Flash MX Savvy Book

Unlike a lot of Flash books, Flash MX Savvy doesn't try to wow you with glossy visuals and technically impressive Flash tricks, although there is a very interesting colour gallery section. Neither is it a learn-by-doing book; there are eight hands-on sections that cover everything from customising the keyboard to interactive audio, but these are by no means the main feature. This is more of a conventional textbook, which covers all the topics in a logical progression, starting with the basics and moving on to intermediate and advanced stuff only when you're good and ready. The early chapters introduce the Flash interface and cover new MX features such as templates, components, timeline improvements and the new Property Inspector. There's also a concise history of the development of Flash, which, while not essential to learning the program makes for interesting reading. Flash MX Savvy is very strong on its coverage of the basics and in the chapters on audio. Basics are often skimmed over in other books in the hope that you'll pick up the easy stuff up while you're attempting more interesting and advanced things. In Flash MX Savvy, every aspect of the interface, painting and drawing and animation tools is covered in detail. And whereas sound is usually dealt with in a single chapter, here it gets four, covering everything from technical background to scripting audio. Flash MX Savvy is a thorough book that works well as an all round Flash MX primer, or for those looking to boost their Flash audio skills. --Ken McMahonRead More