friends of ED Studio 8 Update

Macromedia has finally confirmed what we have all suspected for a
while: There is a new version of Macromedia Studio on its way! The latest
versions of Flash and Dreamweaver are due to arrive with us in the very
near future, and promise a host of new features as well as revisions to
existing ones.

friends of ED have a range of titles in the works to help you get to
grips with these latest versions, whether you’re upgrading from an
earlier version, or a first time web designer.

–Forthcoming Flash Titles—————————————————-

–”Flash 8 Essentials”

Details: http://www.friendsofed.com/books/1590595327

If you already know how to work with Flash, but want to get the most
out of this latest version, then we can help. “Flash 8 Essentials” cuts
to the chase, showing all you need to know without repeating the stuff
you’ve already learned.

You’ll see how to use the power of Flash 8′s new and improved features,
including its Blending Modes and Filters, improvements in text
handling, the Drawing API, and added video features. It also shows how to get
the most from Flash 8′s speed improvements, and how to make use of new
dynamic features like Bitmap Caching, and the ExternalInterface API.

–”Foundation Flash 8″

Details: http://www.friendsofed.com/books/1590595424/

Thousands upon thousands of Flash designers and developers started out
by using our Foundation Flash titles, and it’s easy to see why. The
Foundation series teaches without patronizing, with the sole intention of
providing all that you need to start your journey into the wonderful
world of Flash.

“Foundation Flash 8″ continues the tradition of delivering theory
alongside structured exercises-a technique that ensures you’ll remember what
you have learned, and be able to use the skills again and again. By the
time you’ve finished working through the book, you’ll have the best
possible understanding of what Flash 8 has to offer, and how to go about
using it.

–”ActionScript Animation: Making Things Move!”

Details: http://www.friendsofed.com/books/1590595181/

Anyone who knows bit-101.com, or has read any of his previous titles,
will know that Keith Peters is a true master when it comes to using
ActionScript to power animations. Just a few lines of code can generate
truly realistic effects. Velocity, acceleration, bouncing, and friction
are just some of the areas that “ActionScript Animation: Making Things
Move!” will cover, and they are techniques that’ll help take your
scripting to another level.

–”Foundation XML for Flash”

Details: http://www.friendsofed.com/books/1590595432/

XML is great. Flash is great. Are you thinking what we’re thinking?
Yes, let’s bring the two together and see what we can do. In “Foundation
XML for Flash,” author Sas Jacobs introduces XML, then shows how to use
it to power numerous Flash applications like an MP3 player, a photo
gallery, and even an Excel-driven web catalog!

–”Foundation ASP.NET 2.0 for Flash”

Details: http://www.friendsofed.com/books/1590595173/

Whether you’re a Flash designer or a ASP.NET developer, this highly
readable Foundation book will provide a a thorough grounding to
integrating Flash, ActionScript 2.0, ASP.NET, and databases. Along the way you’ll
study features such as email integration, saving visitor information,
dynamic updating, and much more.

–”Flash Design Solutions: The Flash Usability Handbook”

Details: http://www.friendsofed.com/books/1590595947/

How do you design and develop a professional and visually appealing
Flash site, that provides users with a memorable and enjoyable online
experience, while still addressing the important issue of accessibility? In
“Flash Design Solutions,” Craig Bryant and Ka Wai Cheung will show you
how!

With chapters covering all aspects of a well designed site-such as
Menus, Lists, Navigation, Preloaders, Forms, Tables and Datagrids-you’ll
learn not just how to build a Flash site, but how to do it properly.

–”Foundation Flash Applications for Mobile Devices”

Details: http://www.friendsofed.com/books/1590595580/

Wireless developers have sought an integrated platform that allows them
to create commercial content for cell-phones, PDAs, and other mobile
devices. Now Flash and its low-power, device-optimized cousin, FlashLite,
allows creation of applications, games, and animation.

“Foundation Flash Applications for Mobile Devices” will show you how to
get the most from the technology, taking advantage of Flash’s
flexibility to deliver content in a variety of media formats to the multitude of
available devices.

–”AdvancED Flash Interface Design”

Details: http://www.friendsofed.com/books/1590595556/

As a competent Flash designer, you’re probably comfortable with all of
the basics that Flash has to offer. However, you’ve probably looked at
some of the amazing Flash sites on the web and thought, “How’d they do
that?” Well, you’ll find out just how in this book!

Chris Dick and Guido Rosso reveal techniques for creating breathtaking
visuals on your Flash website. This includes the use of gradients,
layers, lighting and shadowing, 3-D objects, animation, and photo
editing-all supported with theory about site planning, color theory, and
information architecture.