After Effects for Flash Flash for After Effects

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 brings together two powerful animation tools, each of which has its own specialized features and workflow. Learning to integrate Adobe After Effects and Adobe Flash Professional gives you more options for your animations and effects and the power to integrate video and motion graphics into a richer user experience. In this book, authors Richard Harrington and Marcus Geduld lead both types of users, those who are more familiar with either Flash or with After Effects, on using the programs together for maximum efficiency and creativity.

After walking you through the core features of both programs, the authors then explore advanced uses for each application. Each chapter focuses on a particular function of the program, teaching you how to create content for Flash with After Effects, enhance your projects using 3D environments, create professional-looking video with Adobe Media Encoder, and add interactivity, accessibility, and searchability to your video. You'll also get hands-on experience using the project files on the accompanying DVD.

Within these easy-to-follow, step-by-step lessons, you'll learn to:

Seamlessly exchange projects and assets between After Effects and Flash Shoot green screen material correctly, work with Keylight, and utilize embedded alpha channels Create dynamic text, vector-based animations, and "animated" video using the tools in Adobe Creative Suite 4 Work with 3D cameras and lights and create 3D environments Convert Flash to broadcast and DVD standards with After Effects Use Adobe Media Encoder for professional results Create interactive controls and use cue points in your video Optimize video for accessibility and use Adobe® Soundbooth® for video transcription Use ActionScript in your projects for more innovative animations  
Richard Harrington is a certified instructor for Adobe, Apple, and Avid, and an expert in motion graphic design and digital video. He is a regular contributor to Creative Cow, ProVideo Coalition, and numerous industry blogs and magazines. He also owns the visual communications company, RHED Pixel (www.rhedpixel.com) in Washington, DC. Rich is a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals Instructor Dream Team, chairs conferences for the National Association of Broadcasters, and has written numerous titles including Understanding Adobe Photoshop CS4, Photoshop for Video, and Broadcast Graphics on the Spot.

Marcus Geduld is a freelance programmer who teaches programming, design, animation, compositing, and video editing in New York City. He is the author of Premiere Pro Editing Workshop and After Effects Expressions and is the co-author of After Effects On the Spot. Marcus speaks on technical and artistic topics at numerous conferences and is an Adobe Certified Expert, a Macromedia Certified Developer, and an Avid Certified Instructor. He is artistic director of Folding Chair Classical Theatre, a New-York based company which he runs with his wife, actress Lisa Blankenship.

 

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction (p. ix)
• Part 1 Technical Essentials
• Chapter 1 After Effects Essentials for the Flash User (p. 1)
• The After Effects Interface Tour (p. 2)
• Creating a Project (p. 7)
• Animating in the Timeline (p. 9)
• Compositing in the Timeline (p. 16)
• Replacing Content (p. 22)
• Edit Original Command (p. 24)
• Rendering Animations (p. 26)
• What's Next? (p. 28)
• Chapter 2 Flash Essentials for the After Effects User (p. 29)
• Creating a New Flash File (p. 30)
• Importing Assets (p. 33)
• Using the Library (p. 35)
• Layers (p. 39)
• Adding Text (p. 41)
• Flash CS4's New Animation Method (p. 42)
• Classic Animation (p. 47)
• Timeline Editing (p. 48)
• Simple Easing (p. 49)
• The Motion Editor (p. 50)
• Converting to a Symbol (p. 51)
• Nested Animation (p. 54)
• Publishing (p. 62)
• Flash Forward (p. 64)
• What's Next? (p. 64)
• Chapter 3 The Production Premium Toolset (p. 65)
• Integrated Software (p. 66)
• Exploring Workflow (p. 70)
• What's Next (p. 86)
• Part II Creating Content for Flash with After Effects
• Chapter 4 Creating Transparent Video with After Effects (p. 87)
• Shooting Chroma Key Right (p. 89)
• Keying in After Effects (p. 95)
• What's Next? (p. 110)
• Chapter 5 Dynamic Text with After Effects (p. 111)
• The Project (p. 112)
• The Setup (p. 112)
• Text Animation with Animation Groups (p. 114)
• Save a Preset (p. 123)
• Scaling and Positioning Text (p. 124)
• Aligning Text (p. 126)
• Text-Animation Presets (p. 127)
• Final Touches (p. 130)
• What's Next? (p. 131)
• Chapter 6 Raster vs. Vector (p. 133)
• Raster Images (p. 134)
• Vector Images (p. 136)
• Raster and Vector Animation in After Effects (p. 137)
• Raster Animation in Flash (p. 139)
• Vector Drawing Tools in Flash (p. 141)
• Vector Drawing in After Effects (p. 150)
• Exporting from After Effects as an XFL File (p. 155)
• Importing a SWF into After Effects (p. 157)
• What's Next? (p. 157)
• Chapter 7 "Tooning" Footage with the Creative Suite (p. 159)
• The Cartoon Effect in After Effects (p. 160)
• Live Trace with Creative Suite (p. 167)
• Silhouette with Auto-trace (p. 173)
• What's Next? (p. 177)
• Chapter 8 Advanced Animation Tools in After Effects and Flash (p. 179)
• Motion Sketch (p. 180)
• Smoother (p. 181)
• Wiggler (p. 183)
• The Puppet Tools (p. 185)
• The Bones Tool (p. 189)
• Shape Tweening (p. 191)
• Adding Sound (p. 196)
• Prepare the Movie for After Effects (p. 197)
• What's Next? (p. 197)
• Part III Enhancing Flash with After Effects
• Chapter 9 Creating 3D Environments (p. 199)
• Creating Seamless Textures (p. 200)
• Assembling Virtual Environments from Photos (p. 207)
• Creating Seamless Backgrounds with Photomerge (p. 216)
• Using Vanishing Point Exchange (p. 222)
• What's Next (p. 228)
• Chapter 10 Using 3D Cameras and Lights (p. 229)
• Animating a Camera (p. 230)
• Animating a 3D Pre-comp (p. 237)
• Lighting the Scene (p. 239)
• Adding a Camera to the Scene (p. 243)
• Camera Orbits (p. 246)
• Depth of Field (p. 248)
• Casting Shadows (p. 250)
• Practice Makes Perfect (p. 251)
• What's Next? (p. 252)
• Chapter 11 Converting Flash to Broadcast Standards (p. 253)
• The Technical Essentials of Video (p. 254)
• Preparing the FLA File (p. 260)
• Finishing in After Effects (p. 265)
• What's Next? (p. 270)
• Part IV Enhancing Video with Flash
• Chapter 12 Professional Encoding of Flash Video (p. 271)
• Delivery Methods for Flash Video (p. 272)
• Delivery Formats (p. 275)
• Delivery Size (p. 276)
• Deploying Video (p. 279)
• What's Next? (p. 292)
• Chapter 13 Creating Interactive Controls (p. 293)
• The Project (p. 294)
• Prepping the Video (p. 295)
• Adding Simple Interactivity with Buttons (p. 300)
• Advanced Interactivity (p. 306)
• One More Word About ActionScript (p. 314)
• What's Next? (p. 314)
• Chapter 14 Making Video Accessible (p. 315)
• Section 508 Compliance (p. 316)
• Transcribing Audio with Soundbooth (p. 317)
• Making Searchable Video (p. 323)
• Creating Captioned Video (p. 326)
• What's Next? (p. 334)
• Index (p. 335)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Richard Harrington is a certified instructor for Adobe, Apple, and Avid. He is a regular contributor to Creative Cow, ProVideo Coalition, and numerous industry blogs and magazines. He also owns the visual communications company. Rhed Pixel (www.rhedpixel.com) in Washington, DC. Rich is a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals Instructor Dream Team, chairs conferences for the National Association of Broadcasters, and has written numerous titles including photoshop for Video, and Broadcast Graphics on the Spot.
Marcus Geduld is a programmer who teaches design, animation, composition, programming, and video editing in New York City. He is the author of Premiere Pro Editing Workshop and After Effects Expressions and is the co-author of After Effects On the Spot. Marcus speaks at numerous conferences and is an Adobe Certified Expert, a Macromedia Certified Developer, and an Avid Certified Instructor. He is artistic director of Folding Chair Classical Theatre in New York.