animated, web-enabled presentation for our non-profit association and consider myself an expert in PowerPoint. Many of my PowerPoint presentations include audio/video which plays through several slides. I have learned through my Microsoft research that when converted to HTML many of the wonderful effects and transitions in PowerPoint do not work. Thus I made an investment in Flash.
I spent about 15 hours working with my new software via the help menus. I was so frustrated by this past Friday that I went in search of help. Thankfully I found your book. It is Sunday and I have created a one scene, four frame small example with a movie clip on the first slide, compliments of the included CD. It will run slide by slide or you can select automate with the button. I am so pleased.
I am sure in your world this is a small accomplishment, but I just wanted to let you know that your book covers the simple to the complex in a clear and orderly manner. Being able to complete the animated logo by page 28 provided much needed positive reinforcement for me.
Again, thank you for the excellent training manual. I am sure it will serve as my major point of reference for a long time to come.
Book Description
Creating web designs and site content in Macromedia Flash MX can be a lot of fun, but there are always tasks that you'll want to do again and again. It's always a bit of a hassle to have to keep recreating and tweaking the same old content or functionality in different projects, so why can't you just reuse what you've created? With components, you can do just that!
Flash MX Components enable the creation of self-contained design building blocks that can be simply dragged and dropped into any Flash movie. They are flexible enough to be easily customized to take care of many different tasks. No fuss, no bother - you can repurpose the standard elements of your design, application, or game, and use them over and over again.
But wait, it gets better! Components can be used by anyone, not just the person who created them. So in this book, we've done all the hard work for you and collected together the Most Wanted components that will make your life easier.
In this book (and on the CD) you'll find a perfect combination of creative and functional components from some of today's leading Flash designers and developers. Just look at the fantastic components you get:
- Event Calendar - David Doull
- Text Editor - Josh Dura
- XML News Ticker - Jon Steer
- Tool Tip - Brandon Williams
- Sketchpad - Steve Young
- Video Player - Jen DeHaan
- Image Scroller - Brian Monnone
- Pattern Generators - Paul Prudence
- TabControl - Jeremy Larkin
- Sliding Panel - Todd Marks
- ColorPicker - Jeremy Larkin
- Game Player Selector - Todd Coulson
- Particle Emitter - Jared Tarbell
- Layout Manager - Michael Montagna
- Data Grid - Daryn Nakhuda
- Movie Loader - Aral Balkan
- Image Modulators - Lifaros
- XML-to-ActionScript Converter - Mike Pearce
- Virtual 3D Trackball - James Palmer
- Text Animations - Todd Yard
- Dynamic Text Manager - Peter Elst
Each of these components is included on the accompanying CD, ready to incorporate within your designs, along with plenty of example files giving practical demonstrations of their use. On top of that, each chapter in this book presents a comprehensive designer-oriented guide that will help you to get the most out of using all of the featured components.
If you're a Flash designer, of any ability from novice to professional, this book will increase the power of your Flash designs and enhance your project workflow - instantly!
Customer Reviews:
Nifty Components, Lacking in Real Technical Depth.......2003-03-10
"Flash MX Components Most Wanteed" is targeted towards designers and those that shy away from ActionScript. The book focuses on explanations of how to use each of the components -- not how they were created or the design choices made while building these sometimes extraordinarily complex components. Many of the components contained on the CD are quite useful, but I personally could have done without the "nifty graphics" and image manipulation components. It's nice to have detailed explanations of each of the available component parameters (kind of like a product manual), but the book left me wanting more about the hows and whys of creating solid, useful Flash MX components.
a darn good bargain.......2003-02-13
I still can't believe i only paid so little for this book, it's just awesome! I've been using Flash for a couple of years now, but only recently started getting into MX components - any designer (or even developer?) looking for efficient solutions should really look into using them. I'm at the point now where i'm having to reuse as much code/design elements as i can now because
work is just soooo busy, and with this book you get a cd containing 21 components (actually, there's even more than that if you count some of the neat experimental ones!). I'm not even gonna try and work out how much development time this cd will save me, but I can't advise it enough - i really hope these guys bring more of them out. To be honest i've only looked through about half of these components so far, but i'm still blown away -
check out tool tip, the dynamic text 'stringthing', and the XML/actionscript converter especially - i didn't even realize i needed these things until now! The chapter on the movie loader is just a killer too. And there are also more 'crazy-stoopid' ones, like pattern generators and image modulators. What can i say, buy it and hope these authors bring out a sequel! Tons of fully-documented components, tons of examples, i'm a happy
designer!
Great Book.......2003-02-11
Im coming from a unix/c background with over 10 years experience and I found this book to be really good introduction to Flash MX. Its written very clearly and concsicely and full of useful examples and great ideas. I got my project up and running very quickly with some very pleasing results. Keep up the good work boys!
Macromedia Flash MX Components Most Wanted.......2003-01-31
What a great book! Im pretty new to Flash and have spent most of my life programming in C, but this book helped me produce some fantastic results in a really short space of time. Its concise, well written and seemed to have an answer for every problem that I got myself into. No complaints so far - nice one lads!
Average customer rating:
- decent material for reference
- Better than Flash help files, but not by much
- This is a frustrating book
- Complete waste of money -- typos & poor web support
- Hard to follow with all the typographical errors
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Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 Unleashed
ASIN: 067232606X |
Book Description
Macromedia Flash is the key to designing and delivering low-bandwidth animations, presentations, and Web sites. It is also a full-fledged programming API with scripting capabilities and server-side connectivity enabling the creation of engaging applications, sophisticated Web interfaces, and interactive training courses. Flash has the ability to easily integrate with, and add interactivity to, complex media types with powerful and intuitive tools. Developers can rapidly develop high performance, accessible content using pre-assembled building blocks; and they can expand their authoring capabilities with custom extensions from independent developers.
Macromedia Flash MX Professional 2004 Unleashed covers these high-end topics, providing a solid and complete reference for developers. The fundamentals are covered quickly in the first part of the book, while the majority of the content is devoted to the intermediate to advanced developers who need to learn about ActionScript and how Flash works with middleware, such as ColdFusion, ASP, and XML.
Download Description
A detailed programming reference for developers who need a complete guide to developing sophisticated Flash-based applications. * While other books cover design-oriented topics in Flash, Flash Programming Unleashed covers Flash and its ActionScript language as a powerful application development tool. * The book includes unique coverage of using Flash to work with middleware, such as ColdFusion, XML, and ASP. * Appeals to the many ASP or Java developers who need to integrate their applications with Flash.
Customer Reviews:
decent material for reference.......2006-11-26
I am a programmer who is just now diving into flash. I have purchased this. book as well as many others. Overall none of them give me what I want. I am constantly going back and forth between the books to find the answers to my questions. That said, this book has offered me some knowledge, but I have yet to see a book that is all encompassing.
Better than Flash help files, but not by much.......2005-08-19
The tutorials in this book were obviously not proofread as they are loaded with errors. If you know enough about flash to correct the errors than you can learn some things from this book, but I would highly recommend beginners to look elsewhere. The publishers site is also very poor. The book constantly refers the reader to go to the website for more tutorials, which is a complete runaround because they either don't exist, or you have to uncover them from buried articles linking to other websites! This book could have been great with better proofreading, and a CD including WORKING tutorials.
The only reason I give it 2 stars instead of 1 is because it is a good overview of Flash capabilities. Just don't expect to learn the nuts and bolts of all these features from this book.
This is a frustrating book.......2005-08-10
For those looking to take their Flash skills from beginner to intermediate status this book covers a lot of topics to help get you there such as OOP with AS 2.0, components, extending Flash, XML, and using Flash with server-side technologies. However, it is full of errors including typos and erroneous code. The latter problem is compounded by a corresponding lack of web suppport as other reviewers have pointed out. If this book had been edited and proofread more vigorously it could have been a great product for helping beginning Flashers take their skills to the next level.
Complete waste of money -- typos & poor web support.......2005-05-31
One example: Chapter 15 Page 398, NOTE: "For all examples, you can use your own external files, but for everything to be exactly as it is in the book, you should download the files for this chapter from the Web site."
(...)
Another example. Chapter 1, Page 15. (Yeah, lousy from the very beginning). The code will NOT work, since there's a typo in there that involves improper capitalization, thus violating case sensitivity! I'm an intermediate-level ActionScript user, so I caught this right away, but a beginner will never realize what's wrong.
The only value I can see to this book is that it has a chapter on integrating Flash with PHP, which is a rarity among books on server-side Flash. But I haven't gotten to this chapter yet, so I don't know whether they've loused this up too.
This is a typical SAMS book. In other words, a nearly complete waste of money.
Hard to follow with all the typographical errors.......2004-07-27
It's hard to say if this is a good book or not, I spent so much time trying to figure out the exercises with all the errors that I couldnt even finish the book. Many of their Figures do not match the explanations and sometimes it was so confusing that I could not complete the exercise. I would definitely not recommned this book to anyone new to flash; what a waste of money!
Book Description
Author Jeanette Stallons has spent a lot of time thinking about application development with Flash MX--so that you don't have to! Instead, you can get right down to doing: Drawing on the wealth of information
Jeanette has developed as technical lead for Macromedia's Authorized Training curriculum, this volume offers a series of step-by-step tutorials that will have you using all of Flash MX 2004's new features in the process of developing a dynamic real-world Flash application. Along the way, you'll learn about using ActionScript 2.0, the Flash UI component framework and dynamic data, screens, MovieClip objects, and more. In the end, you'll come away with a solid grounding in Flash theory and technique that will propel your own projects to stunning results. The accompanying DVD includes all of the project files required to complete the book¿s exercises as well as a trial version of Flash MX 2004.
Customer Reviews:
Hate it.......2007-01-19
Picked up this book years ago and hated it. Macromedia should be ashamed of how bad this book is. You would think a company can turn out a decent instructional book about their own product! After conversing with many people in the Information Architecture and Web Usability fields, I am discovering that many do not find Macromedia books in general to be helpful, especially when compared to others in the market. As for me, I will never buy another book published by Macromedia.
God awful!.......2006-04-30
The author and editor obviously did not earn a degree in communication, but programming. By the middle of the third chapter the author must believe the reader is a certified programmer.
I am reasonability intelligent; I am a CPA with BFA and BBA degress, but gee, only after reading her paragraphs 4 to 5 times do I get it. And her follow along examples are torture. More time and paper should have been devoted to thorough scipt examples rather than abridged.
Great shot from Macromedia Press!!!.......2005-09-15
[**this review was made by Denise Maitan from AIR User Group**]With step-by-step exercises, explanations, notes,tips and complementary pictures, Macromedia's book "Flash Mx Professional 2004 - application development" encompasses the simplest functions flash offers through to the most complex, like web services, XML e remoting services.
Furthermore, the book is accompanied by a DVD-Rom with files containing prepared exercises and 30-day trial versions of Flash MX 2004 and Flash MX Professional 2004.
The book is really well structured, with instructions before each exercise detailing what the reader will learn, how long each exercise should take and where to find the related exercises on the DVD.
The book is recommended for whom desires greater knowledge of Actionscript programming. It also give guidance in the use of dynamic + interactive product applications - through the RIA (Rich Internet Application) concept - and provides preparation for Macromedia development certification. A very good training manual.
Author Got a Little Lost in Own Steps.......2005-05-06
I'll be brief. It teaches efficient programming and good tips for beginner programmers but don't try to follow the steps outlined in the book. Seems that author got lost in his own steps. For example page 144 step 8 doesn't indicate that you should place the onChanged code in the "calcObject.as" file, instead it says that you sould place it after the onKillFocus event. I lost a lot of time trying to figure out why my program wasn't working (wanting to practice debugging) until I finally looked at the files in the DVD. I'd say just read the book and test using the files that came in the DVD if things don't work.
good book.......2005-04-13
This is actually a very good book. The flow is a little wierd, but it covers a lot of ground not covered in other books. I found the conversion from ActionScript 1.0 to ActionScript 2.0 not a problem, except in one area - flash remoting and ActionScript 2.0. But for flash remoting I have found the MM docs almost totally useless and no other sources adequate. Coming from a programming background, I found Stallons' treatment of some of the many AS quirks, and that strange Flash object, the MovieClip, and how to use it in AS, very helpful. I guess the standard book padding of loops, conditional logic, functions, objects, etc. is unavoidable, but I could do without it. I could really have used a better coverage of the 2.0 components, but there again the MM docs are pretty bad on this topic and I haven't found a book that does cover these.
So I would recommend this book, but the jump may be hard for a first time programmer who is using AS 2.0 and needs to rely heavily on the "copy and paste code" learning process.
Book Description
Flash guru Sham Bhangal brings us the third edition of everybody’s favorite beginner level Flash scripting book:
Foundation ActionScript. With the release of Flash MX 2004, scripting in Flash has moved from being a desirable asset to an essential skill in the world of web design and development. ActionScript is, quite simply, the key to real power in Flash. Flash is now both a design tool and a development tool, and ActionScript can easily scare designers. This book is for anyone who has ever looked in awe at a cutting-edge Flash site, then taken a look at some code, and run in the other direction. Learning ActionScript with friends of ED will not turn you into a boring programmer, it will turn you into someone who finally has the power to achieve what they want with their web design, and can liberate their creative urges.
This book will take you from knowing nothing about ActionScript to a firm knowledge that will allow you to exercise a previously unimaginable amount of power over your Flash movies. It does this with fully worked examples throughout, and a case study that will leave you with a cutting-edge Flash site by the end of the book.
Customer Reviews:
Bhangal thinks beginners are what?.......2005-07-07
I am sorry , reading the reviews I thought this would be great , so I bought it.I must say editing is horrible , no online help(wrote 5 mails not even 1 answer),lot of mistake in book.The code style changes often so the beginner is bit lost.Then Bhangal suddenly introduces heavy coding without explaining much often (Math.random()*5) +3 or Math.round()...he didn't explain the parameters of random no. selection in AS.
only thing I can say you need to do this book more than once to get hang of AS if u r really a total beginner like me.
If looking a fast way don't get into it if u r a total beginner
Foundation ActionScript for Macromedia Flash MX 2004.......2005-03-29
Mr. Bhangal's wonderful teaching style and excellent writing make this a truly easy and painless experience.
Explained in plain english how to actually *do something* with action script.
Great examples and analogies really drive the concepts home. I think its a big help that Mr. Bhangal is a designer and can speak to a person on a visual level.
And, I had a question, e-mailed Mr. Bhangal, and he got right back to me.
I am currently reading Foundation Dreamweaver MX 2004 and am also very impressed. The Friends of Ed is a great tool for designers looking to learn multimedia and web software.
Well done for beginners, slow for programmers.......2005-01-30
This book was done well for *not* programmers. I'm a relatively seasoned (6+ yrs) Java & C programmer--I found it incredibly slow.
Bhangal spends a ton of time convincing the reader that things such as "event handling" and "classes" are good. Anyone who has written a GUI for the Mac, Windows, X or Java will find a majority of the content incredibly tedious.
The last chapter on "Advanced Actionscript" starts to touch on the areas I find most valuable--specifically scope, sub-classing, the differences between AS 1.0 & 2.0. But that was really it.
Again, for non-programmers or designers (for whom I'm assuming this was designed) I think this might be a great book. Bhangal goes to great lengths to explain the "why's" of programming concepts. For programmers, I'd suggest Macromedia Press's "Flash MX Professionsl 2004 Application Development" by Jeanette Stallons.
Informative but a bit sloppy.......2004-07-19
Overall I found this book helpful in taking me to the next level of ActionScript. The main project of the book from beginning to end is the building of a website called Futuremedia. This web page makes use of many cool tricks the author takes you through step-by-step with pretty good explanations. To teach the reader how to implement these techniques, several smaller coding projects are used to introduce programming concepts that will be later used in the more complex Futuremedia project. Each chapter has several of these smaller examples which is very fortunate. About halfway through the book, due probably to some sloppy editing, the Futuremedia project gets derailed by missing steps and references to earlier explanations which never made it into the text. Being that I didn't find the Futuremedia project all that interesting, I eventually abandoned working on the book's main project and concentrated on the smaller projects contained in each chapter. These are all complete.
The author's writing style is easy to follow and he tries to explain concepts so non-programmers can grasp them, which is the main reason I stuck with it to the last chapter.
If you are looking to move from the simple coding of buttons, movie clips and basic timeline animation, this book still has some good information to offer.
Informative but a bit sloppy.......2004-07-19
Overall I found this book helpful in taking me to the next level of ActionScript. The main project of the book from beginning to end is the building of a website called Futuremedia. This web page makes use of many cool tricks the author takes you through sep-by-step with pretty good explanations. To teach the reader how to implement these techniques, several smaller coding projects are used to introduce programming concepts that will be used in the more complex Futuremedia project. Each chapter has several of these smaller examples which is very fortunate. About halfway through the book, due probably to some sloppy editing, the Futuremedia project gets derailed by missing steps and references to earlier explanations which never made it into the text. Being that I didn't find the Futuremedia project all that interesting, I eventually abandoned working on the book's main project and concentrated on the smaller projects contained in each chapter. These are all complete.
The author's writing style is easy to follow which is the main reason I stuck with it.
If you are looking to move from simply coding buttons and simple timeline animation, this book still has some good information to offer.
Book Description
Flash CS3, the latest version of the premier tool for creating web animations and interactive web sites, can be intimidating to learn. This entertaining reference tutorial provides a reader-friendly animation primer and a guided tour of all the program's tools and capabilities. Beginners will learn to use the software in no time, and experienced users will quickly take their skills to the next level. The book gives Flash users of all levels hands-on instructions to help them master:
- Special effects
- Morphing
- Adding audio and video
- Introducing interactivity
- And much more
With
Flash CS3: The Missing Manual you'll be able to turn an idea into a Flash animation, tutorial, or movie. This book will help you create online tutorials, training materials and full-blown presentations. It also teaches design principles throughout and helps you avoid elements that can distract or annoy an audience.
This is the first new release of Flash since Adobe bought Macromedia, which means that it's the first version that will integrate easily with other Adobe products. It's a whole new ballgame when it comes to Flash, and
Flash CS3: The Missing Manual offers you complete and objective coverage. It's the perfect companion to this powerful software.
Customer Reviews:
This book should've come in the box with Flash.......2007-08-07
Flash CS3: The Missing Manual by is the perfect title for collections strong in web design and development; particularly those catering to Flash users. It covers the basics of animation, from how to create movement between images using special Flash tools to adding integrative and interactive functions, color and video to liven the results, and creating smooth transitions between Flash works. This book should've come in the box with Flash: since it didn't, it's essential for any Flash programmer and any library catering to them.
Great reference for beginners .......2007-08-04
"As expected from the missing manual series, Flash CS 3 : The Missing manual is great reference for anyone interested in learn Adobe flash cs3, the book contains 14 chapters as followings :
Introduction
Part One: Creating a Flash Animation
Chapter 1. Getting Around Flash
Starting Flash
A Tour of the Flash Desktop
Toolbars
Panels
The Timeline
The Flash CS3 Test Drive
Opening a Flash File
Chapter 2. Creating Simple Drawings
Planning Pays Off
Preparing to Draw
Creating Original Artwork
Copying and Pasting Drawn Objects
Adding Color
Chapter 3. Animating Your Drawings
Frame-by-Frame Animation
Adding Layers to Your Animation
Animating Automatically (Tweening)
Part Two: Advanced Drawing and Animation
Chapter 4. Organizing Frames and Layers
Working with Frames
Adding Content to Multiple Layers
Viewing Layers
Working with Layers
Organizing Layers
Chapter 5. Advanced Drawing and Coloring
Selecting Graphic Elements
Manipulating Graphic Elements
Adding Text to Your Drawing
Advanced Color and Fills
Creating Custom Colors
Saving Color Swatches
Importing a Custom Color Palette
Copying Color with the Eyedropper
Chapter 6. Adding Special Effects
Built-in Timeline Effects
Spotlight Effect Using Mask Layers
Chapter 7. Reusable Flash: Symbols and Templates
Symbols and Instances
Templates
Chapter 8. Incorporating Non-Flash Media Files
Incorporating Graphics
Incorporating Sound
Incorporating Video
Part Three: Adding Interactivity
Chapter 9. Automating Flash with ActionScript
How ActionScript Works
Adding an Action
Adding a Prebuilt Behavior
Chapter 10. Controlling Animation
Slowing Down (or Speeding Up) Animation
Organizing an Animation
Looping a Series of Frames
Reversing a Series of Frames
Chapter 11. Interacting with Your Audience
Dynamic Text
Input Text
Tying Actions to Events
Chapter 12. Components for Interactivity
The Built-in Components
Adding Components
Customizing Components
Finding Additional Components
Part Four: Delivering Your Animation to Its Audience
Chapter 13. Testing and Debugging
Testing Strategies
Testing on the Stage
Testing in Flash Player
Testing Inside a Web Page
Testing Download Time
The Art of Debugging
Chapter 14. Publishing and Exporting
Optimizing Flash Documents
Publishing Your Animations
Exporting Flash to Other Formats
Part Five: Appendixes
Appendix A. Installation and Help
Appendix B. Flash CS3, Menu by Menu
What i like it about the this book is containing a lot of tips and trick and answers on common questions and so many figures explain to the reader the instruction step by step . and also the book cover a basic and traditional subject related to ActionScript 2.0 . Recommended for beginners . "
A good guide on the latest version of Flash.......2007-06-29
Flash CS3 contains upgraded capabilities for integrating animations into other Adobe products. Flash CS3 also incorporates ActionScript 3.0 and the new XML engine into the popular authoring tool. This book shows you how to work with Flash CS3 by using small groups of instructions for each task at hand. The book begins getting you started launching Flash, creating your own drawings, and transforming them into moving animations. Part two of the book gets you involved in the detailed skills required to get your frames and layers in place. Once you learn how to reorganize your animation by rearranging frames on the Timeline, you learn how to manipulate color and add special effects, and finally how to incorporate non-Flash files of all kinds into your animation. Part three is a crash course on interactivity including a short section on ActionScript that is just enough to get you started. Part four is on testing strategies and delivery methods for your animation.
Each chapter usually involves plenty of screen shots of the application with step-by-step instructions on how to get to the various menus and screens. Among the instructions there are useful tips on shortcuts, and other boxes that include questions you might have and answers to those questions. The book manages to be pretty comprehensive on the subject of Flash CS3 without being confusing or getting bogged down in details. The notes and and asides are kept in separate color boxes to keep them apart from the actual "lesson" the chapter is trying to teach. Overall I found the book quite helpful. The following is the detailed table of contents:
Introduction
Part One: Creating a Flash Animation
Chapter 1. Getting Around Flash
Starting Flash
A Tour of the Flash Desktop
Toolbars
Panels
The Timeline
The Flash CS3 Test Drive
Opening a Flash File
Chapter 2. Creating Simple Drawings
Planning Pays Off
Preparing to Draw
Creating Original Artwork
Copying and Pasting Drawn Objects
Adding Color
Chapter 3. Animating Your Drawings
Frame-by-Frame Animation
Adding Layers to Your Animation
Animating Automatically (Tweening)
Part Two: Advanced Drawing and Animation
Chapter 4. Organizing Frames and Layers
Working with Frames
Adding Content to Multiple Layers
Viewing Layers
Working with Layers
Organizing Layers
Chapter 5. Advanced Drawing and Coloring
Selecting Graphic Elements
Manipulating Graphic Elements
Adding Text to Your Drawing
Advanced Color and Fills
Creating Custom Colors
Saving Color Swatches
Importing a Custom Color Palette
Copying Color with the Eyedropper
Chapter 6. Adding Special Effects
Built-in Timeline Effects
Spotlight Effect Using Mask Layers
Chapter 7. Reusable Flash: Symbols and Templates
Symbols and Instances
Templates
Chapter 8. Incorporating Non-Flash Media Files
Incorporating Graphics
Incorporating Sound
Incorporating Video
Part Three: Adding Interactivity
Chapter 9. Automating Flash with ActionScript
How ActionScript Works
Adding an Action
Adding a Prebuilt Behavior
Chapter 10. Controlling Animation
Slowing Down (or Speeding Up) Animation
Organizing an Animation
Looping a Series of Frames
Reversing a Series of Frames
Chapter 11. Interacting with Your Audience
Dynamic Text
Input Text
Tying Actions to Events
Chapter 12. Components for Interactivity
The Built-in Components
Adding Components
Customizing Components
Finding Additional Components
Part Four: Delivering Your Animation to Its Audience
Chapter 13. Testing and Debugging
Testing Strategies
Testing on the Stage
Testing in Flash Player
Testing Inside a Web Page
Testing Download Time
The Art of Debugging
Chapter 14. Publishing and Exporting
Optimizing Flash Documents
Publishing Your Animations
Exporting Flash to Other Formats
Part Five: Appendixes
Appendix A. Installation and Help
Appendix B. Flash CS3, Menu by Menu
Mostly A Well Thought-Out Guide.......2007-06-09
More than most other creative programs, Flash requires learning a vast amount of information in order to use. As a beginning- and intermediate-level instructor of Flash, I am constantly searching for new ways of organizing and presenting this information that are quick, simple, and effective. Flash CS3: The Missing Manual is written for beginners, especially creative beginners, and approaches the learning of Flash differently from other books I have seen by organizing its Parts and Chapters more by overlying concepts, rather than the specific technologies and techniques used in the program. The authors realize -- correctly, I think -- that people learning Flash tend to want to accomplish something with it, and instead of organizing this book around concepts like Motion/Shape Tweening or MovieClips, which mean little or nothing to a beginner, they have given us chapters like "Animating Your Drawings" and "Interacting with Your Audience."
Besides its intelligent organization, Flash CS3: TMM contains all of the features I expect of a good-quality educational book: clear and concise language, screenshots (both Mac and Windows), tips and tricks, workarounds to common problems, and example source files (accessible from a Web site, rather than an enclosed CD-ROM). Perhaps the biggest strength of this book is the discussion of the "intangibles" behind any successful Flash project: planning, storyboarding, research, and critical thinking. The authors periodically take a step back from the hands-on, computer-program-using tutorials to ask us to stop and think about what we are trying to accomplish with our animation (or whatever we are working on). While not directly related to the learning of Flash, these insights are crucial to learning how to create quality Flash projects.
In terms of learning how to create quality Flash, the book could be greatly improved by not urging of the use of Scenes and teaching the placement of ActionScript code directly on objects (Buttons and MovieClips). Both practices have been discouraged for years by the Flash Industry and run contrary to the official Adobe Flash Best Practices ([...]). These methods may be the quickest and easiest ways to get things done in the short run, but ultimately set people up for confusion and trouble later on as they progress in learning Flash. Better to take the time teaching the "proper" methods from the outset.
If you adhere to Adobe Flash Best Practices, you should be able to benefit from reading Flash CS3: The Missing Manual. Most of all, its unique organization of information and its discussion of the conceptual and planning foundation required before starting any Flash project. Its "Menu by Menu" appendix alone -- which defines each and every menu item in Flash and reveals their Mac and Windows keyboard shortcuts -- is priceless to any beginning or intermediate Flash user.
Average customer rating:
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Macromedia Flash MX: Rich Media for the Web
Joseph DeSetto , and
Against The Clock
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
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Macromedia Dreamweaver MX: Creating Web Pages
ASIN: 0131106538 |
Book Description
Written by educators, for educators, the Against the Clock series is the complete solution for courses in Graphic Multimedia or Web Design Software. The hands-on, project-based texts are packaged with resource CD-ROMs that contain all the files needed to create the step-by-step projects in the text. Instructor CD-ROMs include assessments, overhead presentation materials, and additional projects. Coverage includes working in the flash environment, working with other programs, ActionScript, animation, images, sound, video and publishing. This title is ideal for professionals teaching Flash MX or for educators of any course that includes graphic arts software and computer design software, or for anyone interested in learning Macromedia Flash MX.
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Macromedia Flash Mx: Design & Application (Iperformance Series)
Denise Seguin
Manufacturer: EMC/Paradigm Publishing
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ASIN: 0763819409 |
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Macromedia Flash MX: Curso practico (Guia de Campo series)
Jose Luis Oros
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ASIN: 9701508505 |
Book Description
Covering the newest version of Flash, the popular web-design software, this course teaches novices how to create and design a site and brings more experienced users up-to-date with the latest features and functions. Included are multiple exercises, supported by examples and step-by-step instruction, that provide the necessary know-how for bringing Internet sites to life.
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