Complete Idiot's Guide to Macromedia Flash 5 [Paperback]

David Karlins (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Complete Idiot's Guide | Publication Date: November 2, 2000

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Macromedia Flash 5 teaches you the basics of using Flash 5 to create stimulating and action-packed Web pages. Whether you're a novice or more experienced user, this step-by-step, light-hearted approach will ease you into the world of Flash-y Web-page-building--with all the bells and whistles of streaming audio and video.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The audience for the "idiot" and "dummy" schools of instruction books is pretty well defined--either you like them or you don't. As with others of this fashion, the Complete Idiot's Guide to Macromedia Flash 5 uses "bite-size chunks" to teach, instead of a longer tutorial style or a concise step-by-step. Promising that readers "learn Flash in a fun, non-technobabble way," the author peppers minilessons with copious amounts of puns and jokes, cartoon-style illustrations, and a familiar, friendly tone. He walks you through all of the basic features to create simple Flash movies--even ones that employ basic ActionScripting.

However, the user-friendly logic of Flash 5's panels goes a long way in making this ease of learning possible--most readers can figure out each step on their own. On the other hand, this book can serve as the sugar to help the medicine go down: readers reaching for a book that's aimed even jokingly at idiots probably need some friendly help when staring at the Flash interface. If you fall into this category, this book might help you overcome your fears and finally get you started.

Warning: There are quite a few errors in the book--mistakes in the text, as well as incorrect screen shots; but, on the bright side (if there is a "bright side" to any mistake), the slow, "idiot" pacing pretty much guarantees that readers will be aware of the errors. For example, in a section on adding sound to buttons--a section that clearly announces more than once that the sound in the demonstration will be added to the down state (as they often are)--the final step tells readers to drag the sound from the library to the Up frame. Perhaps readers could look upon errors such as this as "pop quizzes." --Angelynn Grant

Topics covered:
Introduction to Flash 5, including basic instruction in:

• Creating art.
• Working with layers.
• Working with symbols.
• Creating buttons.
• Simple interactivity.
• Creating forms.
• Simple ActionScripting.
• Tweening.
• Masking.
• Publishing.

From the Author

Flash is a powerful, fun, essential element of Web design. But it's not intuitive. This book incorporates the approach I've used to teach hundreds of graphic illustrators and web designers how to use Flash.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Alpha; 1 edition (November 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789724421
• ISBN-13: 978-0789724427
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,915,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helping a Complete Idiot, April 20, 2001

By 

Mark D. Flaxman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Macromedia Flash 5 (Paperback)

Well no, I don't consider myself a complete idiot; "I am a "Power User" of my PC, and of the Internet. I know what I am doing". Or so I thought! But I purchased Macromedia's Flash 5 software because I wanted to design that website full of innovative and eye catching animation. I wanted it to be noticed. To be recognised as a leader in the field of web site design. But, I was overwhelmed by the program. I didn't know where to start.

"So", I thought, "I have to get back to basics. Lets assume I am a complete idiot. Where do I go from here?"

To tell you the truth, there was only one place to go. The Complete Idiots Guide to Macromedia Flash 5, by David Karlins, illustrated by Paul Mikulecky, joined my "essential reading" collection.

Without being pretentious, the book treats you as a complete idiot. It really does get down to basics. True, it does assume you have a smidgen of computer knowledge, (well if you don't, and you have brought Macromedia Flash 5, you really are dreaming the impossible <grin>).

I am half way through the book now. I am taking it easy. I really do want to learn all about Flash 5 and this is the book that's teaching me. But I need to absorb it all. The book is easy to follow, full of information, tips and guidance, and it takes you through each step, each level of "Objects", "Groups", "The Stage", "Frames", Timelines", "Layers", Animation", "Interactivity", "Movies", at your own pace.

The first thing I found out was, there is a lot to learn about Flash 5. That is why I am taking my time.

But this book is teaching me. I recommend it. It doesn't treat you as a complete idiot. What it "does" do is recognise that Macromedia Flash is a powerful, but complicated tool to master. You will need time and a helping hand to master it. The time is your own. The Complete Idiots Guide to Macromedia Flash 5 is the helping hand.

I brought this book from Amazon.com's UK site at Amazon.co.uk. It is my pleasure to write such a good review.

(Ohh, by the way, "Smidgen" is England English for "a small amount", <grin>).

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for Flash idiots (anyone unfamilier with Flash) ;o), April 17, 2001

By 

R. C. Harris Jr. "Norway" (Oslo, Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Macromedia Flash 5 (Paperback)

David Karlins actually sent me an e-mail because of my last review about this book (below this one). He was very concerned that it didn't meet my expectations and was willing to reimburse me for the book since I had unfairly expressed my utter disappointment in it.

Well, the truth is, it does EXACTLY what it claims to do and at an unbeatable price. And the fact that the author is so sincerely interested in delivering a book that satisfies ALL it's readers just blows my mind!

It DOES do an adequate (and sometimes superb) job of walking you through the basics of Flash and getting you familier and comfortable with its simpler features.

And it does this in a humouristic fashion, unlike may of the technical textbooks we've all had to suffer through.

Yes, I did review this as a major disappointment because of it's lack of 'complete' coverage, but really, this book does everything it promises to do in a comprehensive and simple way so even the BIGGEST idiots can learn to master Flash.

I give it 5 stars for what it is: A beginners introduction to Flash 5.

If you're beyond the beginners level (as I am) and on to intermediate, than this book's not really for you. Read my other review for some good recommendations.

Finally I'd like to say: Kudos to David Karlins for having the humility and sincerity that most authors lack. He really cares about delivering his promises and raising the level of todays web through educating. Cheers!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Beginners, February 2, 2002

By 

"fswilling" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to Macromedia Flash 5 (Paperback)

If you're just starting out with Flash, or even if you've been using it a while but haven't explored all its features, David Karlins' book will prove to be a useful addition to your library.

The things I like best about this book are

1. David has a friendly, uncomplicated way of explaining things, so it's all easy to "get."

2. You really could be almost a technological idiot and still be able to use this book to do some fun animations with Flash, because every tool and animation technique is covered, and each item is broken up into bite-size bits.

3. The Tips and Nitty Gritty Stuff is a good way of presenting useful key information that you can refer back to and refresh your memory as you need to.

4. Flash is fun to work with anyway, and breaking it up the way David does here makes the technical aspects of animating in Flash so easy to digest, you'll be a Flash wizard in no time.

Well, maybe not a wizard. This book doesn't cover much ActionScript, and that's where the real Flash wizards dwell. But as a way to giving you a solid foundation to all the ways you can have fun working with Flash, you could do a lot worse than to buy "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Macromedia Flash 5," and you'd probably have a lot less fun getting your basic Flash chops.