Flash CS4: The Missing Manual (Missing Manuals) [Paperback]

Chris Grover (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0596522940 | ISBN-13: 978-0596522940 | Publication Date: December 2, 2008 | Edition: Third Edition

Unlock the power of Flash and bring gorgeous animations to life onscreen. It's easy with Flash CS4: The Missing Manual. You'll start creating animations in the first chapter, and will learn to produce effective, well-planned visuals that get your message across. This entertaining new edition includes a complete primer on animation, a guided tour of the program's tools, lots of new illustrations, and more details on working with video. Beginners will learn to use the software in no time, and experienced Flash designers will improve their skills.

Expanded and revised to cover the new version of Flash, every chapter in this book provides step-by-step tutorials to help you:

• Learn to draw objects, animate them, and integrate your own audio and video files
• Add interactivity, use special effects, learn morphing, and much more
• Check your work with the book's online example files and completed animations
• Discover new Flash toolkits and features such as Frameless Animation
• Use every timesaving aspect of Flash CS4, such as Library objects and Symbols
• Learn how to automate your drawings and animations with ActionScript 3.0

With this book, absolutely no programming is necessary to get started with Flash CS4. Flash CS4: The Missing Manual explains in jargon-free English exactly what you need to know to use Flash effectively, while avoiding common pitfalls, right from the start.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christopher Grover lives in Fairfax, California with his wife and two daughters. Chris received degrees in Creative Writing and Film from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. He's worked as a technical writer, advertising copywriter and product publicist for more than 25 years. His freelance articles have been published in a variety of magazines from Fine Homebuilding to CD-ROM World. Chris's latest project is launching Bolinas Road Creative, an agency that helps small businesses promote their products and services. He's also the author of "Word 2007: The Missing Manual" and "Word 2007 for Starters: The Missing Manual."

Product Details

• Paperback: 752 pages
• Publisher: Pogue Press; Third Edition edition (December 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596522940
• ISBN-13: 978-0596522940
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #413,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #69 in Books > Computers & Technology > Graphic Design > Web Design > Flash

More About the Author

Born in Los Angeles, Chris moved to New England with his family where he went to high school and then Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. He's worked as a technical writer, advertising copywriter and product publicist for more than 25 years. His freelance articles have been published in a variety of magazines. Chris's latest project is launching Bolinas Road Creative, an agency that helps small businesses promote their products and services.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY, a book that gets it...., March 11, 2009

By 

Ryan (designer) (Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flash CS4: The Missing Manual (Missing Manuals) (Paperback)

I wish all how-to guides were written like the Missing Manual series. They really approach things from the perspective of a user who is new to the program and wants to get the meat of how it works, but isn't familiar or comfortable with the setup and how everything in the program flows yet. I GET Flash after this book, and now it seems like 'why didn't someone just say it this way in the first place????' The Actionscript section in here is GREAT for someone who is new to Actionscript. It doesn't just dive in and bog you down in terms and theories right away, it uses several good analogies the average person can relate to in explain what Actionscript is and what it does and then gets into more details (I am sure true Actionscript junkies would say their overview was very basic, but for someone new to the language, I felt it was just right)- If you had to get one book to help you work with Flash, I would say make it this one. There are some 'flashier' visually more pretty books out there, but they leave alot of the explanation unsaid unfortunately. This book doesn't

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Missing manuals fill in the blanks, April 14, 2009

By 

G. Lomb "gp-lomb productions" (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Flash CS4: The Missing Manual (Missing Manuals) (Paperback)

I have several books from the Missing Manual series and I have not been disappointed with anyone of them. Flash CS4: The Missing Manual, and the others in the series I purchased, have all been well written, easy to follow and loaded with information to allow for the immediate use of whatever product they are instructing the reader. I use to purchase the lynda.com series of instructional books (which is also a top-notch series), but I now prefer, and look for, the title Missing Manual whenever I need an instructional book no matter that I may have documentation (online or bookform) that came with the software. The Missing Manual truely fills in the blanks!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Flash CS4 Missing Manual is not missing anything., July 31, 2009

By 

W. Cuono - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flash CS4: The Missing Manual (Missing Manuals) (Paperback)

I don't read any of these books! No, I study them page by page and work through all of the examples. That's the only way to do it if you want to learn. By far and away, Flash CS4, The Missing Manual, has it all. Best organized, great examples and touches important subjects that the others do not. It's all in there, from creating Storyboards, targeting viewers, the new Motion Editor, advanced drawing techniques, using Scenes in detail, IK bones, Sound, Video, useful Action Script examples and lots more. If you want to get up to speed then this is the book. This Flash CS4 Missing Manual is not missing anything.