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Flash
5 Hands-On Training
"Offers
An Ideal Way to Learn Flash!"
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Title:
Flash
5 Hands-on Training
Author: Kymberlee
Weil, Lynda Weinman, Garo Green
Publisher:
Peachpit Press http://www.peachpit.com
Publication Date: August
2001
Pages: 768
with CD
ISBN: 0-201-173134-7
Price:
$44.99
Flash
5 Hands-On-Training
is a new title in Lynda Weinman's Hands-on-Training series. The book is
structured as a series of exercises, with each one designed around a particular
project, teaching core Flash principles, techniques, and tips in a format
that enables you to apply the lessons to real-life situations. As well
as the exercises, the book has QuickTime demonstrations, and clear, step-by-step
instructions that create a complete learning environment for those studying
Web design, Web development, graphics, Web authoring and content creation.
The companion CD contains trial software, QuickTime tutorials, and project
files.
This book is appropriate for both PC and Macintosh users. Check out the
Peachpit Press Web site (http://www.peachpit.com)
for more information about the book and other books in the Hands-On-Training
series. Also check out Lynda Weinman's Web (http://www.lynda.com)
site for information on her other books and classes.
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Beginning to intermediate computer users.
This book is targeted toward beginning to intermediate level Web developers
who need a tool to create creative, powerful, and interactive Web sites. |
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What
I like:
-
Step-by-step instruction;
- Exercises,
exercises, and more exercises;
- Screen
shots on almost every page;
- Notes,
Tips, and charts galore;
- CD
full of extra goodies and demo software.
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How
The Book Is Organized |
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Flash
5 Hands-on Training
is divided into an introduction, 17 chapters or lessons and an appendix.
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Introduction |
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Introduction--describes
basics about how the book works and background on the authors.
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Chapters
1-17 |
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Chapters
1 through 19
cover the following:
- Chapter
1:
Background Information--presents
information on: Download Speed; Visual Control; Enhanced Interactivity;
Combine Vectors and Bitmaps; Scalability; Streaming Content; Plug-ins;
Beyond Flash; What is Generator; and What's CGI. It includes helpful
charts on: Table Title; and Plug-Ins.
- Chapter
2:
The Flash Interface--discusses:
The Document Window; The Layer Controls; The Panels; Creating Panel
Sets; Saving Panel Sets; Changing Panel Layouts; Custom Keyboard Shortcuts;
and Creating a New Shortcut Set. This chapter has excellent charts of:
The Timeline; Docking and Undocking the Timeline; Layer Properties;
The Toolbox; The Panels; and Docking and Undocking Panels.
- Chapter
3:
Using the Color Tools--covers: What
is Web-Safe Colors Anyway; What is Hexadecimal Color; Using the Mixer;
Adding Colors to Palettes; Importing Palettes; Creating Gradients; and
Editing Gradients. There is a chart on: RGB Color Translations. It includes
five exercises.
- Chapter
4:
Using the Drawing Tools--presents
information on: Drawing Tools Explained; Lines, Fills, and Strokes Explained;
About the Pencil; Drawing with the Pencil; Modifying Lines; Drawing
with the Pen; Using the Oval and Rectangle; Using the Brush; Multiple
Objects; and Grouping Objects. It includes charts on: Drawing Tools;
and Gradient Handles Explained. It includes nine exercises.
- Chapter
5:
Animation Basics--provides information
on: The Timeline; Projects and Movies; Movie Properties; What is a Keyframe;
Frame-by-Frame Animation with Keyframes; Blank Keyframes and Onion Skinning;
Keyframes with Erasing Content; Understanding Frame Rate; Recommended
Frame Rates in Flash; Inserting and Deleting Frames; Copying and Reversing
Frames; and Testing Movies. There are charts on: Project and Movie Definition;
Frame Types in Flash defined; and Frame Rates. It includes eight exercises.
- Chapter
6:
Shape Tweening--shows: What is Shape
Tweening; What Shape Tweening Can Do; What Shape Tweening Can't Do;
Shape Hinting; Multiple Shape Hints; Animating Gradients; Animated Glows;
Shape Tweening Text; Tweening Shapes with Holes; and Multiple Shape
Tweens. There is an informational chart of: Shape Tweening Definitions.
There are eight exercises.
- Chapter
7:
Symbols & Instances--gives you
information on: The Symbol and Instance Structure; Symbol Naming Conventions;
Creating Graphic Symbols; Creating Symbol Instances; Editing Symbols;
Editing Symbol Instances; Transforming Instances; The Effect Panel;
Important Timeline Vocabulary Terms. There are charts on: Symbol and
Instance Structure Definitions; Symbol Naming Conventions; The Effect
Panel Options; and Timeline Terms. It includes seven exercises. See
top image to the left that shows how you can create instances of stars
from a symbol in the Library.
- Chapter
8:
Motion Tweening--discusses: Shape
Tween Versus Motion Tween; Basic Motion Tweening; Tweening Effects;
Editing Multiple Frames; Using a Motion Guide; Motion Tweening Text;
Exploding Text; Text Motion Tweening Options and Limitations. The chapter
includes a chart on:Tweening Simplified. It includes six exercises.
See the second image to the left that shows how you can create motion
along a path.
- Chapter
9:
Bitmaps--covers: Benefits of Bitmaps;
Importing and Compressing Bitmaps; Importing Bitmap Sequences; Bitmap
Fills; Breaking Apart Bitmaps; Converting Bitmaps to Vectors; Basic
Masking; Animated Masks; Effects with Bitmaps: Fading Up and Down; and
Effects with Bitmaps: Cross Dissolve. There are charts on: File Types
Supported by Flash; Bitmap Properties Dialog Box; and Trace Bitmap Dialog
Box Defined. There are nine exercises.
- Chapter
10:
Buttons--describes: Button States;
Button Types; Rollover Buttons; Testing and Previewing Buttons; Rollover
Buttons Modified; Duplicating and Aligning Buttons; Invisible Buttons;
Adding Sound to Buttons. There are charts describing: Button States
Defined; and Button Types. It includes six exercises. See the third
image to the left that shows how you can create an invisible button
in the shape of a footstep.
- Chapter
11: Movie Clips--provides
information on: What is a Movie Clip; Animated Graphic Symbol versus
Movie Clip Symbol; Modifying Movie Clip Instances; Creating a Movie
Clip; and Creating an Animated Rollover Button. There is a chart on:
Edit in Place Versus Edit in New Window. There are four exercises.
- Chapter
12:
ActionScripting Basics--includes
information on: The Actions Panel Defined; Object Actions: Stop and
Play; Frame Actions: Stop; Interactivity and Actions: Events and Event
Handlers; Mouse Events; Keyboard Events; Time-based Events; Go To Frame
Action; On Mouse Event: Get URL; Basic Drop-down Menu; What Are Scenes;
Drop-down Menu Targeting Scenes; What is LoadMovie; Loading Movies;
What is a Preloader; The Toolbox List; and The Basic Actions List. It
includes charts on: Mouse Events Defined; Get URL Window Parameter Options;
ActionScript Categories Explained; and Basic Actions Defined. It also
has eight exercises. See the last image to the left that shows how you
can create a menu.
- Chapter
13:
Working with Text--provides information
on: Text Box Types; Label Text; Block Text; Editable Text; Creating,
Modifying and Formatting Text; Character Panel; Paragraph Panel; Static
Text; Embedded Fonts vs. Device Fonts; Character Attributes Gallery;
Dynamic Text; Text Options Panel: Dynamic Text; Text Options Gallery;
Input Text; What is a Font Symbol; and Font Symbols. The chapter has
charts for: Character Panel Defined; Paragraph Panel Defined; Text Options
Panel: Static Text Defined; Text Options Panel: Dynamic Text Defined;
Text Options Panel: and Input Text Defined. There are five exercises.
- Chapter
14:
Sound--presents information on:
Importing Sounds; Compressing Sound; Creating Background Sound with
Sound Effects; The Sound Panel; Controlling Sound with On/Off Buttons;
and Sound Synchronizing. It includes charts on: Sound Compression Defined;
Effect Options Explained; and Sync Options Explained. There are five
exercises.
- Chapter
15:
Publishing--describes: What Types
of Content Can Flash Publish; Flash and HTML; Creating Projectors; Modifying
Projectors with FS Commands; More About Publish Settings; and Top Tips
for Optimizing Movies. There are charts for: Flash Publishing Choices;
FSCommands for the Stand-Alone Player Defined; Flash Publishing Options;
HTML Settings Options; GIF Settings Options; JPEG Settings Options;
PNG Settings Options; Flash Publishing Options; and Real Player Publishing
Options. There are three exercises.
- Chapter
16:
Deconstruction--includes information
on: The Big Picture; Layer Management; Examining Scenes; Library Organization;
Investigating the Library; Using the Movie Controller; The Movie Explorer;
Recreating the Oak Tree Project; Adding Buttons and Scenes; Swapping
Symbols and Modifying Button Behavior; Instance Properties Panel; Cleaning
Up the Scenes and Adding Stop Actions; Finishing the Scenes; Printing
from the Project File; and Printing from the Flash Player. There are
charts on: Instance Panel Button Options Explained; and Printing Layout
Options Explained. It has fifteen exercises.
- Chapter
17:
Integration--discusses: Bringing
Fireworks Content Into Flash; Editing PNG Files in Flash; Importing
FreeHand Content as Keyframes; The Freehand Import Dialog Box; Importing
Freehand Content as Scenes; Dreamweaver and Flash; QuickTime; The QuickTime
Dialog Box; and Illustrator Files Into Flash. There are charts on: Freehand
Import Dialog Box; QuickTime Dialog Box; Flash (SWF) Format Options
Explained; and Illustrator to Flash Techniques. It includes seven exercises.
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Appendixes
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- Appendix
A: Troubleshooting FAQ: gives you frequently
asked questions and answers.
- Appendix
B: Flash Resources: provides online sources.
- Appendix
C: Technical Support: gives
you all the information on where to get technical support.
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Flash
5 Hands-on Training
explains a complex program in a way that makes it easy for anyone to learn
the program. This book, with loads of insider tips, illustrated with detailed
graphics, and accompanied by a CD that's loaded with guided exercises, is
a worthwhile buy. |
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For
running Flash 5, you need:
PC:
- 133
MHz Intel Pentium processor
- Windows
95, 98, NT 4, 2000 or later
- 32
MB or RAM
- 40
MB of available disk space
- 256-color
monitor capable of 800 x 600 resolution
- CD-ROM
drive
Mac:
- Power
Macintosh
- MacOS
8.5 or later
- 32
MB of free application RAM
- 40
MB of available disk space
- 256-color
monitor capable of 800 x 600 resolution
- CD-ROM
drive
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Graphics:
Adobe Photoshop 6.0
Web Page Design: Macromedia Dreamweaver
4.0
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This
site is (c) Copyright 2001, by PC Cafe Online. All World Wide Rights Reserved
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