* Potentially huge market – Flash has a huge user base worldwide, and the new version is going to be one of the most exciting yet. * Allows users of previous Flash versions to get up to date asap with the new features of Flash X. * Written by some of the most popular community figures in the Flash community.

Macromedia's Flash 8 is the world's premier program for adding animation to websites. And with the latest version, this popular program becomes more versatile, letting beginning webmasters and expert developers alike create sophisticated web content. But Flash isn't intuitive. And it doesn't come with a manual. Whether you want to learn the basics or unleash the program's true power, Flash 8: The Missing Manual is the ideal instructor. This hands-on guide to today's hottest web design tool is aimed at nondevelopers, and it teaches you how to translate your ideas into great web content. It begins with a solid primer on animation, which helps you get comfortable with the Flash interface. Once you have these basics under your belt, Flash 8: The Missing Manual moves on to advanced animations, including adding special effects and audio, video, and interactivity to your presentations. When you're really feeling steady, the book shows how to use a dollop of ActionScript to customize your content. It then teaches you how to publish your Flash creations for web surfers everywhere to enjoy. Along the way, the book shows you good design principles and helps you avoid elements that can distract or annoy an audience. Author Emily Vander Veer has more than a dozen books to her credit, including titles on web design and scripting--most written for non-technical readers. Her background makes her the perfect author for a straightforward book on a complex subject. She takes Flash 8: The Missing Manual from the basics to the advanced, yet avoids a hasty jump into tough topics that can leave readers confused. Not only will Flash 8: The Missing Manual help you turn a concept into unique, dynamic content, but it will continue to serve as a reference as you develop your website.

This is one of the first books solely dedicated to Flash 8 Video development and goes a lot deeper into the subject than other books. It is suitable for those with no previous Flash experience who want to discover the best way to create video applications for the Web. It starts with the very basics, and by the end of the book the reader will be creating advanced interactive video applications, using video alpha channels, masking, blends and filters, the Camera object, and much more.

Andrew Rapo and Alex Michael explain all the important programming concepts from a designer's point of view, making them completely accessible to non-programmers. Completely revised and rewritten this second edition will help you develop professional ActionScript 2 applications, and communicate knowledgably about current, Object Oriented ActionScript 2 techniques. Divided into four sections to take you from novice to professional results: * Flash Fundamentals: Introduces the Flash authoring environment and basic core Flash concepts. * ActionScript 2 Fundamentals: Explains basic programming concepts and terminology, and shows how ActionScript 2 classes are constructed and used. * Built-in Classes: Describes the built-in ActionScript classes that are available for use in applications, including the MovieClip class, Key class, Sound class, etc. * Using ActionScript to Build a Game: Describes the development process for creating a complex Flash application and presents commercial-quality game coding examples.

* New edition of the best selling and very well respected beginner’s Flash book. Sham Bhangal is very well known in the Flash community as a world class teacher, and beginners have even contacted him about personal tuition, as well as buying his books. * Provides easy-to-follow tutorials ideal for beginner market - it is slimmer and more concise than the competition, and concentrates on the essentials that beginners need to know. * Flash X is going to be a huge market – it is the most widely-anticipated release of Flash since 5, because of exciting new features. It is the release that MX 2004 should have been.

* New edition of the best selling and very well respected beginner’s Flash book. Sham Bhangal is very well known in the Flash community as a world class teacher, and beginners have even contacted him about personal tuition, as well as buying his books. * Provides easy-to-follow tutorials ideal for beginner market - it is slimmer and more concise than the competition, and concentrates on the essentials that beginners need to know. * Flash X is going to be a huge market – it is the most widely-anticipated release of Flash since 5, because of exciting new features. It is the release that MX 2004 should have been.

This is one of the first books solely dedicated to Flash 8 Video development and goes a lot deeper into the subject than other books. It is suitable for those with no previous Flash experience who want to discover the best way to create video applications for the Web. It starts with the very basics, and by the end of the book the reader will be creating advanced interactive video applications, using video alpha channels, masking, blends and filters, the Camera object, and much more.

Supports Flash 8, due later this year; will be a huge market Provides professional best practices—strong emphasis on planning, documentation, and adhering to strict and clean coding from the outset Teaches you to create dynamic, reusable rich-client web applications and services

We all know what a great tool Flash is for creating dynamic, engaging web content, and Adobe's CS4 release just makes it even better. Among the newer features is the ability to take all the power of Flash for the Web and put in on the desktop using AIR. AIR capability is built right into the Flash CS4 integrated development environment, which means you can start writing desktop applications right away. This book not only covers the essentials of using Flash with AIR (and AIR with Flash), but also shows you how to extend application functionality in new ways. Once you've got Flash on the desktop, you're no longer constrained by the limitations of running inside a web browser. You'll have access to the local desktop file system, and AIR adds SQLite functionality for native database support. And just as Flash animations have a consistent look and feel across browsers, AIR allows you to create applications that work consistently across operating systems—Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. For any Flash developer who wants to go from the Web to the desktop (and who doesn't?), this book is required reading. It not only tells you how to do it, but is full of practical, easy-to-follow examples that will have you building desktop AIR applications with Flash in no time. Expanding your existing Flash skills with the Essential Guide to Flash CS4 AIR Development will make you an even more potent and indispensable force on any development team!

Creating graphics for Flash games can be fun and rewarding, especially when you can channel your imagination into your art and provide potential players with a fun entertainment experience. Written for anyone creating games with Flash, Macromedia© Flash(TM) Professional 8 Game Graphics teaches the essentials of Flash game art. You'll learn all about what Flash graphics are, how to create your own, and how to import them into working game source files. The book covers vector and raster graphics and explains how both can be used to improve the performance of your game. Helpful tips and techniques are included throughout to help you become more effi cient at creating user interfaces, game character sprites, and special effects. And several real-world game examples are used to teach about the development process for creating game graphics and preparing them correctly for a smooth transition to programming. You don't have to be an artist to use this book, because the graphic techniques taught don't require a painter's hand. So if you want to create awesome graphics for your Flash games, this is the place to get started.