Macromedia Flash 8 Advanced for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickPro Guide [Paperback]

Russell Chun (Author), H. Paul Robertson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 22, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0321349644 | ISBN-13: 978-0321349644

As a professional Flash developer, nobody knows more about Flash 8 than you or at least they better not! To make sure they don't, you need this task-based guide. By applying the popular Visual QuickStart format--easy, step-by-step instructions and loads of visual aids--to more complex topics, this guide offers the quickest, easiest way to get up to speed on the advanced Flash features that can make or break a project. You'll find straight-ahead, concise explanations of all the animation, navigation, and interactivity techniques you'll need to master to create dynamic Web sites with Flash. You'll also find complete coverage of all that's new in Flash 8. By emphasizing methodology and problem solving over features inventories and long, techie discussions, this guide teaches Flash the way you use it--dynamically, interactively, and to get a job done!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Russell Chun is a freelance educational art and multimedia developer, writer, and teacher. He teaches Flash and new media at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He previously taught at the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley and lectured at national and regional workshops. He has written numerous articles on Flash in magazines such as SBS Design and Macworld Magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in medical illustration. Russell lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Paul Robertson develops web applications and writes and teaches workshops on Flash and web development for Indiana University. He is a Macromedia Certified Flash Developer and holds a Master's degree in Instructional Systems Technology.

Product Details

• Paperback: 680 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press (December 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321349644
• ISBN-13: 978-0321349644
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,285,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for general Flash skills, May 17, 2006

By 

Nathan Walton (Bloomington, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Macromedia Flash 8 Advanced for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickPro Guide (Paperback)

This is a PeachPit Press "Visual QuickPro Guide"--similar to their "Visual QuickStart" training book series, but aimed at more experienced users. The series uses a task-based training approach, teaching skills through short step-by-step exercises. This approach has some major drawbacks for me, although this particular book seems to have dealt with some issues fairly well. My first complaint is that task-based training tends to focus too much on quick, "surface" results without really giving an understanding of what is happening and why it works. This makes it difficult to apply skills effectively in future situations, or to know when they ought to be applied. A task-based organization also makes it difficult to use a book as a reference, since information is dispersed throughout the exercises.

I was pleasantly surprised with Macromedia Flash 8 Advanced in many ways. First, I found that the chapters had a good mix of theoretical instruction and practical exercises. Almost every exercise was accompanied by an explanation of topics: what might be new to Flash 8, how the techniques might be important in a larger context, and an overview of how they work. There were a lot of explanatory sidebars and tips that offered very useful, relevant information. I was also pleased with the indexing, and I was able to find information on several topics as I worked. Most of the step-by-step instructions were very general, giving a basic process without getting sidetracked into specific projects.

Overall, I found that this book does just what it claims to do: it gives good, quick explanations of some advanced Flash topics and skills, such as external communications, sound and video, and dynamic content, as well as complex handling of things like movieClips, text, and buttons. It does not offer much in-depth discussion on any topic, and it does not focus on any area of Flash development specifically, but it takes a very broad approach to expanding Flash skills. I should particularly mention that I wouldn't recommend the book to someone trying to learn actionscript, since the actionscript in the book lacks the depth or focus that can be found elsewhere (O'Reilly's Actionscript for Flash MX), and information is dispersed throughout the book. It also does not really cover Flash components. I would recommend it to Flash users who want to expand their general skills and (especially) keep current with some of the growing capabilities of Flash. The book also includes a CD with working files for the exercises and a trial version of Flash 8.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book for those learning actionscript, May 15, 2006

By 

Russ D. (Los Angeles, CA. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Macromedia Flash 8 Advanced for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickPro Guide (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book. It goes in depth in covering the actionscript language for Flash 8, and starts off at a relatively slow pace so you don't feel overwhelmed. My only complaint is that it relies a lot (at least in the beginning) on using the script assist mode which I think is a waste of time for those trying to LEARN actionscript. In it's defense, the book weans you off it as it goes along, and I can see someone with no actionscript experience finding that extremely helpful. Knowing a decent amount of actionscript before reading this, I found it a bit annoying but like I said, it fades out of that as the book goes on. Great for learning the newer way to code, and gives a good basis to really use Macromedia Flash to it's full potential.