Macromedia(R) Flash(TM) MX Hands-On-Training [Paperback]

Kymberlee Weil (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 4, 2002

There's no better way for you to get your feet wet using Macromedia Flash MX than with a H.O.T. tutorial, Lynda Weinman's well-loved and unique style of instruction. With Macromedia Flash MX Hands-On Training, you'll learn core Macromedia Flash MX principles and techniques in a real-world Web design environment. The step-by-step projects build successively, teaching you not only the various features of Macromedia Flash MX, but also how to actually work with the program to achieve results. Each lesson is chock-full of background information, tips, and insight aimed at helping you understand the process as much as the exercise itself. And the accompanying CD-ROM includes both starter files and finished files for each lesson, as well as QuickTime instructional movies, so that you can learn by watching and doing.

Macromedia Flash MX H.O.T. covers all of the most important new features of Macromedia Flash MX, beginning with projects that focus on the MX interface, drawing and color tools, animation basics, tweening, symbols and instances, bitmaps, and more. As the projects progress, you'll tackle more complex techniques, such as working with movie clips, text, sound, and video. The latter part of the book addresses publishing and managing Macromedia Flash MX content, as well as how to create content by integrating other software into Macromedia Flash MX. If you're looking for an intelligent, approachable guide for learning Macromedia's latest version of Flash, you'll find lynda.com's Hands-On Training your e-ticket to Macromedia Flash MX expertise!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

There's no better way for you to get your feet wet using Macromedia Flash MX than with a H.O.T. tutorial, Lynda Weinman's well-loved and unique style of instruction. With Macromedia Flash MX Hands-On Training, you'll learn core Macromedia Flash MX principles and techniques in a real-world Web design environment. The step-by-step projects build successively, teaching you not only the various features of Macromedia Flash MX, but also how to actually work with the program to achieve results. Each lesson is chock-full of background information, tips, and insight aimed at helping you understand the process as much as the exercise itself. And the accompanying CD-ROM includes both starter files and finished files for each lesson, as well as QuickTime instructional movies, so that you can learn by watching and doing.

Macromedia Flash MX H.O.T. covers all of the most important new features of Macromedia Flash MX, beginning with projects that focus on the MX interface, drawing and color tools, animation basics, tweening, symbols and instances, bitmaps, and more. As the projects progress, you'll tackle more complex techniques, such as working with movie clips, text, sound, and video. The latter part of the book addresses publishing and managing Macromedia Flash MX content, as well as how to create content by integrating other software into Macromedia Flash MX. If you're looking for an intelligent, approachable guide for learning Macromedia's latest version of Flash, you'll find lynda.com's Hands-On Training your e-ticket to Macromedia Flash MX expertise!

About the Author

Kymberlee Weil is a certified Flash fanatic. She runs VolcanicLab.com, a multimedia development firm in Santa Monica, Calif., specializing in Flash-based projects. Kymberlee also works as an instructor and courseware developer for lynda.com, and has been a featured Flash speaker at conferences nationwide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 840 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press (October 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321112725
• ISBN-13: 978-0321112729
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #980,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast Flash, January 19, 2003

By 

Solo Goodspeed (Granada Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Macromedia(R) Flash(TM) MX Hands-On-Training (Paperback)

If you are a digital media artist, making the transition from hi-res publication into lo-res rich online content, one's initial impression of Macromedia Flash is commonly disorientation. It is anything but intuitive, due more to the restrictions of creating documents for a variety of web browsers and systems. A simple function can require many steps which must be followed in order, and are not easy to retrace if an error occurs. Instead of images on a canvas, you are creating instances and events on a stage; you were a designer, but now you are becoming a scriptor and director.

I believe that of all books written on digital graphics publication, Flash is probably second only to Photoshop as having the most titles. Many claim to be the best starting place. This book, as many other titles in the lynda.com H.O.T. series, gets my vote hands down. It is easy, it is quick, it works great for someone who can barely fit spare time into their schedule, and that's because it's fun. You see, for all its techno-razzle-dazzle-complexity, Flash is a program with FUN as its essential purpose. It is designed to make mere information displayed on a scrolling screen sing and dance, and be interacted with.

As with her outstanding intro-tuitive book on Flash 5, author/instructor Kymberlee Weill presents us with an 18-chapter tour of Flash's various tools and abilities (as well as a healthy interest in snowboarding and Red Bull), with in-depth explanations of what each tool and command is capable of, and a series of economical exercises I'm sure anyone could fit into their schedule. Previous exercises are referenced in later chapters, something I especially appreciate, and moderate Flash veterans can skip ahead without fear of missing needed information. Another thing I really enjoy is how this is not just an update of the previous book; like the program Flash itself, Weil has upgraded both the content and teaching approach, unlike the books by Macromedia with their damn Compass Travel "client" (sometimes the source is not the best place to seek training). One of the few computer instruction books I would actually call "fresh".

In short, Flash MX H.O.T. is an optimal starting place for Flash virgins who need to get up and running in short order. I'm sure the program will become less awkward in future versions; in the meantime, Ms Weil's softcover classroom makes conquering the present-day Flash online theatre a productive and enjoyable experience.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Excellent!!!!, January 24, 2003

By 

Arrian van Zal (NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Macromedia(R) Flash(TM) MX Hands-On-Training (Paperback)

This is the first book on Flash MX I purchased, and so far it is EXCELLENT!!! Its straight-to-the-point and easy-to-read format helps make the seemingly difficult parts easier to understand (and I am 14 years old!!! Great explanations huh?).
I can't put this book down! At the moment I am on chapter 8 and am having heaps of fun with Flash MX. I have not found any typographical errors so far and all seems to be up to date and clearly organised.

This book can be used both as a tutorial and as a reference due to it's easy to use contents and index!!!!! It comes with a handy Companion CD with all the required programs and example files. It even includes some video tutorials.

This isn't the sort of book you take somewhere and read since you learn by doing the examples, which is probably why it is called "Flash MX Hands-On Training".

I'm glad I bought it!!!

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great beginners guide to Flash MX, December 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Macromedia(R) Flash(TM) MX Hands-On-Training (Paperback)

This book starts out very slowly teaching the fundamentals of Flash MX and then using the learned knowledge to advance to some of the other topics. The beginning of the book can seem somewhat annoying and tedious, but if you follow the book from the first chapter all the way through the end, you will be solid in fundamental Flash MX. Some of the examples seemed to be here to fill up space, for example there was one "lesson" showing how to convert a graphic to a symbol. If you know how to do this you already know there isn't much to this process. However, by including this type of information it won't leave you frustrated that they left steps out... as most tutorial books do. I WILL keep this as a reference, as it outlines the fundamentals of basic Flash MX projects. Naturally, your projects will become much more complex, but this can certainly serve as a refresher or starting point when you've got that idea but don't know how to make the connection from idea to to Flash MX. Good Book - I will look for Lynda Weinman books in the future. On last thing, I recently made the switch and I am running OS X - great job in making clear any differences between Mac OSX and Windows versions!