Flash Books

Adobe Flash CS3 Professional How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques

By Mark Schaeffer.
Published Sep 18, 2007 by Adobe Press. Part of the How-Tos series.
Copyright 2008
Pages: 272
Edition: 1st.
ISBN-10: 0-321-50898-X
ISBN-13: 978-0-321-50898-0

Flash is the most ubiquitous technology today for creating and deploying dynamic content on the Web. From button rollovers to video animations, Flash not only brings pizzazz to the Web but also makes difficult concepts easier to understand through illustrations, diagrams, and so on. Now that Flash CS3 Professional is part of the Adobe family, users new to the software as well as veteran users unfamiliar with added Adobe feature need quick access to key features and fundamental techniques. Adobe Flash CS3 Professional: 100 Essential Techniques provides users with what they need to know to start working in Flash. Each technique is presented in a self-contained unit of one or two pages so users can dive in and start working right away, unencumbered by lengthy descriptions or technical detail. For example, if readers want to know how to use Flash’s new QuickTime export feature, they can turn directly to that page, quickly grasp the technique, as well as pick up a few tips along the way.

Flash 8: Projects for Learning Animation and Interactivity

By Rich Shupe, Robert Hoekman, Jr.
First Edition March 2006
Pages: 358 (More details)

Macromedia Flash is fast becoming the Web's most widely used platform for creating rich media with animation and motion graphics, but mastering Flash isn't easy. Most entry-level books teach through simple examples that concentrate on either animation or scripting, but rarely both together. To get the most from Flash 8, you not only need to be proficient in programming/interface design, you need the creativity for story telling and the artistic insights to design fluid animation.
Flash 8: Projects for Learning Animation and Interactivity teaches Flash design rather than simply Flash itself. With a standalone series of walkthroughs and tutorials for Flash beginners coming from a graphics field, this book teaches Flash in the context of real-world projects. Rather than learn a Flash tool for the sake of it, you learn which areas of Flash are important, and which are less used, simply by seeing how typical content is actually created. And rather than a text-heavy approach, this graphically rich book leads you through hands-on examples by illustration.
Each project in the book starts with goals and broad sketches before moving to design and scripting. This helps you understand design intent-the why of the process-rather than just learning the interfaces and the how of it all. Along the way, you'll create Flash content that includes traditional animation techniques (as seen in full-length animated features), and ActionScript-based interactive animation, such as custom web site interface designs. You also learn how to combine both traditional animation techniques and ActionScript to create feature-rich Flash assets from the ground up.
Co-authored by educational developers with years of experience creating compelling content, interfaces, and applications, Flash 8: Projects for Learning Animation and Interactivity offers a content-driven approach that is also inspiration-driven. You learn because you're accomplishing something tangible, not because you think you need to know how a tool works.
If you want to understand how various features of Flash come together to create a final end design, this book provides you with both the insight and the know-how.
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Flash 8 Cookbook

By Joey Lott
First Edition April 2006
Pages: 534

This practical, nuts-and-bolts toolkit puts theory into practice with ready-made answers to common Flash development questions. It's the perfect resource for Flash developers, as well as designers who are ready to start doing development work.Flash 8 Cookbook offers quick look-up (and cross-referenced) recipes in four main categories: Creating Flash Content, Building Interactive Flash Interfaces, Adding Multimedia and Data, Planning Flash Projects. Using O'Reilly's popular Problem/Solution/Discussion Cookbook format, this book offers 280 standalone recipes that include a brief explanation of how and why the solution works, so you can adapt it to similar situations you may run across in the future. For people who say, "I understand everything in theory, but I don't know where to start in practice," this book offers ready-to-use answers to real-world problems.
Joey Lott is the author of ActionScript Cookbook (O'Reilly) and co-author of Flash MX 2004 ActionScript Bible (Wiley). He's a leading speaker and consultant in the Flash development community.

Flash 8: The Missing Manual

By Emily A. Vander Veer
First Edition March 2006
Series: The Missing Manuals
ISBN: 0-596-10137-6
460 pages.

Macromedia's Flash 8 is the world's premier program for adding animation to websites. And with the latest version, this popular program becomes more versatile, letting beginning webmasters and expert developers alike create sophisticated web content. But Flash isn't intuitive. And it doesn't come with a manual. Whether you want to learn the basics or unleash the program's true power, Flash 8: The Missing Manual is the ideal instructor. This hands-on guide to today's hottest web design tool is aimed at nondevelopers, and it teaches you how to translate your ideas into great web content. It begins with a solid primer on animation, which helps you get comfortable with the Flash interface. Once you have these basics under your belt, Flash 8: The Missing Manual moves on to advanced animations, including adding special effects and audio, video, and interactivity to your presentations. When you're really feeling steady, the book shows how to use a dollop of ActionScript to customize your content. It then teaches you how to publish your Flash creations for web surfers everywhere to enjoy. Along the way, the book shows you good design principles and helps you avoid elements that can distract or annoy an audience. Author Emily Vander Veer has more than a dozen books to her credit, including titles on web design and scripting--most written for non-technical readers. Her background makes her the perfect author for a straightforward book on a complex subject. She takes Flash 8: The Missing Manual from the basics to the advanced, yet avoids a hasty jump into tough topics that can leave readers confused. Not only will Flash 8: The Missing Manual help you turn a concept into unique, dynamic content, but it will continue to serve as a reference as you develop your website.

Macromedia Flash Proffesional 8: Training from the Source

By Tom Green, Jordan Chilcott.
ISBN: 0321384032 Published: Nov 16, 2005; Copyright 2006; Dimensions 7 X 9 ; Pages: 512; Edition: 1st.

Offering breakthrough video capabilities and powerful run-time effects, Macromedia Flash Professional 8 is poised to upend the Web video market, posing a serious challenge to Microsoft, RealNetworks, and Apple’s efforts in the process. Here to make sure you’re ready for it—and can start taking advantage of its creative tools, authoring power, flexibility, and rich video capabilities immediately—is the official Macromedia training for the program. Through 20-plus hours of project-based instruction, you’ll learn how to program for the enhanced Flash Player; use ActionScript to create dynamic interactivity; take advantage of new Flash 8 features like the improved script editor (which includes a visual interface), revamped library interface, and new Undo feature; and more. Simple step-by-step instructions peppered with plenty of visual aids and a CD that includes lesson files and a trial version of Flash Professional 8 leave you with a solid understanding of Flash development and the techniques required to tap your creative potential by producing dynamic, interactive content.

Macromedia Flash 8: Training from the Source

By James English.
Series: Training from the Source.
ISBN: 0321336291; Published: Oct 18, 2005; Copyright 2006; Dimensions 7 X 9 ; Pages: 416; Edition: 1st.

What began life as a simple Web animation tool has evolved into a powerful platform for Web application development—which means that if you’re serious about developing for the Web, you need to get serious about learning Flash. With its breakthrough motion-graphics capabilities and powerful run-time effects, Flash 8 provides the tools, authoring power, and rich video capabilities you need to provide stunning interactive content. This Macromedia-certified guide provides the key to learning the basics of Flash 8. Through a series of hands-on projects, master trainer James English provides a firm foundation in everything Flash—from graphics, animation, and video to ActionScript fundamentals. Simple step-by-step instructions and tons of screenshots guide you through the process of creating buttons and links, drawing and animating in Flash, formatting text, adding video and sound, loading data, and more—in short, everything you need to develop sophisticated, professional-looking Web sites. A companion CD includes the lesson files needed to complete the book’s projects as well as a trial version of the program itself.

Macromedia Flash MX 2004: Killer Tips

Author:Shane Elliott
Published: Nov 14, 2003, Pages: 193

The hottest collection of cool tips and hidden secrets for the Flash MX 2004 user who needs results fast! In today's economy, time is money. Flash MX 2004 Killer Tips is all about speed, showing users how to get more work done in less time. This book is designed to increase productivity (and even quality) by providing shortcuts, tips, and little-known tricks that will surprise even the most experienced Flash MX 2004 user. Built on the premise that "Speed Kills", readers will get faster at manipulating Flash MX 2004 and have more time to be creative in their design and their code. Author Shane Elliott has assembled almost 300 tips to help readers with creating effects and animations, ActionScript, components, optimization, and a host of other topics.

Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Action Script:Training from the Source

Author:By Derek Franklin, Jobe Makar.
Published:November 2003, Pages: 636

Sure, you can use Flash MX 2004 without being a master programmer, but as any Flash developer worth his or her salt will tell you, you're not tapping all of its power unless you're taking advantage of its scripting language "ActionScript 2.0" which offers a more robust programming model and better object-oriented programming support than ever before. Here to take the fear factor out of learning it are Flash veterans and best-selling authors Derek Franklin and Jobe Makar, who demonstrate that scripting is an instinctual process you already know by translating real-life activities into ActionScript scripts. In these pages, you'll find methodologies and techniques for building over 40 real-life Flash ActionScript projects, including sample games, --- applications, Web sites, and more. New in this edition are coverage of ActionScript 2.0, Web services, Components, Printing, Video, and more. On the companion CD, you'll find all the project files and images you need to complete each project.