Amazon.com Review
Adobe After Effects 4.0 Classroom in a Book is an excellent resource for new users of this digital video animation and compositing program. The new edition has been updated with coverage of enhanced and new features in the latest version of After Effects.
The early chapters clearly explain the interface and the basics of using the software, while the later chapters describe complex effects use for television and film, such as syncing animation to a soundtrack and proper blue-screen keying techniques.
In tutorial fashion, each chapter builds on the information and instruction presented earlier. The project in chapter 4 uses multilayered Photoshop files imported as After Effects compositions--but it is in chapters 2 and 3 where you learn what a composition is and how to use nested compositions.
There is also a 20-page technical appendix, which discusses critical production issues like the differences between a computer's RGB color space and video's NTSC color space, video aspect ratios (not all pixels are square), and field interlacing.
Although an excellent book, it is not without a few flaws. None of the screen shots in the appendix have been updated to version 4 of the application. This doesn't affect the content, and all the information is technically accurate, but it does make one wonder whether the book was rushed to print. And although After Effects is widely used for creating animated GIFs for Web sites and Quicktime movies for both the Web and CD-ROMs, none of the chapters discuss the use of the animated GIF exporter or the best way to make the smallest (most compressed) Quicktime movie for the Web.
In spite of these shortcomings, this book is a great update to what is a fine series from Adobe Press. --Mike Caputo
From the Publisher
Classroom in a Book, Adobe FrameMaker 5.5 is a cross-platform, self-paced training guide to all the power and features of the new version of the industry standard powerhouse document processor. In a matter of hours, users can begin to comprehend the complexities and power of the software by doing rather than reading. - Special coverage of the latest tools and techniques of Adobe FrameMaker 5.5, including the new features of conversion support for SGML, HTML, and PDF. New from the ground up!
- The official Adobe endorsement for self-paced training on the latest version of Adobe FrameMaker! The NEW format for Classroom in a Book, smaller trim size for portability and it fits on bookshelves!
- Covers Windows 95, Windows NT, Mac OS, and multiple flavors of Unix in a single edition!
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
