Flash 5 for Dummies (With CD-ROM) [Paperback]

Gurdy Leete (Author), Ellen Finkelstein (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764507362 | ISBN-13: 978-0764507366 | Publication Date: January 22, 2002

Flash 5 For Dummies provides a light-hearted but thorough reference for anyone who wants to understand this bestselling tool quickly and in plain English. The authors cover each topic simply but in enough detail to make it useful. You will be able to quickly find any topic they need and get back to work without delay (not that we have anything against coffee breaks). The book is in the order you would use the program to create Web animation, also progressing from simple to complex. Beginners will be able to read the book from start to finish while intermediate users can look up only the sections they want. Flash has a high cross-platform profile. Luckily, one of the authors (Gurdy) is a Mac freak; the other (Ellen) is a PC stalwart.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Find out how to make your Web page come alive with this friendly guide

Tried-and-true tip to make your Web site stand out

Your first aid kit for adding animation, sound, and interactivity to your Web site
This friendly guide will help you create Web sites that wow'em — in a flash! Pump life into your Web page with step-by-step guidance on creating cool buttons, animation text, adding music, and more. You'll find out how easy it is to develop fast-loading, user-friendly sites.

Discover how to:

• Animate your Web pages
• Create cool web buttons
• Create or import graphics
• Make text spin, disappear, and more
• Design your entire Web site using Flash
• Optimize your animations for quick loading

all this on the bonus CD-ROM

• Trial versions of Flash 5, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks from Macromedia
• Tryout version of Adobe Photoshop 5.5
• Plus, author created graphic shapes, design, and images to incorporate into your own Flash movies

About the Author

Gurdy Leete is an assistant professor of Digital Media at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.

Ellen Finkelstein has written bestselling computer books on AutoCAD and PowerPoint.

Product Details

• Paperback: 375 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (January 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764507362
• ISBN-13: 978-0764507366
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,084,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Happy Dummy, January 29, 2001

By 

Polly Wickstrom (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flash 5 for Dummies (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

In learning any new skill, having the right teacher makes all the difference. As a newbie to Flash, Macromedia's cutting edge technological tool for web developers, I was thrilled to discover Flash 5 For Dummies, a truly delightful teaching tool.

Unlike many other books on the subject, authors Gurdy Leete and Ellen Finkelstein adopt a tone that is friendly, humorous, and easy-to-understand without being condescending. For each new skill that is presented, they provide clear, step-by-step instructions. By the time I had finished Chapter 10 of the book (Getting Interactive), I was able to create my very first Flash movie which is displayed on my website at www.tomatotreedesigns.com.

Though the book seems most appropriate for the Flash beginner, many advanced skills, such as creating motion guides, mask layers, and applying actions to movie clips and buttons, are covered. If you work your way through the entire book, you will be well-equipped to create Flash movies for personal or commercial use.

Not only does this book provide you with top-notch instruction for learning Flash, but you won't have to pay an arm and a leg for it. At $19.99, the price of the book is about half the price of many other books on the same subject.

The accompanying CD contains many wonderful examples of Flash movies illustrating concepts presented in each chapter of the book. In addition to the sample movies, the accompanying CD contains a library of geometric and fun shapes that you can use in the creation of your own movies. Don't have Flash 5 yet? The CD contains a trial version of the program along with trial versions of Dreamweaver and Fireworks (also from Macromedia) as well as a tryout version of Adobe Photoshop 5.5.

I strongly recommend this book as a first read for anyone starting out in learning Flash. Buy the book. Then you, too, can be one happy dummy. : )

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, December 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Flash 5 for Dummies (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

I had briefly touched Flash 5.0 before I started this book, and by the end of the first chapter I was making things move across the page and playing with different options. This is an excellent book for anyone that wants to learn Flash, and I highly recommend it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Guide- warning inside, May 20, 2002

By 

IM J. Callahan (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flash 5 for Dummies (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

Before you venture out into the world of Flash 5 learning let me give you a few words of advice. Firstly, about the program in general.. Macromedia Flash 5 costs around 400 dollars. The book includes a test demo, but this demo IS NOT LONG ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU HANDS ON TRAINING FOR THE DURATION OF THE BOOK. Fortunatly my students were allowed to used borrowed copies of the software to complete this book.

Now that I have placed my two warnings on the table, I must say that this book with the proper study and participation (using the Flash 5 screen right in front of you) can make for an ideal Dummies book. All of my students found this book instructional, and a few of them even went as far to say it was the best Flash book on the market. In same areas, I must agree with them.

First of all- despite the criticism that this book is hard to follow at times- it makes Flash 5 programming quite simple. Flash is not an easy program to use effectively, and without reading this book you may get lost in a clutter.

Secondly, this book is in my opinion one of the only TWO Flash 5 books you should EVER read. The other book is Macromedia's own instructional book for advanced users. Other books give you nothing but repitition from an inferior writer...

Get this book if you are serious about improving and using Flash 5; otherwise you are wasting your time