Customer Reviews

Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Hands-On Training

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've used the previous two versions of this book to teach from, as well as this one, and the amount of space devoted in this book to practical applications of Flash is very small. 2 versions back most of the exercises focused on creating a flashed based site and the last two versions get into that less and less - as a matter of fact there is hardly any content in this latest edition that would help a novice build a flash site. Several files were missing or incomplete. Some screenshots were not updated from previous editions where the exercise had changed and the screenshots themselves were very small - no one had a good time trying to read the code in them. Half the books fell apart as well. I'll be looking for another book for next time.

This one of the better flash books I have ever seen. I was a little afraid to buy this book after reading some reviews about its binding and how the pages are falling out, but they sure have fixed that problem since I received my copy. It really gives a great incite and alot of great sort cuts and tricks to really up your level as a flash user. I bought this book because my flash class at school was a stinker and I needed something to help really grasp the program and this book does it. If you want to learn flash I recommend this book!!!!

Most Excellent flash textbook I have used. This is not the first Flash class or Flash textbook I have used, but this is the best one. Very good instructions, very clear. Illustrations are great also. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

This book is divided into numerous chapters that can be treated as stand-alone references for a given topic. The author provides helpful implementation guidance, decent graphics, and examples. Where I found the book lacking was its lack of flow . . . there really is no narrative that connects the chapters and the deeper instruction that I wanted can only be obtained by bying one of Lynda.com's instructional DVDs. Any surprise that the book is published by Lynda.com? :-) I recommend you start with "Flash CS3: the Missing Manual" or any of the Flash books published by the ED series. Also, "How to Cheat with Flash CS3" is very helpful.

This book is a little on the easy side, I would have enjoyed some more challenging examples and tutorials.

I bought this book to learn some basic flash to integrate into my websites using Dreamweaver. Little did I know when I bought this book that it was ALL tutorials which you must follow step by step in order to understand the lesson. If you had the idea of reading this book and skipping around a little, forget it. In order to get anything out of this book you are forced to follow along with the activities step by step for 500 + pages. Every new lesson/topic is reliant on you completing all previous lessons and tutorials in the book. In a way it's good- reading this book is the equivalent of taking a class. But it robs the reader of the liberty of learning in the order they prefer and browsing to subjects of interest. Only buy this book if you have the patience to read and follow the 500 pages of tutorials step by step by step...

This is the book version of the Adobe Flash CS3 Essential Training courses on [...], also by Todd Perkins. In printed form, this goes into greater detail. I recently used this book to teach an intro-level class and found it easy to use and well-written.

The chapters on ActionScript give a good introduction to programming, especially for people who have little experience. It isn't meant to be comprehensive, but does an effective job of showing how the language interacts with animation on the timeline. The sample code also effectively shows how to do a task different ways. For example, it shows how to load pages of a web site by loading movie clips, then how to load the same pages using linked SWFs. To teach a more detailed class on ActionScript 3, I like Perkins' "ActionScript 3.0 for Adobe Flash CS3". It works with Flash CS4, also.

Both of these books are applicable for the Windows and Mac versions, and I have used them to teach classes on both platforms.

This is an excellent book. For someone who has NEVER used Flash before I have learned a lot. The step-by-step exercises were well done, the color graphics were crisp, the notes and tips were all helpful. I have been using Photoshop and Illustrator for years so the lessons on drawing tools, etc. were a little slow but that is to be expected. I feel confident that I can now produce a simple flash movie or animated web banner. [...].

As a teacher in Multimedia/Art at Ventura College, CA, I review and use many books as reference. Flash CS3 Professional by Todd Perkins is a step by step tutorial to a total creation ending. The fact that this "Hands on Training" under the auspices of lynda.com/ Peachpit Press is accompanied by lynda.com training videos, makes a coordinated package for the individual learner or a classroom environment. Each chapter is illustrated with examples and tips, a valuable reference for Flash enthusiasts, animators and web developers alike. Too bad the books fall apart!

I am moving through this book and very much appreciate the charts for reference, the clarity in his explanations, the repetition of important distinctions, and the repetition shortcuts throughout the exercises so that by the end of the book, you really can use the shortcuts. So far, I especially appreciate the in depth explanation of blending modes, that I have never found in any of the other adobe introductory books read to date.