Amazon.com Review
Kudos to publishers Friends of Ed for figuring out exactly what a beginning, intermediate, or advanced user of Flash needs, and writing books that deliver the appropriate material to each level. This entry in the Studio series is aimed squarely at intermediate Flash creators--those who are out there already "doing it"--and promises to perfect their techniques and hone their skills.
Calling upon a talented group of over 20 cutting-edge "Flashers" (working Flash professionals) to helm different chapters, Flash 5 Studio covers advanced site management, content creation (like Smart Clips, cartooning, video, and sound), dynamic content (interactive movies that feed content dynamically from separate data sources--for example, news headlines), ActionScripting, and issues that are crucial to partial or full Flash Web sites (like preloaders or optimizing Flash for search engines). The motto of the book: "deeper, more serious, more fully explained."
Each chapter teaches a specific technique or concept through examples that capitalize on the particular talents of that chapter's Flasher/author. For example, Nikhil Adnani is a talented and humorous cartoonist/animator from Canada (his Web site is www.groovechamber.com), and his chapter walks you through practical steps for creating charming animations (such as making a cow strut), while dispensing good advice on character design, making convincing movement, and optimization. Richard Mapes from www.Moonfruit.com provides an introduction to ActionScript principles; if coding seems beyond you, this might just clear the fog. From there, readers can explore scripting used in 3-D effects or object-oriented games. (This chapter, along with a table of contents, can be found at www.friendsofed.com if you'd like to check it out first.) The CD-ROM contains project FLAs and SWFs, as well as color images from selected chapters, and trial versions of software.
The advantage of learning from a book many designers and coders have had a hand in writing is that you're guaranteed a discussion that includes real-life goals and pitfalls. Also, if the style of one chapter's author doesn't quite jibe with yours, perhaps the next one's will. You're sure to come away with a deeper understanding of Flash and ActionScript, and a whole mess of new ideas to try. --Angelynn Grant
Topics covered:
- Site design principles
- Content creation, including working with Smart Clips, combining Flash and external 3-D applications, cartoon animation, using video in Flash, sound, transparency, masking and text, buttons, and menus
- ActionScript principles and creating with ActionScript, including simple and 3-D visual effects and simple and object-oriented games
- Combining interactive Flash movies that draw data from outside sources, including using XML
- Efficiently integrating Flash into a Web site, creating a preloader, and optimizing for search engines
From the Publisher
Flash 5 Studio is the next step in the learning curve for web designers who have mastered the basics of Flash or have an appreciation of the wider field of motion graphics. Expert authors will not waste time and space with a tour of the Flash interface and basic Flash techniques, but will take the reader through practical examples and in-depth explanation of a wide range of more advanced features, including: ·
distribution ·
audio/video ·
3D interactivity ·
ActionScripting ·
using Flash to create front ends for web applications and dynamic content ·
integrating Flash with Director, Fireworks and other packages Flash 5 Studio will be a place for web designers to receive as much as there is to know on advanced Flash features from proven experts. Comprehensive reference sections will extend the use of the book to a ‘never be without’ desktop tool that leaves the reader ready to launch into their own area of Flash expertise.
