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FlashFLASHMXAPPLICATIONBeINTERFACEDESIGN2002ApressOriginallypublishedbyFriendsofEDin2002Allrightsreserved.
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Theauthorsandpublisherhavemadeeveryeffortinthepreparationofthisbooktoensuretheaccuracyoftheinformation.
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Neithertheauthors,friendsofEDnoritsdealersordistributorswillbeheldliableforanydamagescausedorallegedtobecausedeitherdirectlyorindirectlybythisbook.
FirstPrintedOctober2002TrademarkAcknowledgementsISBN978-1-59059-158-1ISBN978-1-4302-5217-7(eBook)DOI10.
1007/978-1-4302-5217-7CreditsAuthorsPeteAylwardKenJokolJamieMacdonaldPaulPrudenceGienRhodesRobbieShepherdToddYardAdditionalMaterialPeterFletcherReviewersjasonAndersonKristianSesleyKimChristensenSteveMcCormickjonSteerMichaelWalstonProofReadersjonSoundsSimonCoUinsRichardHarrisonChrisMatterfaceFionaMurrayCatherineO'FlynnGavinWrayCommissioningEditorjimHannahTechnicalEditorjulieClossProjectManagerRichardHarrisonDesignerKatyFreerIndexerFionaMurray_--c~~~e_nt_s'1DesigningPreloaders2CreatingSiteswiththeDrawingAPI3Real-FeelSites4AFlashFamilyTree5MakingXMLWorkforyourInterface6APHPPoweredSite7PromotingSiteStickiness8AT-ShirtDesigner9InteractiveVideo:Karate!
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-----I------IIdescribemyselfasadisciplinarydesigner,basicallymeansIamajackofalltradesbutmasterofnone.
Mytimeissplitbetweenteachingundergraduatedesignstudentsandlookingafterawellknownpublisherswebsite.
Thisleaveslittletimeforactuallygettinganycontentupathypeteila.
combutIwilldo,oneday.
jamielivesandworkswhenhefindstimehesitewww.
nooflat.
nuPeterI'manartist.
Iusedtopaint&drawcomplexrepetitiveorganicformssuchasradiolariansandI'vealwaysconsideredtheseformstobeverybeautiful.
SincediscoveringFlashI'vefoundlittletimetopaintandnowIcultivatesimpleactionscriptroutinestomakeconfigurablescreen'paintings,afewofthesecanbefoundattransphormetic.
com.
WhennotinsideFlashIearnalivingdoingwebdesignandcreativedevelopment.
HopefullysometimesoonI'llgetaroundtofinishingmyonlineportfolioofthiskindofworkatslightspace.
com.
~IstartedmymindgoingearlyinlifewhenIwasabout4yearsold.
Atthatage,Ibeganplayingthepiano,whichwassittingunusedinourhouse.
I'vebeenplayingeversincethen.
Later,in1997,Ico-wroteafull-lengthmusicalcalledChrystanthia.
Somewherealongtheway,Ipickedupgameprogrammingasahobby,andeventuallyendedupmakinggamesprofessionallyforhomeconsolesystems.
Then,in1998,IdiscoveredhowIcouldtakeallmyexperiencesandcombinethemwhenIdiscoveredFlash.
Therestishistory.
Isharemyideasonmywebsite,www.
glenrhodes.
com.
AUTHORS~o'oD1eS~'herc\---j.
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~eShepherdisaself-taughtdesigner/programmerwh~cameintotheITindustryatafairlylateagecomparedtomost,acareerchoicewhichresultedinmuchhairloss(whilelearningFlash)andtears(victimofseveraldotcomcrashes)butwhichhasultimatelyprovidedthegreatestsatisfactionoutofallthecareershe'shad.
DespiteRobbie'sconstantreiterationthatheisa"Flashprogrammer",hisparentsinsistontellingeveryonetheymeetthattheirsonis"aFlasher".
InhissparetimeRobbiemakesthingsinlikestocall"Flashthings".
Whenhe'snotiseithergettingtattooedorwatchingNewcastleinthePremierLeague,neither~happenoftenenough.
FlashthathedoingthisheLeedsstompofwhichcanAfterstudyingtheatreinLondon,thenworkingforseveralyearsasanactorintheUS,ToddwasintroducedtoFlashin2000andwasquicklytakenbyhowitallowedforbothstunningcreativityandprogrammaticlogicapplication-atrulyleft-brain,rightbrainapproachtoproduction-andhasnotlookedback.
HenowworksasCreativeDirectorforDaedalusMediainNewYorkCity,whichspecializesinthecreationofFlash-basedcorporatepresentationsprimarilyforclientsintheinvestmentbankingindustry.
Hismorefrivolousworkandexperimentationcanbefoundatpersonalwebsite,www.
27Bobs.
com.
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Sharethewealth!
\FlashastheIdealMediumThedaysofFlashasacreativeluxuryarelonggone.
Aftermonthsofdownsizing.
Flashcreativityhasbeenonahugerationalizationprogram.
ItIisnolongerenoughtopresentanimationinmillionsofcolorsandahundredtransparencies.
Itisnolongersufficienttoprovideinteractivityanddynamismfortheirownsake.
ThepurposeofthiscollectionistoshowhowdesignershavetakenFlashandmadeitworkforitssupper.
WhatwediscoverisaseriesofcreationsthatplaceFlashatthehubofcuttingedgewebcontent.
TheendresultisasnapshotofFlashastheIdealMedium.
Intheseamazingexamplesweseethesoftwarepushedtoitslimitstocreateunbeatableapplications-acollapsiblefamilytree.
aninteractivevideolearningsystem.
andadrawingtool,capableofrunningonline!
Beyondthiswedipintotheback-endcapabilitiestolookathowtoimproveFlashstillfurther.
SomestapleXMLandPHProutinesarebroughtintoaddabitofspice,whileFlash'smysterioussharedObjectcommandishunteddownandtamedtocreateahybridTamagotchi-stylehouseplant-perfectlysuitedtoluresurfersbacktoyourwebsite!
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