Flash is one of the most popular ways in recent years to create interactive video content for the Web. With the new release, Flash CS3, it is set to increase in popularity even more, with more exciting features for developers to use in their applications. This book is an update to the critically-acclaimed Foundation Flash 8 Video, with many new examples added, and code updated to ActionScript 3.0. It provides developers with an essential, accessible guide to getting the most out of their Flash CS3 video applications.
This book is a design-slanted guide aimed at giving aspiring Flash designers a solid grounding in the new version, as well as giving established Flash designers a clear look over the new flash CS3 features. Written by renowned Flash designers Tom Green and David Stiller, it features real world examples throughout, presented in an accessible, friendly tutorial style. No other beginner's Flash CS3 guide is specifically aimed at designers. Flash still remains a huge market area, and in 2007 Adobe released Flash CS3 which boasts a whole host of new features for Flash designers to get excited about.
If you're a Flash designer looking for a solid overview of Flash CS4, this book is for you. Through the use of solid and practical exercises, you will soon master the fundamentals of this fourth edition of the Adobe Flash authoring tool. Using a series of carefully developed tutorials, you will be led from basic Flash CS4 techniques to the point where you can create animations, MP3 players, and customized Flash video players in no time. Each chapter focuses on a major aspect of Flash, and then lets you take the reins in a "Your Turn" exercise to create something amazing with what you've learned. This book focuses on the core skill set you need to feel at home with Flash CS4, and also introduces you to some of the biggest names in today's Flash community through interviews and actual "How To" examples, so you can learn from the masters. You will start by studying the Flash CS4 interface, and while you're at it, you'll be guided toward mastery of the fundamentals, such as movie clips, text, and graphics, which will lead you into some of the more fascinating aspects of Flash, including audio, video, animation, and 3D transformations. By the time you finish, you will have created an MP3 player and a Flash video player, been introduced to the basics of ActionScript 3.0, learned how to combine Flash with XML, styled Flash text with CSS, created animated scenes, and worked your way through a host of additional projects. All of these exercises are designed to give you the knowledge necessary to master Flash CS4 from the ground up. If you're already a seasoned Flash designer, this book will get you up to speed with the fourth version in relatively short order. This book covers all of the new Flash CS4 features, such as the new animation and 3D tools, the new Adobe Media Encoder, and a pair of the coolest new additions to the tools panel: a spray brush tool and a deco tool. You can discover more about this book, download source code, and more at the book's companion website: www.foundationflashcs4.com.
Foundation ActionScript 3.0 Image Effects discusses the ins and outs of graphical manipulation through code of all the different elements available in a Flash project, from vectors to bitmaps to videos, from animated text effects to dynamic video filters. Flash 8 introduced a vast array of image features, such as blend modes and filters as well as ActionScript's powerful BitmapData object, and this book covers all those effects in their CS4 form, as well as the graphical options that are available, such as the Pixel Bender Toolkit. It also details the many possible effects that can be achieved and the associated practical applications, with a focus on strong object-oriented programming methodologies to make the code more modular and reusable across projects. Gives detailed information on all of the image manipulation abilities of Flash CS4 Covers complex technology, such as the Pixel Bender Toolkit There is no other book like it, covering the same topics in as much depth
This is the first definitive and authoritative book available on ActionScript 3 animation techniques. ActionScript animation is a very popular discipline for Flash developers to learn. The essential skill set has been learned by many Flash developers through the first edition of this book. This has now been updated to ActionScript 3, Adobe's new and improved scripting language. All of the code has been updated, and some new techniques have been added to take advantage of ActionScript 3's new features, including the display list and new event architecture. The code can be used with the Flash 9 IDE, Flex Builder 2, or the free Flex 2 SDK.
Creating games in Flash is a never-ending journey of exploration, learning, and most of all, fun. Once you’ve mastered the basics, a new world is opened up to you, enabling you to take your existing skills to the next level and discover new skills that will in turn open new doors. This book is a direct continuation of Foundation Game Design with Flash, and is a complete point-by-point roundup of the most important skills a Flash game designer needs to know. You’ll increase your ActionScript knowledge and your game design skills while creating some excellent example games. You’ll learn advanced collision detection skills; professional AI and pathfinding; and how to load and save game data, create destructible environments, and build and switch game levels. Each chapter highlights a new advanced technique illustrated by practical examples. Examples of games are given in a variety of genres, all of which take an object-oriented programming approach. Advanced game design topics are covered, including vector-based collision reaction, pathfinding, billiard ball physics, and modeling game data.
Apply universally accepted cinematic techniques to your Flash projects to improve the storytelling quotient in your entertainment, advertising (branding), and educational media. A defined focus on the concepts and techniques for production from story reels to the final project delivers valuable insights, time-saving practical tips, and hands-on techniques for great visual stories. Extensive illustration, step-by-step instruction, and practical exercises provide a hands-on perspective. Explore the concepts and principles of visual components used in stories so you are fluent in the use of space, line, color, and movement in communicating emotion and meaning. Apply traditional cinematography techniques into the Flash workspace with virtual camera movements, simulated 3d spaces, lighting techniques, and character animation. Add interactivity using ActionScript to enhance audience participation.
Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Flash CS3 Professional in 24 Hours Phillip Kerman 24 Proven One-hour Lessons In just 24 lessons of one hour or less, you will be able to create dynamic animations using Adobe® Flash® CS3 Professional. Using a straightforward, step-by-step approach, each lesson builds on the previous ones, enabling you to learn the essentials of Flash from the ground up. Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common Flash tasks. Quizzes and Exercises at the end of each chapter help you test your knowledge. By the Way notes present interesting information related to the discussion. Did You Know? tips offer advice or show you easier ways to do something. Watch Out! cautions alert you to possible problems, and give you advice on how to avoid them. Learn how to… o Create, optimize, and export dynamic animated movies for the Web, disk, or CD o Integrate Flash animations with static HTML pages o Use Flash’s vector graphics tools, including filters and blends, to create drawings and animations o Use digital video in Flash movies o Animate using time-tested techniques and Flash’s special “tweening” features o Create powerful, interactive movies using the basics of ActionScript o Design Button, Graphic, and Movie Clip symbols and use them over and over without increasing file size o Import existing graphics from Illustrator® and Photoshop® Phillip Kerman is an internationally recognized expert on the use of the Web and multimedia for training and entertainment. He frequently presents at Flash user conferences and has taught Flash and other authoring tools in workshops around the world. Register your book at www.samspublishing.com/register for convenient access to downloads, updates, and corrections as they become available.
Well before Ajax and Microsoft's Windows Presentation Foundation hit the scene, Macromedia offered the first method for building web pages with the responsiveness and functionality of desktop programs with its Flash-based "Rich Internet Applications". Now, new owner Adobe is taking Flash and its powerful capabilities beyond the Web and making it a full-fledged development environment. Rather than focus on theory, the ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook concentrates on the practical application of ActionScript, with more than 300 solutions you can use to solve a wide range of common coding dilemmas. You'll find recipes that show you how to: Detect the user's Flash Player version or their operating system Build custom classes Format dates and currency types Work with strings Build user interface components Work with audio and video Make remote procedure calls using Flash Remoting and web services Load, send, and search XML data And much, much more ... Each code recipe presents the Problem, Solution, and Discussion of how you can use it in other ways or personalize it for your own needs, and why it works. You can quickly locate the recipe that most closely matches your situation and get the solution without reading the whole book to understand the underlying code. Solutions progress from short recipes for small problems to more complex scripts for thornier riddles, and the discussions offer a deeper analysis for resolving similar issues in the future, along with possible design choices and ramifications. You'll even learn how to link modular ActionScript pieces together to create rock-solid solutions for Flex 2 and Flash applications. When you're not sure how ActionScript 3.0 works or how to approach a specific programming dilemma, you can simply pick up the book, flip to the relevant recipe(s), and quickly find the solution you're looking for. Adobe Developer Library is a co-publishing partnership between O'Reilly Media and Adobe Systems, Inc. and is designed to produce the number one information resources for developers who use Adobe technologies. Created in 2006, the Adobe Developer Library is the official source for comprehensive learning solutions to help developers create expressive and interactive web applications that can reach virtually anyone on any platform. With top-notch books and innovative online resources covering the latest in rich Internet application development, the Adobe Developer Library offers expert training and in-depth resources, straight from the source.
Experienced Flash developers and programmers coming from other languages will enjoy the sheer depth of Moocks's coverage. Novice programmers will appreciate the frequent, low-jargon explanations that are often glossed over by advanced programming books.
