Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Bible [Paperback]

Robert Reinhardt (Author), Snow Dowd (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764543032 | ISBN-13: 978-0764543036 | Publication Date: December 22, 2003

* The bestselling guide to Macromedia Flash, the leading tool for creating animation and building interactive, multimedia Web sites, now fully updated and revised to cover the new release
* Covers everything readers need to know to master the newest version, including workarounds for hidden bugs and unpublished tricks and techniques not likely to appear in other books
* Packed with expert tutorials from the world's leading Flash gurus, with more coverage on using Flash with other applications than any other book
* Coauthor Robert Reinhardt is one of a handful of top stars in the Flash developer community and a regular speaker at FlashForward, the Macromedia User's Conference, WebTEK, Macromedia's traveling user seminars, and major universities

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

If Flash MX 2004 can do it, you can do it too...

If you’re developing Web applications, CD-ROMs, kiosks, PDA and cell phone applications, installations, broadcast graphics, or corporate presentations, Flash MX 2004 is an indispensable tool. It’s an image and sound editor, an animation machine, and a scripting engine, all rolled into one. This comprehensive guide is the one book that takes you from novice to Flash expert, then serves as the reference manual you will rely on long after you attain Flash proficiency.

Inside, you’ll find complete coverage of Flash MX 2004

• Understand the Flash MX 2004 framework and its new command feature
• Learn how to plan your project using the new site/project management features
• Use the new launch preferences, project settings, and Help option
• Design and plan animation, considering the physics of motion and techniques for creating personality and atmosphere through movement
• Animate characters and export your animations to CD-ROM or DVD
• Import and e dit video in Flash MX 2004, and integrate sound and vector art files
• Integrate Flash content with Web pages and use the Flash Player and Projector
• Explore Flash programming with ActionScript, XML, and HTML, and even create a Flash game
• Expand Flash with vector graphics, raster graphics, and Dreamweaver^® MX 2004

Bonus CD-ROM includes

• Trial versions of Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX, Flash MX Professional 2004, and Flash Remoting MX
• Source Flash project files with original artwork and ActionScript for the examples and lessons in the book
• Demo version of Swift 3D^® from Electric Rain

About the Author

After discovering Macromedia Flash while working on an art project combining film, photography, animation and audio, Robert soon realized there was a need for more comprehensive documentation of its capabilities. In 1998, not many people had even heard of Flash and publishers were wary of the limited market, but IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. (now Wiley Publishing, Inc.) committed to doing the Flash 4 Bible. The rest, as they say, is history. After studying and working together for five years in Toronto, Robert Reinhardt and Snow Dowd established a multimedia consulting and design company in Los Angeles in 1999, called [the MAKERS] (www.theMakers.com). In addition to work for entertainment companies, [the MAKERS] has done work for independent artists and nonprofit organizations.

Robert Reinhardt—With a degree in photographic arts, Robert takes a holistic approach to computer applications for the creation of compelling multimedia. Since January 2000, in addition to design and content creation through [the MAKERS], Robert has worked with the Content Project (www.contentproject.com) in Santa Monica, California. As a Director of Multimedia Applications, Robert has led various assignments including multimedia data analysis applications for Nielsen’s Media and Entertainment division and creating interactive advertising for Warner Bros. films Dreamcatcher, Kangaroo Jack, The Matrix: Reloaded, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
Robert continues to teach and write about Flash. In addition to this book, he is the coauthor of the Flash MX 2004 ActionScript Bible (Wiley), as well as Macromedia MX: Building Rich Internet Applications (Macromedia Press). He has developed and taught Flash workshops for education centers in California, including Lynda.com and Art Center College of Design, as well as doing on-site training and seminars for clients in the United States and Canada. Robert has been a regular featured speaker at the FlashForward, FlashintheCan, and SIGGRAPH conferences.

Snow Dowd—Snow initially collaborated with Robert Reinhardt on multimedia, film, and photography-based installation projects while earning a BFA in Image Arts at Ryerson University. During this time, she was also the production manager for Design Archive, one of Canada’s preeminent architectural photography studios (www.designarchive.com). Working with renowned photographers and an exacting international client base of architects and designers helped her gain a deeper appreciation for architecture and industrial design. She also learned to love color printing, but the novelty of darkroom chemicals quickly faded. Fortunately, multimedia design offered a rewarding alternative to the health hazards of traditional photography.
Now fully immersed in digital production, Snow is able to synthesize her background in visual arts and communication theory with an ever-expanding software toolkit. Focusing on content architecture and interface design, Snow strives to make print and Web projects that are beautiful, functional and memorable. A recent challenge was designing a Flash interface for a project to deliver legal information to remote Navajo and Hopi communities. The content is available in three languages, online as well as through touch-screen kiosks hosted in the offices of DNA People’s Legal Services, a nonprofit legal services organization.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1300 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (December 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764543032
• ISBN-13: 978-0764543036
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 2.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,167,396 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lead author, Flash Bible series @ FlashSupport.com
http://www.flashsupport.com

VP, Multimedia Platforms Group @ Schematic
http://www.schematic.com

Co-principal and instructor @ [theMAKERS]
http://www.theMAKERS.com

Instructor @ Portland State University
http://www.pdc.pdx.edu/mmedia

Writing partner @ Community MX
http://www.communitymx.com
http://www.flashsupport.com/cmx

Recent interviews
http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/dialogbox/flash_anniversary/index_08.html

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great start . . ., July 14, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Bible (Paperback)

I've used this book for my Web Animation class and while it doesn't tell you every little thing you need to know about Flash. It's a great book to get started, especially if you need to work off of real examples then the cd-rom files included would really help. Although I wished that this book covered certain subjects in more detail and included more tutorials . . . This book would be good for beginners and maybe even intermediate users could use this as a reference. It gives you a nice balance of Flash animation and web design. However, after reading this book, you'll probably end up buying more books on Flash like me. If you're going to be focusing more on Flash web design, you might want to buy the Flash MX 2004 ActionScript Bible as well.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not enough hands on tutorials, June 23, 2004

By 

L. Don Southard "bjjlifer" (Erie, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Bible (Paperback)

On the positive side this is a very comprehensive book. This would be an excellent reference book for intermediate to advanced Flash developers. On the the other hand it is not a very good book for beginners. I learn best by actually doing examples or tutorials. Unfortunately, there is not much of that in this book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Starter book, September 15, 2005

By 

Lawrence Gladnick "Larrypg" (Wilmington, De USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Bible (Paperback)

I buy every Flash Bible because they are the most comprehensive guides to Flash. This is a great book for people just starting out in flash because it will take your from beginner to intermediate Flash designer. It is also an excellent reference guide for the more experienced users.