As a novice Flash developer with a graphic design background I found this to be the best intro to Flash I have ever read. The book works through several design and animation projects using BOTH flash drawing and animation tools and supporting filters as well as introducing the Actionscript 3 code...at the right time and in the right sequence. In summary, if you come from a design background, like me, and want to learn how Actionscript is best incorporated into commercial type flash projects...this book is for you. This book will teach you more in less time than any other book out there. In addition, you will learn how marketing and advertising pros configure websites to take advantage of search engine marketing & search engine optimization, which is a skill that separates the amateurs from the pros!
Author(s): Cheridan Kerr, Jonathan Keats
Series: Friends of ED Adobe learning library
Edition: 1
Publisher: Friends of Ed :, Distributed to the book trade worldwide by Springer-Verlag New York
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 434
City: New York
CONTENTS AT A GLANCE......Page 6
CONTENTS......Page 9
Who is this book for?......Page 20
How is this book structured?......Page 21
Layout conventions......Page 23
WELCOME TO FLASH CS4......Page 25
Welcome to the Future!......Page 26
How Flash CS4 is different from Flash CS3......Page 27
Object-based animation......Page 28
1......Page 29
Achieve pure motion with inverse kinematics......Page 37
1......Page 39
An artist is born with the Deco drawing tool......Page 41
1......Page 43
Just how do all these great things benefit us?......Page 50
Advertising templates in Flash CS4......Page 51
1......Page 53
Web developers......Page 58
1......Page 59
GETTING CREATIVE: HOW TO MAKE YOUR IDEAS COME TO LIFE THROUGH PROJECT PLANNING......Page 61
The development cycle: Implementing the design flow in your Flash CS4 project......Page 62
Phase 1: Concept and planning......Page 63
2......Page 65
Wireframes dictate the user journey and interactivity......Page 66
Phase 2: Design and build......Page 67
2......Page 69
2 Phase 3: Quality assurance testing......Page 79
2......Page 81
Proceed with caution: Using Flash wisely......Page 82
2......Page 83
GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY: LAYERS, MASKS, AND PHOTOSHOP......Page 85
Normal layers......Page 86
3......Page 87
Guide layers......Page 100
Using the PSD importer......Page 101
3......Page 103
Flash CS4 and Photoshop compatibility......Page 104
Summary......Page 105
DRAW ME A PICTURE: USING THE DRAWING TOOLS......Page 107
A picture is worth a thousand words......Page 108
4......Page 109
Bitmap or raster graphics......Page 110
What can the drawing tools do?......Page 111
Drawing objects......Page 112
4......Page 113
4......Page 117
Anti-aliasing fonts......Page 119
Using font outlines......Page 120
Creating and working with symbols......Page 121
Creating an empty symbol......Page 123
Editing symbols......Page 125
Drawing a logo......Page 126
4......Page 127
Importing the sketch......Page 128
4......Page 129
Mastering the Pen tool......Page 132
4......Page 133
Pulling it all together 4......Page 141
4......Page 143
Summary......Page 144
FILTERS AND BLENDS......Page 147
Pixel Bender filters......Page 148
5......Page 149
Applying preset filters......Page 150
5......Page 151
The blend modes......Page 164
5......Page 165
Applying a blend mode......Page 168
5......Page 169
5......Page 173
ACHIEVING LIFELIKE MOTION WITH INVERSE KINEMATICS......Page 175
Learning about armatures and bones......Page 176
7......Page 177
7......Page 179
Using the inverse kinematics Properties Inspector......Page 182
7......Page 183
Making a monster!......Page 185
7......Page 187
Bringing the armature to life......Page 194
7......Page 195
7......Page 197
LET’S GET ANIMATED!......Page 199
6......Page 201
Using the playhead......Page 203
Adding and deleting scenes......Page 204
6......Page 205
Tween time!......Page 206
Creating a motion tween......Page 207
6......Page 209
Customizing easing on classic tweens......Page 217
Shape tweens......Page 218
Using onion skinning in frame-by-frame animations......Page 219
6......Page 221
Animating text on the banner......Page 230
6......Page 231
Summary......Page 234
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTIONSCRIPT!......Page 237
Using the Actions panel......Page 238
8......Page 239
The Script pane......Page 240
8......Page 241
The Panel menu......Page 242
8......Page 243
“G’day World”......Page 244
8......Page 245
8......Page 247
Using a document class......Page 248
8......Page 249
Variables and data types......Page 250
8......Page 251
8......Page 253
Decisions......Page 254
8......Page 255
Functions......Page 256
8......Page 257
Date and time basics......Page 258
8......Page 259
ActionScript 3.0 and XML......Page 267
8......Page 269
Understanding mouse events......Page 270
8......Page 271
Text fields and ActionScript......Page 274
8......Page 275
Sending e-mail with fields and buttons......Page 276
8......Page 277
8......Page 281
USING 3D SPACE IN FLASH CS4......Page 283
Manipulating an object in 3D space using the Properties Inspector......Page 284
9......Page 285
Moving objects in 3D space using the 3D Translation tool......Page 286
9......Page 287
Moving the object along the z-axis using the 3D Translation tool......Page 288
Rotating stuff in 3D space......Page 289
Rotating groups of objects in 3D space......Page 290
9......Page 291
Creating a simple spinning logo......Page 292
9......Page 293
Creating the Flash file to house your carousel......Page 294
9......Page 295
Creating the variables to call the XML file in ActionScript 3.0......Page 297
9......Page 299
Displaying the information on stage......Page 304
9......Page 305
Rotating your carousel......Page 307
9......Page 309
Papervison3D, Sandy 3D, and Away3D......Page 310
9......Page 311
SEEING AND HEARING ARE BELIEVING!......Page 313
Sweet, sweet sounds in Flash......Page 314
Importing sounds......Page 315
10......Page 317
Sound file compression in Flash CS4......Page 318
10......Page 319
Adding sounds to the timeline and using the sound settings in the Properties Inspector......Page 322
10......Page 323
Applying sounds to a button using ActionScript 3.0......Page 324
10......Page 325
Moving pictures are worth a million words!......Page 331
10......Page 333
How to embed an FLV in a SWF file......Page 338
10......Page 339
Summary......Page 344
UTILIZING BEST PRACTICES TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR FLASH CS4 MOVIES......Page 347
Ensuring your banners comply with publishers’ standards......Page 349
11......Page 351
Adhering to IAB standards for banner ads......Page 355
Universal banner standards......Page 356
11......Page 357
11......Page 359
Optimizing the tab-control experience......Page 361
11......Page 363
11......Page 365
THE END OF THE BEGINNING......Page 367
12......Page 371
12......Page 373
Importing the logo......Page 374
12......Page 375
12......Page 377
Calling the remaining pages......Page 380
12......Page 381
Embedding Flash documents into HTML......Page 382
Publish settings for HTML......Page 383
12......Page 385
12......Page 389
12......Page 391
INSTALLING AWAY3D AND OTHER CLASS LIBRARIES USING SUBVERSION......Page 393
Installing Subversion and Away3D for MAC OS X......Page 394
A......Page 395
Installing Subversion and Away3D for Windows......Page 400
A......Page 401
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS......Page 405
Edit......Page 406
B......Page 407
B......Page 409
Text......Page 410
B......Page 411
Window......Page 412
B......Page 413
File......Page 414
B......Page 415
B......Page 417
B......Page 419
Window......Page 420
B......Page 421
INDEX......Page 423
