Flash Web Design
There are some unusual approaches here: vectorising video to get stylised effects without huge file sizes, or deliberately blurring images so you can apply heavy JPEG compression to improve download times. The different projects cover working with all the major elements: sound, bitmaps, vector graphics, video, text, buttons, 3D, animated objects, programmable objects and scripts. Besides the very clear, detailed step-by-step instructions and tips that bear the hallmarks of experience, Curtis shares the design process he used to come up with the ideas and recommendations for other software to work with Flash (with the best way to move files back and forth between software). Curtis's explanations are useful: for example, it's better to use any sound other than percussion as a background because playback speed varies from computer to computer and it's just too hard to get the beats to synchronise with the motion on screen. There's even a chapter on a process for designers to sell ideas to clients while saving themselves work on a project, and the obligatory list of useful Web sites and books is more interesting than usual.
Reader's Review
Best second book to buy
I've found this book to be very inspirational not only in terms of flash but design as well. Allthough it's extremely helpfull I wouldn't buy this book as my first as you have to know the basics for this book to be of any use. The only drawback I can think of is that it has no CD thus you may experience difficulties when trying to mimic the presented tutorials.