Flash 5! Creative Web Animation (Productivity Kit) Book

Flash 5 Creative Web Animation helps any new user get up to speed with Macromedia's powerful Web design tool. Rich with information and examples, the lessons are designed to help the beginning through intermediate user climb the learning curve toward becoming a proficient designer.The book devotes over 500 pages to every aspect of the application, from the very beginning ("Why Flash?"), through the basics of the interface, graphics, text, sound, layers, and on to advanced interactivity using ActionScript and tools like the Library and Movie Explorer for managing large projects, and final project testing.If there is a drawback to the book, it is the ratio of information to images. Densely packed and rich with data, there is a noticeable lack of screenshots and illustrations. Many sections could have been made clearer with more accompanying graphics, although this would have inflated the already large page count. Don't let this weak spot deter you from buying this book--it is still a valuable and handy resource, and at the price is good value.Included on the CD, and worth the cost of the book alone, are over 40 Quicktime videos that parallel the lessons in the book. Each video is large, clear, concise and teaches visually how to perform specific tasks. These video clips are a great example of how to use the technology (in this case, Flash, QuickTime, and the CD format) to really enhance an educational book and give each lesson greater impact. Some people have no difficulty in learning from a book, while others learn better in a kind of "sit-back-and-watch" state. This book-and-CD combination offers both.Flash 5 Creative Web Animation succeeds on many levels, and should be on the desk next to any beginning or intermediate Flash user. --Mike CaputoRead More