Customer Reviews

Macromedia Flash MX: The Complete Reference

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Osborn, who published this sad book, should be ashamed of themselves. It's almost as if they're trying to give Flash MX a bad name. Interesting that their 'Complete Reference' series doesn't have a volume on Flash 5. Weird eh? It's almost as if that's what they contracted the author to write in the first place? And then at the last minute they just stuck MX on the cover instead of 5?

I've been a Flash designer for 3 years and was looking forward to the MX release. I ordered this book at the same time as the software and could hardly believe it when I sat down with them. The book seems to be at least 2 years out of date and referring to a different product altogether. It says MX on the cover but simply ignores the new release.

Flash MX is a sophisticated new product and each one of the new features could benefit from some deep, exploratory coverage. This book covers none of them. It's a shallow walk-through of generic Flash functionality that could have been written about Flash 5 or even 4 for that matter. ActionScript, for example, which is the engine at the heart of Flash has been powerfully improved and elaborated in the MX release, and yet it hardly gets a mention at all in over 800 pages.

This book will tell you next to nothing about Flash MX.

Avoid it.

I am a professional web designer, and I have been using Flash since version 4. In version 5, the program made some great strides, but MX is the bomb. I bought this book because I always need a comprehensive reference for the desk, and I am happy to say that this book fits the bill. It could be bigger, but sometimes, books can be too big, which is also a problem. The author is very thoughtful and organized, and his explanations are crystal.

If I had to make some recommendations, I'd say that the next version should have more high-end information. There needs to be more information on dynamic application design and components. I am a big fan of the bonus chapter on Toon Boom Studio, but the Canvas 8 coverage can go. No serious web designers use Canvas.

Why 5-stars? Well, the author gets an A for effort, a B for thorough coverage, an A for clear explanations, and an A for knowing his stuff.

When I bought this book, I was looking for an excellent reference, which would help me navigate Flash MX. I have been working with the book for a couple of days, and I am confident that I made the right decision. The author's explanations are clear and concise, and he explains everything, paying special attention to the important details. The Part on ActionScript is thorough and includes great information on the new components in Flash MX. In short, if you are interested in a soup-to-nuts book that walks you through the program's features, this is the book for you.

As a newcomer to Flash, I've found this book to be very helpful. The author writes consistent, thoughtful explanations, and the tutorials are relevant and easy to follow. This book is giving me a good, overall look at the program, including the use of ActionScript. I've been so excited about learning Flash, and for me this book has been a great place to start.

I love this program. I got it the day it was released, and since then, I have been locked in a room with my computer. As usual, I purchased a smattering of books to guide me through the wasteland of technical documentation, and Flash MX: The Complete Reference was the first book to arrive. In short, it is a no nonsense look at everything in Flash MX. The author's explanations are super smooth; he really knows how to write. I wish there was more coverage of sound, but in general, I have no complaints. This is a good first book.

I bought this book because it was the first book available on Flash MX. Needless to say, I pretty happy with it. The CD is really the highlight for me. It contains trial versions of Swift 3D 2.0 and Toon Boom Studio, two programs that I am interested in using. Beyond that, the author can really write. His explanations are very smooth, and he has a lot of insight into the tool. I am very interested in the new components feature, which should save me some headaches, and with his explanation, I was able to learn the ins and outs in a couple of minutes. I'd recommend this book, if you are looking for a thorough text on Flash MX.

I was so excited about Flash MX that I bought several books before I even received the software. Macromedia Flash MX: The Complete Reference was the first book to arrive, and I am very pleased. The book contains a thorough overview of Flash MX's features, including coverage of new stuff, but it also has great information on some more important development topics, including an entire chapter on developing Flash movies for the Pocket PC. The author's explanations are basically flawless, and I would give the readability six stars, if I could. Sign me up as satisfied.

If you are new to Flash, and multimedia authoring in general, this book is an adequate, easy to understand introduction to Flash MX.

However, if you have any experience in multimedia authoring, using previous versions of Flash, web programing, etc., you will be very disappointed, so don't buy this book. The title 'The Complete Reference' is a total misnomer. This book is neither a reference ( it's a feature by feature tutorial/description ) nor is it complete ( it glides over ActiveScript, and practically skips video altogether).

The author has won awards for writing beginner oriented computer how to books, and this shows in his easy to understand prose. Unfortunately, one gets the impression that the author is neither a designer nor a programmer. The use of incorrect technical terminology in some places is disconcerting at the best, and totally misleading at the worst. There is even an aside where the author inadvertently, perhaps through ignorance, takes the European Computer Manufacturers Association (ECMA) to task on the features of the core standard upon which Active Script is based. One imagines the author might be better off sticking to books on word processing and spreadsheets in the future, which has been his forte in the past.

Currently I am half of the way reading this book. This is a great book to understand flash as a beginner. The author gave nice examples to work on and understand what's going on. I will vote for this book for those who don't have clue about Flash MX or Multimedia. I haven't started the action script part yet. So, I can't tell about that part.

Tazim Khan...

Why to buy? Well, I have been looking through this book for about a week, and although I am relatively new to Flash, I do appreciate this book. For one thing, the author is clear. I have a stack of technical books that were written by authors that cannot write, and I appreciate clear explanations. Second, the book covers MX basics in a concise manner. The author understands the tool, and I was happy to have his insight into MX changes. Third, he could teach ActionScript to a monkey, which I sometimes feel like. What's bad? I agree with some of the other reviews regarding higher-level coverage. I am not there yet, but when I get there, I'll want the coverage. Two, I wish there was some information on interface design. I can put the pieces together, but a little hand-holding would be nice. Basically, if you are new to Flash or you have some experience, this book will be an excellent fit for you. For more advanced books, I would probably suggest the Studio series BY FOE, which should be on the horizon.