Flash 5 Studio with CD-ROM

Kudos to publishers Friends of Ed for figuring out exactly what a beginning, intermediate, or advanced user of Flash needs, and writing books that deliver the appropriate material to each level. This entry in the Studio series is aimed squarely at intermediate Flash creators--those who are out there already "doing it"--and promises to perfect their techniques and hone their skills.

Calling upon a talented group of over 20 cutting-edge "Flashers" (working Flash professionals) to helm different chapters, Flash 5 Studio covers advanced site management, content creation (like Smart Clips, cartooning, video, and sound), dynamic content (interactive movies that feed content dynamically from separate data sources--for example, news headlines), ActionScripting, and issues that are crucial to partial or full Flash Web sites (like preloaders or optimizing Flash for search engines). The motto of the book: "deeper, more serious, more fully explained."

Each chapter teaches a specific technique or concept through examples that capitalize on the particular talents of that chapter's Flasher/author. For example, Nikhil Adnani is a talented and humorous cartoonist/animator from Canada (his Web site is www.groovechamber.com), and his chapter walks you through practical steps for creating charming animations (such as making a cow strut), while dispensing good advice on character design, making convincing movement, and optimization. Richard Mapes from www.Moonfruit.com provides an introduction to ActionScript principles; if coding seems beyond you, this might just clear the fog. From there, readers can explore scripting used in 3-D effects or object-oriented games. (This chapter, along with a table of contents, can be found at www.friendsofed.com if you'd like to check it out first.) The CD-ROM contains project FLAs and SWFs, as well as color images from selected chapters, and trial versions of software.

The advantage of learning from a book many designers and coders have had a hand in writing is that you're guaranteed a discussion that includes real-life goals and pitfalls. Also, if the style of one chapter's author doesn't quite jibe with yours, perhaps the next one's will. You're sure to come away with a deeper understanding of Flash and ActionScript, and a whole mess of new ideas to try. --Angelynn Grant

Topics covered:

• Site design principles
• Content creation, including working with Smart Clips, combining Flash and external 3-D applications, cartoon animation, using video in Flash, sound, transparency, masking and text, buttons, and menus
• ActionScript principles and creating with ActionScript, including simple and 3-D visual effects and simple and object-oriented games
• Combining interactive Flash movies that draw data from outside sources, including using XML
• Efficiently integrating Flash into a Web site, creating a preloader, and optimizing for search engines