Macromedia Flash8 Bible [Paperback]

Robert Reinhardt (Author), Snow Dowd (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471746762 | ISBN-13: 978-0471746768 | Publication Date: February 6, 2006

Written by two of the industry’s top Flash experts, this new edition of the best-selling classic has been revised and enhanced to cover the very latest release of Macromedia Flash. User-friendly, yet in-depth this is the book that serves as an indispensable reference for anyone -- from the web novice to the accomplished web worker -- and functions as the perfect, real-world guide to the workings and capabilities of this powerful program. The accompanying CD-ROM includes trial software, custom components and finished examples.

• Totally enhanced and revised edition of the all-time Flash classic reference!
• Everything you need to know to learn and master the Macromedia Flash 8 -- the most comprehensive Flash reference available
• Includes a CD-ROM packed with files from the book and valuable tryouts.
• Co-author Robert Reinhardt is one of the two or three top stars in the Flash developer community, speaking regularly at FlashForward, the Macromedia User's Conference, WebTEK, Macromedia's traveling user seminars, and major universities. No other title matches this one in both comprehensiveness and author reputation.
• Includes expert tutorials from the world's leading Flash gurus
• Includes tips for integrating Flash with other programs
• Includes unpublished tricks, techniques and time-savers

"When I'm planning the FlashBelt conference, Reinhardt is the first one I call. His knowledge reaches to the farthest corners of the software."

-Dave Schroeder, Director, FlashBelt conferences; Owner, PilotVibe Music and Sound Design

"Its range and depth make the Flash Bible a must-have for designers, developers and producers of Flash content." -- Matthew Carroll, designer, Wieden + Kennedy

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"When I'm planning the FlashBelt conference, Reinhardt is the first one I call. His knowledge reaches to the farthest corners of the software."
—Dave Schroeder, Director, FlashBelt conferences; Owner, PilotVibe Music and Sound Design

If Macromedia Flash 8 can do it, you can do it too ...

Squeeze every last ounce of power from the very latest edition of Macromedia Flash with this enhanced and revised edition of the bestseller. Written by two Flash experts, this user-friendly, in-depth guide is packed with tips, expert tutorials, and hidden tricks you won't find elsewhere. Create graphics that jump off the page and make your content richly interactive. Animate, script, manipulate data, send customer data to a server, create robust apps — Flash 8 does it all. Now you can too, with this Flash reference at your side.

Inside, you'll find complete coverage of Macromedia Flash 8

• Transform your Movie clips with new blend modes, filters, and gradients
• Scale your artwork to perfection with a new nine-slice scaler
• Get better looking text with crystal-clear FlashType font renderer
• Create characters with lip-synching, walk cycles, and atmosphere
• Understand the nuts and bolts of ActionScript code
• Integrate and control video directly in Flash
• Attach and bind data to components for a dynamic Web site
• Work with Dreamweaver®, Fireworks®, ColdFusion®, Director®, and more
• Create a game in a Flash and win
• Make Flash movies for mobile devices

Bonus CD is loaded with sample files, custom components, and finished examples!

About the Author

Robert Reinhard is one of the world's leading Flash experts and is co-principal of [theMakers], a multimedia company based in Los Angeles. He has developed multimedia courses for educational facilities in Canada and the United States, and is a regular speaker at FlashForward and other conferences. Recent projects have included screen graphics for Sean Penn’s film The Pledge (2000), and a Flash web site for the Warner Bros. feature film Training Day (2001.)

Snow Dowd is a co-principal at [theMakers] and has worked with Robert Reinhardt for the last six years on various multimedia projects. Snow initially collaborated with Robert on film and photography-based installation projects while earning a degree in Image Arts at Ryerson University in Toronto.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1336 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (February 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471746762
• ISBN-13: 978-0471746768
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 2.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #936,519 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

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reinhardt & Dowd do it again, February 1, 2006

By 

JackMo (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Macromedia Flash8 Bible (Paperback)

This book just keep getting better and better. I've had every edition since Flash 5 and over the years Robert Reinhardt and colleagues have dug ever deeper into the power of Flash. This goes far beyond the typical "comprehensive reference" (though it certainly is that) to provide a definitive resource totally grounded in real-world considerations and guidance. You really only need on one Flash book, and this is it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely thorough, understandable, and well-written, June 22, 2006

By 

H. Nelson (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Macromedia Flash8 Bible (Paperback)

I am a Computer Science student and purchased this book to learn Flash for use with a project. I am very pleased-I think the book has very thorough descriptions and examples, and also offers great advice about design issues and other important considerations when developing a project.

I would highly recommend this book for someone who is new to Flash. As someone with technical background, it was very easy to follow and understand, and also offered insights that I do not get from my classes. I believe even those with limited development experience will find the book very informative, since it does not assume that the readers have prior knowledge about the topics in the book.

Great book, highly recommended!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ok, May 28, 2006

By 

Pat L (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Macromedia Flash8 Bible (Paperback)

I have not seen the other Flash Bible Books so therefore gave it a 4 star rating. Also i am a tad dissapointed, the book itself has a lot of info (which the first few chapters is basic stuff) but it also seems that this may be the same content as the other Flash Bible books. It does go over some of the new Flash 8 features like the filters, however i was hoping the book would contain the new "BitmapData" and bitmap caching but it did not. Also maybe go over the timeline effects even if it is simple to understand. Had these features been included it would have been 5 stars.