Product Description

In Flash CS3 Professional Essential Training, instructor Rich Shupe delves into the key aspects of working with Flash CS3 to create professional animations, design interactive websites, and incorporate audio and video into self-contained presentations. The training covers using the drawing and color tools, mastering the essentials of animation, and working with type, graphics, sound, and video. Rich also introduces the essentials of working with ActionScript 3.0. Exercise files accompany the tutorials.

Topics Include:

• Customizing the Flash CS3 workspace
• Drawing with pencil and line tools
• Using the color mixer
• Nesting and breaking apart symbols
• Adding, deleting, and grouping layers
• Testing and publishing files
• Importing images and image compression
• Tweening gradients
• Controlling text appearance
• Using filters and blend modes
• Adding sound and video
• Introducing ActionScript 3.0

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1490434 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-02
• Binding: CD-ROM

From the Publisher
Each lynda.com CD/DVD course offers hours of training movies that you watch on your computer. The movies are recorded in pixel-perfect quality, and include the authors' narration and movements as they teach the subject matter. Courses include the same project files that the instructors use, so you can follow along at your own pace. lynda.com tutorials are great for visual learners and people who like to learn by doing. Topics include software applications, workflow optimization, tips and techniques, and much more. Play, fast-forward, and rewind for easy learning.

About the Author
Rich Shupe is the founder and president of FMA -- a full-service multimedia development company and training facility in New York City. Rich teaches Flash and other digital technologies, in academic and commercial environments worldwide, and is a professor at New York's School of Visual Arts in the MFA computer art program. He is a technical writer for DevX.com, Adobe, and others, and the author of multiple books, including Flash 8: Projects for Learning Animation and Interactivity and the upcoming Learning ActionScript 3, both from O'Reilly. FMA develops CD-ROMs and Web sites for clients including McGraw-Hill, Phillips, 20th Century Fox, and Nickelodeon, and trains digital media professionals in many disciplines. http://www.fmaonline.com

Customer Reviews

It does the job
Before buying this DVD training, I tried learning Flash with Adobe's Classroom in a Book, since I'd had success with that series with Photoshop. I found the book was insufficient for learning Flash -- it is far more complicated and required more depth of knowledge than the book covered.

I gave the DVD 4/5 stars because I felt frustrated several times during the training. Sometimes the instruction was too fast for me to understand and carry out, and I found myself rewinding the video several times in some spots to get it. But in the end, I learned the Flash basics.

And be clear -- this DVD set is JUST to learn the basics of Flash. To really get anywhere (and the instructor makes this clear in the video), you've got to learn Actionscript. I found myself able to make some basic Flash animations, but not being able to make the interactivity I'd hoped for yet. Of course, they sell more video training intended to teach Actionscripting, which seems about on par with other programming languages in its difficulty.

If you're looking for an introductory course into Flash fundamentals, this video does the trick. Be prepared for a few bumps in the road because of the nature of the beast that is Flash.