Macromedia Flash MX 2004 for Windows & Macintosh (Visual QuickStart Guide) (Paperback)

by Katherine Ulrich (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

New timeline effects and behaviors, better run-time performance (which equals faster graphics display and video playback), native support for PDF and EPS forms, a slew of workflow enhancements, an improved programming language, a redesigned interface—these are just a few in the long list of new features that have Web designers salivating over the newest version of their favorite Web tool: Macromedia Flash MX 2004. Whether you're brand new to the world of Flash development or a veteran chomping at the bit to take advantage of all the latest features, this task-based guide will have you creating high-impact, interactive Web sites with Flash MX 2004 in no time. Best-selling author Katherine Ulrich is at it again here, using simple step-by-step instructions and loads of visual aids to cover every aspect of Flash design—from the basics of vector animation to sophisticated interaction and transition effects. Throughout, you'll find the direct, friendly language and plethora of tips that have become the hallmark of the popular Visual QuickStart series.

About the Author

Katherine Ulrich is a writer and editor specializing in graphics, publishing, and multimedia software. Her career includes a 12-year stint at Macworld magazine. Katherine wrote the previous best-selling editions of Flash: Visual QuickStart Guide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 696 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press (December 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321213440
• ISBN-13: 978-0321213440
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #141,409 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This book is little more than a door stop, May 11, 2005

By	Ric Land - See all my reviews

I bought this book based on the outstanding reviews and now can only wonder if the author penned these reviews herself. This is a book written by a professional writer, not a Flash guru.

As I write this, I'm at the public library with a copy of Sam's Teach Yourself Flash 5 in 24 Hours and am amazed at how more superior the Sam's book is. For example, "symbols" is a core element of Flash, but after reading Katherine Ulrich's brief treatment of the topic I had entirely no understanding of the importance of symbols.

Conversely, the Sam book discussing the topic from 25 different angles. And more, throughout the Sam book all the questions I had after reading Ulrich's book get answered. Amazing, really. Time and again, those little mysteries that eluded me are brought to stage and completely dealt with in the Sam's book.

Basically, the Ulich Visual Quickstart describes all the things you see when you open start-up Flash -- Visual. But it shows you nothing about how to ochestrate all these tools to create something.

I spent two weeks with the Ulrich book and honestly can't even make a simple tween. Honestly, I can't!

To sum up, these folks behind this book need to serioulsy think about retiring their "visual quick start" method, at least for things as complex as Flash. I sususpect, there training authors in the Quick Start Method, handing them manuals when new products come out, and then giving them a week or two to punch out a new Quickstart Guide.

Finally, I'm not a whacko. I hate it when I see reviews like mine, but I believe every word I've written above.

ric landers

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Flash" Made Simple, June 16, 2005

By	Antoine D. Reid "80sforever" (Durham, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm a graphic design student in college and had to take a course that was heavy in flash programing. I had never really tackled flash, didn't know what it could, couldn't make sense of anything really. This was the book for our course and I can say it was well worth the money. This book is written simply, clearly, and for the beginner. It may not tell you how to do every advanced thing you can do with Flash, but it's a good place to start if you're a bit put-off by the Flash console and unsure of how to use it to tackle projects and presentations.

It isn't a book you can read from page one until the last. It's a guide, a good reference book. It's divided up into chapters, the first starting with the very basics and the last chapters going through how you can get your flash work uploaded online using various technology and programs. I pretty much learned how to use flash using this book, and in just four or five weeks, I'm making web-site style presentations, animating, making video presentations and all.

Every person that may be a designer or have to take-on Flash should pick up this book. It's easy to use, gives you little simple tasks you can do and breaks them down into numbered steps. It's not very wordy, and the chapters often times contains a little extra tip box if there's a question you're thinking of or if there's something a more advanced user may want to take on. Get this book!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Thorough Intro to Flash MX, September 22, 2004

By	Empire City (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

I'm completely new to Flash MX and this book was a great introduction. As a total newbie I had to work through each chapter before I could move to the next. However, by the time I got to the end of the book I found that I had very good breadth of knowlege about Flash MX and was well prepared to move to more intermediate books. This is a great book to get you over Flash MX's big learning curve.