Macromedia Flash 4 Magic Book

Most Web designers learn new techniques by pulling apart work another designer has already done, so the 21 projects in Flash 4 Magic are ideal. There are 15 utilities, ranging from a guest book interface to a calculator and covering the basics--like preloading images and sounds or using timing instructions--up to working with external scripts, including JavaScript and Apache's PHP script. Once you've mastered those, try the six games. The game play is basic (ping-pong, memory games and whacking games) but the techniques involved are more complex. Flash 4 Magic assumes you know at least the basics of Flash already but even if you don't the excellent step-by-step instructions are so clear that you'll be able to work through the projects as long as you keep the Flash manual to hand in case you need to check any basic techniques. There are plenty of relevant screen grabs to show you what you need to do at each stage and you get all the artwork and code on the CD (via an interface built in Flash), as well as a finished version of each project so you can see what they should look like and check settings for anything you don't find in the instructions. You can jump in and start building real Flash applets that look good and are useful straight away, which is the best way to learn what Flash can do and how to make it happen. If you want nifty interactivity on your Web site, this is a great way to learn how to make the most of a powerful tool. --Penny JanniferRead More