Flash 8 : graphics, animation, and interactivity / James L. Mohler.

By:

Mohler, James L

Material type: Text

TextPublication details: Australia ; New York, N.Y. : Thomson/Delmar Learning, c2006.Description: xxii, 575 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. + 1 CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.)ISBN:

1401871054 (pbk. )
9781401871055 (pbk. )

Subject(s):

DDC classification:

006.786 MOH

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Call number	Copy number	Status	Date due	Barcode
Standard Loan	Moylish Library Main Collection	006.786 MOH (Browse shelf(Opens below))	1	Available		39002100390534

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Through five releases of Macromedia's industry-standard Web graphics software program, James Mohler has become the indispensable resource for those looking to master the power of Flash. Flash:8 Graphics, Animation & Interactivity delivers Mohler's widely praised hands-on approach to learning for the newest version of Macromedia Flash. Exercises and examples in the book, and the on back-of-the book CD, combined with step-by-step explanations, provide the best of both worlds-not just telling you how flash works, but showing you as well. For those new to flash, there are plenty of exercises designed to quickly get users up to speed quickly. Intermediate and advanced Flash users will find new exercises that demonstrate the latest features of version 8 as well as a valuable series of examples that illustrate some of the more complex elements of the software. The book features chapters on graphic techniques, bitmap graphic integration, typography and text, symbols, libraries, sound, animation, interactive techniques-plus an essential introduction to Flash's internal scripting language, Action Script.

Includes index.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

Introduction (p. xix)
Chapter 1 An Overview of Flash (p. 1)
Introduction (p. 1)
Objectives (p. 2)
The Realities of Web Delivery (p. 2)
Designing for Your Audience (p. 3)
The Nuts and Bolts of Connections and Speeds (p. 4)
For Whom Are You Developing? (p. 6)
Flash: The De Facto Standard (p. 8)
A Vector Environment (p. 8)
Other Benefits of Vector Graphics (p. 8)
Resolution Independence (p. 11)
Bitmap Graphics (p. 13)
Animation (p. 13)
Sound (p. 13)
Video Integration (p. 14)
Interactivity and UI Componentry (p. 14)
Scripting (p. 15)
What's New in Flash? (p. 16)
Flash Basic and Flash Pro (p. 16)
Flash Features (p. 17)
Summary (p. 17)
Chapter 2 Getting Started (p. 19)
Introduction (p. 19)
Objectives (p. 19)
The Flash Interface (p. 20)
The Toolbar (p. 21)
The Timeline (p. 21)
The Stage (p. 22)
Panels (p. 22)
Interface Customization (p. 24)
Panel Groups (p. 26)
Setting Up Your Work Environment (p. 26)
Preferences (p. 26)
Auto Format (p. 29)
Clipboard (p. 30)
Document Properties (p. 35)
Keyboard Shortcuts (p. 36)
Font Mapping (p. 37)
Working with Flash Movies (p. 37)
Timeline Playback Basics (p. 38)
Movies with Scenes (p. 40)
Movies with Symbols (p. 42)
The Flash Pipeline (p. 43)
Information/Assistance Resources (p. 44)
Sources in Flash (p. 44)
Sources at Macromedia (p. 44)
Summary (p. 45)
Chapter 3 Flash Basics (p. 47)
Introduction (p. 47)
Objectives (p. 47)
Traditional Vector Versus Flash (p. 48)
Point Versus Natural Drawing (p. 48)
Detached Fills (p. 48)
Object Drawing Models (p. 49)
Interactions of Base Elements (p. 49)
Shape Recognition (p. 50)
Basic Tools (p. 50)
Controlling the View (p. 51)
Zoom and Pan Tools (p. 51)
Other Methods of Stage Control (p. 52)
The Work Area (p. 53)
Selecting Objects (p. 54)
Arrow Tool (p. 54)
Moving Endpoints and Shaping Objects (p. 54)
Subselection Tool (p. 60)
Commonalities with Other Applications (p. 63)
View Settings (p. 63)
Grouping Objects (p. 65)
The Flash Environment Hierarchy (p. 66)
Movies (p. 66)
Scenes (p. 66)
Layers (p. 67)
Objects in Layers (p. 74)
Stage Objects: Unioning and Subtracting (p. 76)
Drawing Objects (p. 78)
Summary of Object Hierarchy (p. 78)
Working with Overlay Objects (p. 79)
Arranging (Z-Order) (p. 79)
Locking and Aligning (p. 80)
Breaking (p. 80)
Distributing Objects to Layers (p. 81)
Transforming Objects (p. 81)
Moving with the Info Panel (p. 82)
Free Transform Tool (p. 82)
Modify | Transform Menu Options (p. 84)
The Transform Panel (p. 85)
Neat Tricks for Transformations (p. 86)
Summary (p. 90)
Chapter 4 Drawing and Painting Tools (p. 91)
Introduction (p. 91)
Objectives (p. 92)
The Properties Panel (p. 92)
Color in Flash (p. 94)
Default Colors (p. 95)
Defining Colors (p. 98)
Using Colors (p. 104)
Creating Lines and Arcs (p. 105)
Line Tool (p. 105)
Pencil Tool (p. 107)
Pen Tool (p. 108)
Modifying Points with the Pen Tool (p. 109)
Creating Lines with Fills (p. 109)
Oval Tool (p. 109)
Rectangle and PolyStar Tools (p. 111)
"Drawing" Fills Using the Brush Tool (p. 112)
Brush Modes (p. 113)
Locking Fills (p. 114)
Tools for Editing (p. 114)
Ink Bottle Tool (p. 114)
Paint Bucket Tool (p. 115)
Transform Fill Tool (p. 116)
Dropper Tool (p. 117)
Eraser Tool (p. 118)
Direct Selection and Editing (p. 120)
Other Editing Features and Notes (p. 120)
Rulers, Grids, and Guides (p. 120)
Align Panel (p. 120)
Shapes Submenu (p. 121)
Importing Vector Graphics into Flash (p. 123)
Summary (p. 125)
Chapter 5 Working with Text (p. 127)
Introduction (p. 127)
Objectives (p. 127)
Types of Text in Flash (p. 128)
Using the Text Tool (p. 128)
Properties of the Text Tool (p. 129)
Entering Text Labels and Blocks (p. 130)
Dynamic Text (p. 134)
Dynamic Text Properties (p. 134)
Creating Dynamic Text Fields (p. 135)
Creating Input Text Objects (p. 136)
Manipulating Text Objects (p. 138)
Transforming Text Objects (p. 138)
Breaking Text Apart (p. 138)
HTML Text Support (p. 139)
Fonts and Font Mapping (p. 140)
Embedded and Device Fonts (p. 140)
Substituting Fonts (p. 142)
Storing Fonts for Authoring (p. 143)
Summary (p. 143)
Chapter 6 Symbols and Libraries (p. 145)
Introduction (p. 145)
Objectives (p. 146)
The Power of Symbols and Libraries (p. 146)
Symbol Behaviors (Types) (p. 146)
Symbols in the Current File (p. 147)
Process for Creating Symbols (p. 147)
Editing Symbols (p. 151)
Registration of Symbols (p. 152)
Different Symbols, Different Purposes (p. 153)
Graphic Symbols (p. 153)
Button Symbols (p. 154)
Movie Clip Symbols (p. 156)
Special Symbol Issues (p. 159)
Redefining Symbols (p. 159)
Swapping Symbols (p. 160)
The "Color" of Symbols (p. 161)
Blending (p. 161)
Compound or Nested Symbols (p. 161)
Breaking Symbols Apart (p. 162)
Understanding Libraries (p. 162)
Importing Symbols from Other Libraries (p. 163)
Using the Library Panel and Menu (p. 166)
Default Libraries (p. 168)
Shared Libraries (p. 169)
Other Assets in Libraries (p. 175)
Font Symbols (p. 175)
Summary of Library Concepts (p. 177)
Summary (p. 178)
Chapter 7 Bitmap Graphics (p. 179)
Introduction (p. 179)
Objectives (p. 179)
Attributes of Raster Graphics (p. 180)
Image Resolution (p. 180)
Bit Depth (p. 181)
File Size (p. 181)
Alpha Data (p. 182)
Compression (p. 182)
File Formats (p. 183)
Preparing Raster Graphics (p. 184)
Sizing Raster Images (Resolution) (p. 184)
Changing Color Modes (Bit Depth) (p. 186)
Getting Bitmaps into Flash (p. 187)
Importing Images (p. 187)
Choosing a File Format (p. 187)
Setting Default Properties in the Library (p. 191)
Using Bitmaps in Flash (p. 193)
Tracing Bitmaps (p. 193)
Breaking Bitmaps Apart (p. 194)
Notes Concerning Bitmaps (p. 195)
Summary (p. 196)
Chapter 8 Sound Elements (p. 197)
Introduction (p. 197)
Objectives (p. 197)
Understanding Computer Audio (p. 198)
Types (p. 198)
Sampling Rate (p. 199)
Bit Depth (p. 201)
Sampling for Flash (p. 202)
Sampling Digital Audio (p. 204)
Tools for Editing and Creation (p. 204)
Recording Your Own Clips (p. 204)
Prepping Clips for Use (p. 206)
DC Offset (p. 207)
Cropping (p. 208)
Normalizing Audio (p. 208)
Effects (p. 209)
Resampling (p. 209)
Equalization (p. 209)
Saving (p. 211)
Importing Sound into Flash (p. 211)
Associating Sounds with Frames (p. 213)
Synchronization of Graphics and Audio (p. 215)
Sound Settings in the Properties Panel (p. 216)
Sync: Event Versus Streaming Sounds (p. 216)
Effect (p. 218)
Edit (Envelope) (p. 218)
Looping and Repeating (p. 220)
Flash Sound Settings (p. 221)
Library Sound Properties (p. 221)
Compression Options (p. 222)
Export Movie Options (p. 225)
Summary (p. 226)
Chapter 9 2D Animation and Effects (p. 227)
Introduction (p. 227)
Objectives (p. 227)
Creating a Basic Animation in Flash (p. 228)
Creating Layers (p. 229)
Naming Layers (p. 229)
"Moving" Objects to a New Layer (p. 230)
Working with Frames (p. 231)
Cel Animation Tools (p. 237)
Creating the Frame-by-Frame Movement (p. 240)
Onion Skin and Onion Skin Outlines (p. 241)
Copying, Pasting, and Reversing Frames (p. 242)
Edit Multiple Frames: Sizing Entire Animations (p. 244)
Motion Tweens (p. 246)
Setting Up a Motion Tween (p. 247)
Setting Up the Tween in the Frame Panel (p. 248)
Other Tween Settings in the Properties Panel (p. 250)
Applying Color Effects (p. 251)
Filters and Blends (p. 254)
Understanding Guide Layers (p. 258)
Understanding Mask Layers (p. 262)
Shape Tweens (p. 264)
Using Shape Tweening (p. 264)
Shape Hints (p. 266)
Timeline Effects (p. 267)
Manually Creating Animated Effects (p. 269)
Animated Text Effects (p. 269)
Hard Blurs (p. 270)
Soft Blurs (p. 272)
Rolling Credits (p. 274)
A Mask for Any Occasion: Transitions (p. 277)
Fading and Dissolving (p. 277)
Wipe or Reveal (p. 278)
Push/Cover (p. 280)
Shape Defines Transition (p. 282)
More on Masks (p. 283)
A More Realistic Spotlight (p. 283)
Magnify (p. 284)
Advanced Motion Guide Layers (p. 285)
Atom Animation (p. 285)
Simulating 3D (p. 287)
Shadows (p. 288)
Reflections (p. 289)
Summary (p. 290)
Chapter 10 3D Animations and Flash (p. 291)
Introduction (p. 291)
Objectives (p. 292)
Methods of Creating/Simulating 3D (p. 292)
Construction (p. 284)
Raster Images (p. 294)
Vector via Manual Tracing (p. 295)
Vector Rasterization: Automatic Tracing (p. 296)
Vector from 3D Packages (p. 297)
Vector from Other Packages (p. 306)
Summary (p. 309)
Chapter 11 Video and Flash (p. 311)
Introduction (p. 311)
Objectives (p. 311)
Attributes of Digital Video (p. 311)
Image Attributes (p. 312)
Audio Attributes (p. 314)
Video Specifics (p. 314)
Preparing Video for Use (p. 318)
Digitizing Video (p. 319)
Software (p. 320)
Tips and Notes About Video (p. 321)
Importing Video into Flash (p. 322)
Loading to Stage or Library (p. 322)
Embedding Video (p. 322)
Video Clip Instance Properties (p. 332)
Controlling Video with Actions (p. 334)
Summary (p. 335)
Chapter 12 Testing, Integration, and Distribution (p. 337)
Introduction (p. 337)
Objectives (p. 338)
Test, Test, and Test Again (p. 338)
Testing in Flash (p. 339)
Playing in Flash (p. 339)
Using Test Movie and Test Scene (p. 340)
Distributing Your Movies (p. 341)
Using the Flash Player (p. 341)
Creating Projectors (p. 342)
QuickTime (p. 342)
Web Delivery (p. 343)
SWF Versus FLA (p. 344)
Using Export Movie (p. 344)
Version (p. 344)
Load Order (p. 345)
ActionScript Version (p. 345)
Generate Size Report (p. 346)
Protect from Import (p. 346)
Omit Trace Actions (p. 346)
Debugging Permitted and Password Field (p. 346)
Compress Movie (p. 347)
Image Compression (p. 347)
Audio Compression (p. 349)
SWF to EXE (Projector) (p. 350)
Exporting Images (p. 350)
Cross-platform Issues (p. 351)
Web Delivery (p. 352)
Integration Versus Optimization (p. 352)
Publishing with Flash (p. 353)
Publish Settings (p. 353)
Formats Tab (p. 354)
Flash Tab (p. 354)
HTML Tab (p. 355)
GIF Tab (p. 359)
JPEG Tab (p. 362)
PNG Tab (p. 362)
QuickTime Tab (p. 364)
Using the Publish Command (p. 365)
Writing HTML (p. 365)
Embed Versus Object (p. 365)
EMBED Attributes/Object Parameters (p. 369)
Working with Publish Templates (p. 370)
Examining and Creating Templates (p. 371)
Streaming, Testing, and Playback (p. 372)
Closely Examining the Size Report (p. 374)
Bandwidth Profiling (p. 378)
Optimizing Your Files (p. 381)
General Tips (p. 382)
Tips for Bitmaps (p. 382)
Tips for Audio Snippets (p. 383)
Tips for Vector Elements (p. 384)
Tips for Video (p. 385)
Summary (p. 385)
Chapter 13 Introduction to ActionScripting (p. 387)
Introduction (p. 387)
Objectives (p. 388)
ActionScript: A Holistic View (p. 388)
Terminology (p. 388)
What Does Object-oriented Mean? (p. 390)
What Defines an Object? (p. 390)
Flash Objects (p. 391)
Built-in Objects: Environment Versus Programming (p. 393)
Where Scripts Are Placed (p. 395)
Frame and Instance Code (p. 395)
Adding an Action (p. 397)
Using the Actions Panel (p. 399)
Behaviors (p. 406)
Using the Behaviors Panel (p. 406)
Actions Panel: A Closer Look (p. 407)
Code Hints (p. 408)
Syntax Highlighting (p. 408)
External Authoring of Scripts (p. 408)
Precedence in the Flash Environment (p. 409)
Movie Clip and Button Mouse Clicks (p. 410)
Movie Clip and Button Key Events (p. 413)
Movie Clip and Frame Events (p. 414)
Multiple Movie Clips (p. 415)
A Summary of Flash Precedence (p. 416)
ActionScript Syntax Issues (p. 417)
Brackets, Semicolons, Parentheses, and Simplification (p. 418)
Case Sensitivity (p. 419)
Comments (p. 420)
Dealing with Dot Syntax and Targets (p. 421)
Programming Fundamentals (p. 427)
Variables (p. 427)
Expressions (p. 434)
Operators (p. 435)
Statements (p. 440)
Functions (p. 451)
Summary (p. 455)
Chapter 14 Working with Actions (p. 457)
Introduction (p. 457)
Objectives (p. 457)
Additional Tools for Scripting (p. 458)
Movie Explorer (p. 458)
Debugger (p. 461)
Timeline Control Actions (p. 464)
gotoAndPlay() and gotoAndStop() (p. 464)
play() and stop() (p. 466)
stopAllSounds() (p. 466)
Applying Movie Control Actions (p. 466)
Adding Labels to a Movie (p. 467)
Applying play(), stop(), and goto (p. 468)
Browser/Network Actions (p. 471)
getURL() (p. 471)
loadMovie() and unloadMovie() (p. 477)
loadVariables() and loadVariablesNum() (p. 484)
fscommand() (p. 485)
Movie Clip Control (p. 495)
duplicateMovieClip() and removeMovieClip() (p. 495)
setProperty() (p. 496)
startDrag(), stopDrag(), and updateAfterEvent() (p. 497)
Summary (p. 498)
Chapter 15 Printing and Accessibility (p. 499)
Introduction (p. 499)
Objectives (p. 499)
Printing Screen Content (p. 499)
The Quandary (p. 500)
An Issue of Control (p. 500)
Printing in Flash (p. 500)
Print-focused Actions (p. 501)
print() and printAsBitmap() (p. 502)
printNum() and printAsBitmapNum() (p. 503)
Controlling What Is Printed (p. 504)
#p and #b (p. 504)
!#p (p. 505)
Using Invisible Movies (p. 505)
Accessibility (p. 506)
Flash Objects and Accessibility (p. 507)
Screen Readers (p. 507)
Closed Captioning (p. 507)
Technology (p. 507)
Accessible Objects (p. 508)
Setting Accessibility in Flash (p. 508)
Summary (p. 510)
Glossary (p. 511)
Appendix A Skewing Angles for Elements (p. 529)
Appendix B Deprecated Actions (p. 543)
Appendix C Key Code Values (p. 545)
Appendix D About the Companion CD-ROM (p. 547)
Index (p. 553)