No comments about Open Look Graphical User Interface: Programmer's Guide.

No comments about Creating User Interfaces by Demonstration (Perspectives in Computing, Vol 22).

5 comments about Flash 5 Studio with CD-ROM.

1. Keep in mind that Friends of Ed targets these books to designers, and that the books are written by both designers and programmers!
   (Programmers already know how to do this stuff, maybe just not in the flash environment.)

   So if you are a designer who doesn't have a programmer working the ActionScript side of flash for you, this book would be a great desktop reference to complete a range of flash projects!

   Also, While all sections are not perfectly written or perfectly coded the book is packed full of code and information for the person who is truly willing to put the time in and learn the many aspects of flash!




2. This is the one I use the most, always some little details to learn and imrpove my stuff. I like their books and will prob'ly buy all of 'em.



3. A very decent addition to my collection of Flash books. The first chapter on Site Design Principles was worth the price of the book alone. Although not definitively project based through all chapters (some are just a few steps), I picked up a lot of valuable techniques that I use in my own career now. Foundation Actionscript should definately be read before this one. I'm having good luck with the Friends of Ed series, hopefully they'll publish a book on Swift 3D next.



4. Don't get me wrong, this is a good book. It covers advanced preloaders, which is always nice, creating smart clips, and more advanced actionscripting which is what all serious Flash 5 designers need to know. Plus much, much more.

   Since I own Foundation Flash 5, Foundation Actionscript & Dynamic Content Studio (plus 23 other web design/flash books) some of the information is rehashed from other FOED's titles.

   I purchased this book with hopes of receiving light-intermediate information on video integration within Flash 5. Most specifically for Flash 5 and Quicktime/Real Player video integration (...)--which this book DID NOT cover. It does a wonderful job of covering Flash 5 and Adobe After Effects (the video program discussed)--but after buying this book, who can afford the close-to-a-thousand dollar Adobe product. I know that serious web designers must know/use Adobe products since the MAC is far superior to the PC when it comes to print & web design/image software & hardware/video software & creation, but video editing/creation can also be achieved (to a moderately satisfying degree) on a PC.

   The author should have considered more than one type of video player application and video editing program. Very good applications can be created with Quicktime and Realplayer and some of us up-an-coming Flash designers/users cannot afford the heavywieght Adobe stuff.

   So, with that said, if you want to learn video and sound for Flash 5 from a more inclusive and more in-depth source try FOED's other book also/instead, Rich Media Content, as the book covers Final Cut Pro, RealPlayer, Quicktime, Abode After Effects and a score of other applications/programs.

   Also, the first chapter--design principles--is bland and useless if you remotely know what a non-hideous website should look like.

   Otherwise, this is another good title from FOED.




5. I have now a total of 5 Friends of Ed book on Flash, but I have been disappointed so much so that now I vow not to buy another one. It is simply getting too sloppy for my liking. Often, codes don't work, or work with errors, and explanations are inadequate. I bought Flash 5 Studio 2 years ago, and recently, I wanted to learn more about Flash and XML, and looked at its chapter 20. I followed the codes and in the end, found that they don't work. Then I downloaded their files on the friendsofed.com site, and still they don't work. When I read through the instructions carefully, I found that they missed out many vital points. They added new lines to an example, but did not tell you all the consequential changes needed to the old code to make it work. Very frustrating and a waste of time.

No comments about Sco Open Desktop/Sco Open Server Graphical Environment Administrator's Guide.

No comments about Advances in Computer Graphics VI: Images : Synthesis, Analysis, and Interaction (Eurographicseminars).

4 comments about Modeling, UV Mapping, and Texturing 3D Game Weapons (Wordware Game Developer's Library).

1. I just received this book about 30min ago. Of course I was excited and immediately opened and gave it a once over. The first thing I noticed was the book is in black and white. Everything! This makes it hard to recreate the skins the author is producing unless you're planning on making them all monochromatic. I didn't check the companion CD that came with the book so I can't comment on that. The modeling portion is using Maya so if you want to learn how to create models, map and unwrap in Maya than this might be the book for you. If you want to learn how to create the skins for any weapon that there are better books out there and I suggest you look else where if that's what you're looking for.



2. I usually read reviews and not write them but in this case I feel I had to, this is not the cheapest book around and it doesnt go through that many projects (small form factor, lots of pics for each step), granted nothing wrong with that it omits nothing and actually shows you uv mapping and texturing can be fun and easy (if you do simple non organic models-and thats what the title says). There are several problems though- I dont know about most people but I dont have time to read while looking at the CD that has all the images on the computer, I just have the book with me. The paper is light not glossy, there are no colors, and worst of all I cant tell whats shown in half the screenshots- when youre visual like me you go by the pics along with the text, not just the text. Im sure the author saw a copy of the book before it was mass printed and realized all it would take would be to darken maya's background for the objects and cursors to show up better, not asking for color here although that would be nice when showing a brown wood texture...



3. I really enjoyed this book, other than the black and white pages. I found the tutorials quite thorough and helpful. The book helped me figure out the modeling and texturing process quite well. Perhaps if the author had chosen another publisher he would have gotten full color pages printed. Sometimes the publisher makes the final decision not the author. But if you are buying this book just be prepared for black and white pages vs. color.



4. I was pretty excited to get this book, I had been looking and needing something on this topic. The problem though is, ugh, the production quality is just awful on this book. The book looks like it was a black and while xerox copy of a book using 1970's copying technology. The all-important pictures which are the very heart of this book (the book is like 90% pictures, 10% text) are just barely legible. Not only are they not in color but in many cases they are extremely washed out. And for $40 (the msrp) a book this small and of this poor a quality is just a debacle. Shame on you guys, next time you publish a book, this one will haunt you.

No comments about Teach Yourself Flash 8, New Edition (Teach Yourself).

No comments about Basis of Biogeography.

No comments about SGI/EAI BRING IMMERSIVE DESIGN TOOLS TO MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY.(VisConcept introduced by Engineering Animation, Inc)(Product Announcement): An article from: CAD/CAM Update.

No comments about 3D Hypermedia Applications: A Hierarchical Component Based Concept for Animation, Interaction and Functionality for 3D Hypermedia Applications in the Internet (Berichte Aus Der Informatik).