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Book Review-Learning Flash CS4 Professional

Mar 6

Posted by theChef in Books, Everything on the Menu | No Comments

Learning Flash CS4 Professional

This is another great book from Rich Shupe. Learning Flash CS4 Professional is a full-color learning guide to one of the most popular web development tools in history, Adobe Flash. Adobe Flash has changed the web forever and has given users from all over the world a new way to engage, interact and experience web content of all types. Flash has been on the market for over ten years and it continues to grow beyond what most can comprend.

I teach Flash primarily to individuals who are: “New to Flash”, “Opened and Closed Flash”, and “Played with Flash a little”. Whatever the case maybe, I highly recommend Learning Flash CS4 Professional.

The book takes you from:

  • Interface Essentials
  • Graphics, Symbols
  • Animation
  • Text
  • Audio/Video
  • Publishing
  • ActionScript Basics – “And it’s not over a beginner’s head”
  • Flash Advanced Features (3D, Components, Kinematics)

The book reads well and does not boggle you down many exercises, it gives you the opportunity to complete one project. This project also relates to what most people would use Flash for.  The chapters are clear and concise. If you are not following the project, you will still be able to complete various exercises in each chapter.

I’ve been using Flash since Flash 3, but if I had to learn it all over again, I believe Learning Flash CS4 Professional would actually help me learn Flash.

I give it 4/5 BURGERS.

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Study AS3 iPhone App

Feb 16

Posted by theChef in Everything on the Menu, iPhone | No Comments

ActionScript 3.0 study guide for the iPhone

I’ve been away from the blog for a while, and for good reason. I’m getting ready for CS5! While I was getting ready for the next fabulous release, I created an iPhone app using….the next release. As you may know, I love to teach Flash and what better way to teach Flash but in the palm of your hands. I have developed an ActionScript study guide for the iPhone. Use Study AS3 to help pass the ACE exam, sharpen your skills, or just to boost your ego! More to come, plus I’m working on an Adobe AIR version, and soon versions for other mobile devices! Stay tuned!

www.flashfood.net/AS3

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Papervision3D 101 – Papervision3D Essentials

Oct 21

Posted by theChef in AS3, Books | No Comments

Papervision3D Essentials
This is a great introductory book to get started with Papervision3D using ActionScript 3. If you are not familiar with Papervision3D, it is a set of ActionScript API’s (tools), that allow you to create 3D worlds, interact with 3D objects, and much more. The great thing that I love about this book is the fact that it is written from a beginners point of view. The book does assume that you know ActionScript 3, but does not assume that your now anything about OOP (Object Oriented Programming), building classes, etc. It walks you through everything step by step. Excellent book, great examples, well written! So, what are you waiting for! Go get it. Hardcover & PDF versions available.

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Adobe MAX 2009 – TimeLapse

Oct 17

Posted by theChef in Everything on the Menu, Tidbits, Video | No Comments

A quick video of my travels while at Adobe MAX 2009.

Adobe MAX 2009 – Elapsed from Lou Barber on Vimeo.

Adobe Flash CS5 – New Features

Oct 16

Posted by theChef in Everything on the Menu | No Comments

Adobe Flash CS5

Adobe Flash CS5


Great session by Richard Galvan – The MAX Secret Session Flash CS5
Click here to view the session.
Here are some notes from the VERY informative Flash CS5 video. Hats off to Adobe for the great sneak peak inside look at the next version of Flash! A must see!

- Flash on the iPhone (Not the Player, but using Flash to build iPhone apps) $$$
- The Stage is now the Flash Player running??!!
- Text (more properties, text underlining, multi-language, ligatures, text flow w/ images, Font Embedding support increased)
- inDesign & Flash support
- ActionScript editor 100% better
- SWF history in properties panel
- code snippets panel (click & apply)
- actionscript panel (better code completion, custom class introspection, Flash & Flash Builder options for coding)
- File > Save As >  “.fla” as XML (uncompressed, good for global changes, separate work-flows)
- Inverse Kinematics (Armatures) (new features, spring & damping)
- Deco Tool (more brushes) & create your own brushes using ExtendScript, Deco timeline animation
- Video improvements (alpha video positioning, view alpha video on the stage, new skins, add cue-points at design time)

View the session here.

ActionScript 101 – Event Handling

Oct 14

Posted by theChef in 101 ActionScript (Small Fry), AS3, Video | No Comments

Intro to ActionScript 3 Event Handling

FlashFood – ActionScript 101 – Event Handling from Lou Barber on Vimeo.

//FIRST CODE SNIPPET
this.flashChimp.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, onClick);
this.MAX.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, onClick);

function onClick(e:MouseEvent):void{
    trace(e.type);
    if(e.target.name == "flashChimp"){
        trace("Hello, Flash Chimp!");
        } else {
        trace("Hello, MAX!");
        }
    }
// SECOND CODE SNIPPET
this.chimps.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, onClick);
this.chimps.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER, onOver);
this.chimps.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT, onOut);

function onOver(e:MouseEvent):void{
    e.target.alpha = .5;
    }
function onOut(e:MouseEvent):void{
    e.target.alpha = 1;
    }

function onClick(e:MouseEvent):void{
    trace(e.currentTarget.name);
    }

Adobe MAX 2009 – Learning ActionScript 3

Oct 10

Posted by theChef in Everything on the Menu | No Comments

Lou Barber - Learning ActionScript 3

Lou Barber - Learning ActionScript 3

I would like to thank everyone who attended my session @adobemax M,T,& W (over 300 people)! Thanks for all of the great feedback and comments!  The lab was great!  New friends, knowledge and insight!!

Below I have links to the presentation (PDF) & lab files.

Learning ActionScript 3.0 Presentation

http://www.flashfood.net/cookbook/files/Lou_Barber_Learning_ActionScript3.pdf

Lab Files

http://www.flashfood.net/cookbook/files/MAX2009_lab_files.zip

ActionScript for Designers – Adobe Groups TechWeds

Oct 10

Posted by theChef in 101 ActionScript (Small Fry), 101 Flash, Interviews/Presentations | No Comments

ActionScript 4 Designers

ActionScript 4 Designers

Here is a link to an Adobe Groups TechWeds.

https://admin.na3.acrobat.com/_a204547676/p94818394/

Some of the same, some of the new.

Backstories…. Adobe MAX 2009

Oct 6

Posted by theChef in Interviews/Presentations, Tidbits | No Comments

Adobe MAX LA Convention Center

  1. Too many people catching the shuttle.
  2. Decided to take a cab!
  3. I hear a voice that says “Hey Lou”.
  4. I turn around and it’s Kevin Lynch.???
  5. I’m thinking “how did you know my name????”
  6. We both take the same cab over to MAX.
  7. I try to get some clues out of him while riding.
  8. He’s not budging. So back to regular conversation.
  9. Finally arrive at MAX.
  10. I have no CASH only CREDIT.
  11. Kevin paid the fare. Thanks!

ActionScript 101 – Functions

Oct 3

Posted by theChef in 101 ActionScript (Small Fry), 101 Flash, AS3, Video | No Comments

Introductory tutorial on AcitonScript variables. More to come. Full screen available.

Flash Food – ActionScript 101 – Function from Lou Barber on Vimeo.