Macromedia Flash MX 2004: Training from the Source

I'm a competent programmer, but completely new to Flash. This book was incredibly frustrating.
* The whole premise of working towards a completed Bookstore application didn't work.
* The lessons aren't logically structured - the things you do in the first chapters don't get completed until lessons half the book later - so most of the time you aren't sure what you have done or whether it works or not.
* Some of the example code didn't work.

I've got the TFS book on Actionscript staring at me from the bookshelf, and i'm wondering whether to even open it....

Convoluted project slows learning (4/4 people found this helpful)

This book follows the design of an entire website using Flash. I would question the wisdom of this approach because other technologies are much more suitable for site development. Most developers like myself are looking for a book that will help them understand animated graphics. Because the author wants to create all the elements for this site using Flash, many of the examples are more complicated than they should be, and the learning process takes much longer than it should. By page 140 I had decided to abandon the project and ordered a different title.

Ideal book for beginners & first-time users (5/6 people found this helpful)

I am a first-year student studying Multimedia Design, and I needed to become more fluent and comfortable with the Flash MX interface in order to get the best out of my coursework. For the first few months of my course I was purchasing digital-art based computer magazines from Newsagents, and have found these very frustating and difficult to pick up, as their Flash tutorials were in a very direct format - due to the rushed nature of publishing a monthly magazine.

After completeing this book, I achieved a great understanding and familiarity of Flash MX 2004 as the tutorials introduce you to all the basic functions of the program varying from how to be economical in file size to introducing the basics of ActionScript 2.0. The project you undertake within the book provides you with a platform of knowledge explaining the fuction of each icon, term (phrase), button, or menu that you see in the Flash MX interface. This is great if your an inexperienced Flash MX user as the program's environment can seem very daunting at first, and it's not easy trying to understand exactly what each function does or its purpose simply by method of trial and error.

What you can expect from this book is a greater awareness of how the program functions and how to operate effectively within it's environment. If you are already familiar with the interface of Flash than this book will provide you with a gentle top-up guide to the areas of the program you may of been slightly unaware of (e.g such as the functions of the Components Menu and Behaviours, etc.).

Overall if your a first-time Flash MX 2004 user, or say a first-year student studying some form of digital design - this book is an ideal introduction into exactly what the program can do. It is very well written making it easy to absorb and once you complete the book I am confident you will feel confident enough to start studying books at a more intermediate level (e.g. Books based on ActionScript and Rich Internet Development).

To backup the strength of my review, this book was effective enough to provide me with the confidence and experience to go on and produce my first ever live Flash website (www.chainreactiondiscos.co.uk) as part of my work experience module of my course. I have also gone on to recommended this book to two of my housemates studying Graphic Design, and they have both benefitted from this book's inspiration and clarity towards learning Flash MX 2004.

Worst Ever (8/9 people found this helpful)

This is the worst book ever published for Flash. I'm a student and I bought this book only to regret it. This book only shows you how to create a site that has been "ideally" created. One of those blue-peter style "heres one I made earlier" type things. When you start to want to do things more in your own style, everything goes wrong. I suggest something more in-depth like the Demystified series.

training from the source? (6/7 people found this helpful)

I managed to get about halfway through the book before I consigned it to the waste paper basket. For a beginner it is just not worth it. The book guides you through a project from start to finish but after a while I lost interest in the project as it is far too restrictive. The book assumes knowledge that I did not have. As I say, not for beginners.

Macromedia Flash MX 2004: Training from the Source

Jen deHaan

Reader Reviews:

save your money (8/8 people found this helpful)

Convoluted project slows learning (4/4 people found this helpful)

Ideal book for beginners & first-time users (5/6 people found this helpful)

Worst Ever (8/9 people found this helpful)

training from the source? (6/7 people found this helpful)

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