Customer Reviews

Inside Flash MX (2nd Edition) (Inside (New Riders))

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lets face it, if you do any programming at all, you know how the cost of reference material can add up. So I take book purchases very seriously almost fanatically and try to research like crazy before I make a purchase.

I was on the fence about this book and it took me a while before I decided to get Inside Flash MX. I'm not sorry I did. It's quite different than the majority of the other books I have concerning Flash. It goes into topics that a lot of other books don't delve into. The Drawing API for one, printing in Flash, using Named anchors, scriptable masks, Flash Remoting, and some App. Development to name a few. Some Component stuff also. This is not the book to buy to learn Actionscript. Its really not the book to learn the basics of Flash either. The book really focuses on the more "hidden" or less traveled aspects of the program. It's certainly well written and organized well. It will really help round out your flash reference library. Sometimes I am even surprised myself at how often I use it. It's neither advanced or beginner _level. I give it a 3 1/2 really because it just is.

It has to be said that there are some good points and some bad points to this new Fig Leaf production. Fortunately, the good out-weighs the bad enough for it to qualify as useful addition to my book shelf. I think perhaps it might be a good idea to get the bad points out of the way first purely because this book warrants more praise than scorn.

Inside Flash MX is not a book for a `newbie' who is deciding that it might be "cool to start making some cool animations!". Prior knowledge of Flash is essential before this book comes into it's own. This perhaps is not entirely Fig Leaf's fault as Flash MX is a step above the previous versions and not to be taken too lightly by beginners. There seems to be perhaps a slight mix up in content with the sudden introduction of action-scripting half way through the book where content like Animation and Masking come thereafter. A quick run through, with a slightly easier-on-the-brain reference at the start, to subjects such as how to hyperlink buttons etc., might introduce some of the basic important concepts.

Having said all that ... the Fig crew have surpassed themselves with a very nicely rounded explanation of the new aspects of MX. Inside Flash MX very graciously describes new aspects such as the Movie Explorer, Enveloping, a library symbol Use-counter, Auto-symboling, the new interface in general, individual file/folder layering and Action Panel changes. The book also gives precise instruction on video integration into Flash which perhaps is one of the more appealing aspects of MX. One of the best features of this book is the detailed introduction and yet ease of understanding of Object-Oriented design through PHP, Java, XML and others. There is an interesting section on Components and also Server-side applications. Perhaps this is why I would be more inclined to say that this book is aimed at the more advanced intermediate user. For the Intermediate user, the book is the next step in learning of Flash technology and in many ways the evolution of the Flash Bible.

Other than the level of knowledge needed to understand parts of this book I would give it a definite recommendation for the slightly more advanced user. Good job Jody!

The Fig Leaf Software group has taken an active leadership role in the Flash community for years, pushing the boundaries of what is possible-and then sharing that knowledge with the public at-large, through training, conferences, distribution lists, and more. It is not surprising that Inside Flash MX, a 900-page tome to be released under their auspices is both at the cutting edge of Flash best practices and is also surprising accessible to the non-specialist reader. This book is very well written.

As Flash has grown from a simple animation tool to an all-purpose, interactive, database-ready tool, books about it have been stretched in every direction. When you go to write a Flash book, you need to make some decisions; Jody Keating & co made some good decisions. The book provides solid coverage of Flash drawing, animating, masking, and sound techniques, but the book does not wallow in it. Instead, the book moves into the topics that many readers really need (and want) to know about: ActionScript, components, interface building, interactivity, and database interaction. A Flash movie has to look good, but it also has to do something.

The book succeeds because it assumes that you won't be satisfied making simplistic animations and formatting text. Even before the ActionScript-intensive chapters begin, the book brings up relevant scripting techniques, showing that designing and scripting are integrated processes in Flash. Too many books (and designers) treat Flash as if it were a schizophrenic program-a design half for artsy types and a code editor for hardcore programmers. But good Flash development has for years been about the marriage of design and code. The needs of each impact the other too much to be handled in isolation. This is one of the few Flash books that understands that scripting is not intrinsically advanced, that some simple scripts are perfectly appropriate for beginners and indeed that they are an excellent introduction to the "hard" side of Flash.

One way that the book makes the content comprehensible to those intimidated by code (or other advanced techniques) is through the ample use of tutorials. The CD is packed with exercise files and sample FLAs, and each chapter has one or more tutorials that let you roll up your sleeves and build sophisticated Flash movies. What I liked best about the tutorials is that some of them were ambitious; these are not 4-step tutorials that illustrate an isolated point. They are professional exercises that give you a working glimpse of how it all comes together.

Before closing, I'd also like to point out that the book includes a quick ActionScript reference in an appendix. Flash MX does not come with a printed ActionScript manual, so this quick reference is quite helpful.

If you are serious about learning how to create professional Flash movies and interactions, you should consider Inside Flash MX, which blends the reference and tutorial styles to optimize learning and mastery.

(this review is for the first edition of the book dated June 2002)
I enjoyed reading this book, but didn't find it to be the reference I was looking for. I found the first chapters too focused on explaining differences from earlier versions of Flash: These chapters are probably excellent for users upgrading to Flash MX rather than people entirely new to Flash.

Also, the authors sometimes are a little too happy with Flash MX, which indeed had many improvements over previous versions but still was lacking in many areas that are now partially fixed in MX 2004. Although other languages are mentioned throughout the book, the authors are very positive about even minor OO improvements in Actionscript that really don't warrant such enthusiasm.

Although the authors mention different kinds of application servers, it is clear that their background is mostly with ColdFusion and ASP rather than JSP/Java (which is what we use). Some of the comments on choosing between server technologies don't sound as informed as could be and is very biased towards traditional Macromedia/Allaire-related technologies.

In all, I think the book is easily readable, offers good insight into specific features for current Flash developers, and contains some chapters with very useful techniques and knowledge for making effects, animation effects, and even emulating natural world object and their physical behavior. I wasn't looking for such information, however, as I am creating a foundation of Flash ActionScript knowledge to create forms-based business applications.

Finally, the authors do a decent job of including references to the Mac authoring platform, but the book is really focused on Windows and uses Windows screenshots exclusively.

For the overall purpose of this book, I liked "Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Advanced for Windows & Macintosh" better. It has better screenshots, a nicer format, is more platform-agnostic, and is easier to use as a reference. Chapters 4 through 22 do offer valuable information on specific subjects, however. So I recommend looking at the table of contents and determining from that whether this book is valuable for your specific purpose.

Inside Flash MX is a great book if your looking for a quick and engaging way to learn about the finer points of Flash, or simply want to brush up on your basics.

This book is so easy to understand. The language is encouraging and clear without being patronising, and Flash features that I've found confusing in the past (shared library) are made perfectly simple.
Each chapter explains the basic principles behind the topic and then goes on to explore them using practical projects. It's obvious that these projects are written by someone with a lot of experience in Flash because they are constantly dropping hints that you wouldn't otherwise know.
There is also a useful actionScript reference (if this is all you're after you will find a more thorough one elsewhere), and a handy little resource CD that contains all the source material you need for the projects, demo versions of Flash-related Software, and royalty-free sound files.

I like this book because it's fun and it inspires me to explore areas of Flash MX that I don't otherwise get the chance to dive into, while at the same teaching me solid methods for designing and developing in Flash MX.

If time equals money then this book will more than pay for itself by saving you time.
This book covers a myriad of different topics but it is all "good stuff." Flash MX has a few quirks which make it slightly more a programmer's tool (sorry designers) but this book steps through many of those items in an understandable manner. Inside MX is a great resource for the beginner and the intermediate designer/developer, there is enough here to make you say "Huh, that is cool, never thought of doing it that way." One benefit of this book is that it actually has some good code in it that is practical for you to rip and use in other places, other books try but often fail, not Inside MX. Having completed the Flash 5 Developer certification and seen some information on the MX Developer certification I can say that this book will be a GOOD reference to review for this exam. This book and the OOP ActionScript book out in Sept. (ISBN: 0735711836) will be a good combination.

Inside Flash MX takes very complicated, much desired topics and breaks them out into easy-to-follow examples that new Flash developers can expand into complex solutions. A lot of developers are going to find the subject matter very eponymous with their current needs.

A lot of the books currently on the market do not cater to the more complicated solutions that novice Flash developers may need-especially in such a manner that can be deciphered and followed clearly. The examples start out very basic and then grow to more complex solutions-still leaving latitude for the developer to explore projects many steps beyond.

Experienced and novice Flash users alike will find an interest in this book. The topics that are addressed focus on the enhancements from the previous version of Flash that no longer require extensive workarounds. These solutions will be applicable to Flash developers everywhere-and especially to those who find themselves in a web development environment.

Russ Unger
Director of User Experience
Emercent Solutions, LLC

I am still amazed that this book is published and out on shelves and covers what it does. It goes into components, flash remoting, shared libraries, drawing API, and many other features that most MX books are lacking. Flash Remoting alone is a reason to buy this book. I am also pleased to see that New Riders has put out a book that I can consider a desktop reference. It has a quick reference in the back covering Flash MX objects, shortcuts, and more. I would suggest taking a look at the Table of Contents and you will see all the neat things this book covers.

Hands down an awesome collection of data that is extremely well laid out and well written. I use this book in all of my intermediate level Flash classes that I teach. I would recommend this book to anyone in the industry looking to further themselves in their trade.

If you work with Flash as an illustrator, interface designer, animator, and/or developer, this book belongs on the shelf. The number of Flash books on the market is overwhelming. Is this the only book you should have? No, of course not. But it should be part of your collections and a great place to start. The author covers every aspect of Flash MX, beyond the general regurgitation of the help materials that ship with Flash MX. Along with ActionScript: The Definitive Guide by Moock and Grossman, this is a great companion to have handy while you design and develop with MX.