If you need to get to grips fast with creating interactive graphics and animation in Flash - then look no further! Whether you are a new user or a professional, this highly visual book is all you need to get up and running with the latest powerful upgrade - Macromedia Flash 8. Birgitta Hosea breaks down the software into its main components and offers simple, visual step-by-step instructions to explain the fundamental practical techniques you need to create finished projects. The accessible style and structure lets you dip in and out when working on a project, or work straight through to explore more of the program's capabilities and develop your skills. Written by a designer for designers The Focal Easy Guide to Macromedia Flash 8 offers a thorough coverage of the basic features of Flash, without going into in-depth coding with ActionScript. Birgitta Hosea is a motion graphics artist and Course Director of the London Animation Studio at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Her experience ranges from designing moving branding to art directing pop promos and short films. A Volume in The Focal Easy Guide Series. The Focal Easy Guide series: . Starting working with new software immediately regardless of your level . Achieve professional results, learn practical skills from industry experts . Focused, user-friendly coverage of the key tools you need to know

Whether you are a designer who hasn't yet used Flash, a professional animator who wants to create digital animation for the first time, or a Flash user who hasn't yet made the most of the animation features this book will show you how to bring your ideas to life. Get to grips with Flash and bring inspiration to your work using Alex Michael's easy to understand approach, demonstrating a wide selection of animation styles from a range of artists, along with key tips and tricks from the professionals.

Software programs are complex, the books that explain them shouldn't be. This thoroughly illustrated, full-color guide explains everything you need to know to get up and running quickly with Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 without any extraneous information or complicated, detailed explanations. The author focuses solely on the key features you will need to start producing and mastering professional-quality DVDs immediately in order to avoid overloading you with too many details. Learn best practices for planning your project, importing video and audio assests, creating professional-looking menus, and adding custom project elements. Abundant illustrations, screenshots, and concise, results-driven text makes this the ultimate guide to getting up and running quickly with Encore DVD. The Focal Easy Guide Series: * Start working with new software immediately regardless of your level * Achieve professional results, learn practical skills from industry experts * Focused, user-friendly coverage of the key tools you need to know

Showcases the computer animation program's newly designed interface while explaining how to build interactive Web sites using innovative graphics, text, and animated images.

Andrew Rapo and Alex Michael explain all the important programming concepts from a designer's point of view, making them completely accessible to non-programmers. Completely revised and rewritten this second edition will help you develop professional ActionScript 2 applications, and communicate knowledgably about current, Object Oriented ActionScript 2 techniques. Divided into four sections to take you from novice to professional results: * Flash Fundamentals: Introduces the Flash authoring environment and basic core Flash concepts. * ActionScript 2 Fundamentals: Explains basic programming concepts and terminology, and shows how ActionScript 2 classes are constructed and used. * Built-in Classes: Describes the built-in ActionScript classes that are available for use in applications, including the MovieClip class, Key class, Sound class, etc. * Using ActionScript to Build a Game: Describes the development process for creating a complex Flash application and presents commercial-quality game coding examples.

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.