Book Review

Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Beyond the Basics
Hands-On Training

by Shane Rebenschied

Published by lynda.com/books,
in association with Peachpit Press

This year New Riders released this book, subtitled "The hottest collection of cool tips and hidden secrets for Flash". The book's 176 content pages are exclusively devoted to tips for using Macromedia Flash MX 2004. This book is part of the Killer Tips series produced at New Riders by Scott Kelby.

I love this book. After sampling a few random tips, I read it through from cover to cover. Twice. It was worth it. Page after page had practical advice presented in a very accessible way. Later when I needed to solve a specific problem (reducing file size), I went back to the book and found exactly what I needed on page 109.

The tips have the same kind of content as the margin notes that our eyes seek out in other books. Each page of the Killer Tips book has one or two of these tips, organized into ten chapters. Detailed contents at: Link.

1. I'll Lay You Out. Tips on Organizing Your Workspace.
2. My Tool Belt. Tips on Using the Tools and Toolbar.
3. It's an Organizational Hazard. Timeline, Stage, and Library Tips.
4. Win, Lose, or Draw?Draw! Create Better Effects and Animations.
5. Feel the Flow. Tips to Help You Work Faster.
6. Island of Misfit Tips. Miscellaneous Tips.
7. Import/Export Business. Tips on Importing, Exporting, and Templates.
8. Use What You Got. Tips for Built-In Components and Existing Elements.
9. It's Not Sanskrit. Tips for ActionScript.
10. Let's Get Embed. Tips for Placing Your Flash Movie on Your Site.

Within this very clear, logical structure, the organization is casual. For example, one tip for text blocks is on page 28 and another is on page 32. Between these two entries are tips covering the no color option for shapes, the black/white option for shapes, using free transform to adjust shapes, locking gradients, snapping to objects, distributing symbols to layers, and selecting multiple layers. The intention is to present each tip independently, and the index is thorough, so it is easy enough to find related tips.

The content is terse — words don't get in the way of explanations - and each tip has colorful supporting illustrations. Blended with the straightforward text are personal remarks. As the author comments at the beginning of chapter 10, "All of the other introductions and most of my tips have been blanketed in wise cracks and witty anecdotes."

I will look forward to reading other books in the Killer Tips series and hope that Shane Elliott will continue to write.