If you've ever seen an especially cool Flash effect on the web, gone straight to your trusty Flash book to find out how to do it, then turned away empty-handed--Flash Hacks is for you. This unique book offers a collection of expert Flash tips and tricks for optimization, creating interesting effects, ActionScript programming, sound and video effects, and much more--and you don't need to be an expert to use them (although you'll certainly look like one). With Flash technology, you can create compelling web content, expressive user interfaces, and rich applications for the Internet--all of which dramatically enhance the user experience. But Flash is not just practical, it's a wellspring of opportunities to unleash your creativity and have fun. Flash Hacks dives straight into all that's fun and creative about Flash, while presenting useful programming techniques and practical--although never mundane--hacks that can make your work easier. Geared to cover Flash MX, Flash MX 2004, and Flash MX Professional 2004, Flash Hacks begins with hacks on authoring, testing, and web environments. You'll learn how to beat the Flash bloat bug, realistically simulate the web, create a JavaScript-free Flash sniffer, and hack a spellchecker for Flash. Other hacks in the book are grouped in the following areas:

• Primitives

• Timelines

• Symbols

• Flash Assets (sound, video, and bitmaps)

• Code hacks

• Events and event handling

• Advanced animation

• UI design hacks

True to O'Reilly's popular Hacks series, Flash Hacks tackles problems and solutions that aren't dealt with elsewhere. You'll pick up insider tips from the experts, and learn about amazing and sometimes quirky aspects of Flash. If you want more than your average Flash user--you want to explore and experiment, unearth shortcuts, create useful tools, and come up with fun things to try on your own--Flash Hacks is the book you'll need.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 14 Ratings

Flash Hacks - 100 Industrial-Strenght Tips & Tools Book Review - 2006-06-23
Reviewer Rating:
Title: Flash Hacks - 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools
Author: Sham Bhangal
Publisher: O"Reilly
ISBN: 0-596-00645-4
Pages: 452 pages
Reviewer: Philip High
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

When I encountered the first versions of Flash my impression was of an unnecessarily complex animation program with an obscure interface and REALLY WEIRD drawing tools. I've wanted to say that in public for years and now that I've gotten it off my chest I feel much better, thank you.

Yet, Macromedia must have been onto something, since the program has obviously matured into an indispensable tool for creators of dynamic, interactive, multimedia content for the web and beyond. But, as you might expect, the complexity has only multiplied. This book dives right into the issue by forgoing lengthy tutorials and focusing directly on getting results and solving specific problems - 100 of them to be exact. Once inside it is caution-to-the-wind since the only guide lines are "what if" and "whatever works." That's why they're called hacks, after all. It's an approach that works for me, since I'm really just an overgrown novice that has used the program for several years but infrequently. When I do use it I just want to get the job done and don't have the luxury (or patience, maybe?) to search the documentation, learn a comprehensive set of new skills, then figure out how they apply to my current need. And I don't think I'm alone here.

Although the book, like Flash itself, is not for the unmotivated, there really is something here for everyone from beginner to veteran. If you are tempted by the promise of shiny new tricks and sweet insider workarounds then you can eagerly and easily search these pages for tasty snacks to digest now and save the heavier helpings for later. The preface offers a useful starting point with a concise overview and clear explanations of the conventions used to organize and demonstrate the text.

The book covers a wide range of topics. Twelve chapters are each devoted to specific issues such as Visual Effects, Drawing and Masking, 3D and Physics, Sound, ActionScript, etc., and each contains several related tips. The individual "hacks", although usable by themselves, often relate to material in other examples, and are clearly and conveniently cross-referenced in the text. Many of the longer examples can be downloaded from the books web page http://examples.oreilly.com/flashhks.

And, as promised, the tips are pretty nifty. Some are showy, like #33 - Particle Effects. And some are sneaky, like #20 - Use Complex Shapes as Masks (by using a hairline split, invisible to the eye but recognized by the processor, to open enclosed areas.) But even the coolest tricks would be useless if you couldn't understand the instructions. Fortunately that isn't an issue here. The text is easy to read and well organized with clear examples and illustrations. I especially appreciated the tons of URLs to websites with further examples of great Flash work. Another nice feature is how other programs such as Photoshop, Fireworks, and Poser can be used in conjunction with Flash.

This title is one of a series of "Hacks" books by O'Reilly, a list of which can be found at http://hacks.oreilly.com. Billed as "a community for developers and power users of all stripes" I went there anyway and felt only slightly over my head. But it looks like the real deal for the power hungry. I `m a long-time fan of the seriously usable content and simple direct presentation style of O"Reilly technical reference manuals. This book ventures into more creative realms than their usual titles but stays true to form.

Something here for everyone from beginner to veteran. - 2006-06-29
Reviewer Rating:
Title: Flash Hacks - 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools
Author: Sham Bhangal
Publisher: O"Reilly
ISBN: 0-596-00645-4
Pages: 452 pages
Reviewer: Philip High
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

When I encountered the first versions of Flash my impression was of an unnecessarily complex animation program with an obscure interface and REALLY WEIRD drawing tools. I've wanted to say that in public for years and now that I've gotten it off my chest I feel much better, thank you.

Yet, Macromedia must have been onto something, since the program has obviously matured into an indispensable tool for creators of dynamic, interactive, multimedia content for the web and beyond. But, as you might expect, the complexity has only multiplied. This book dives right into the issue by forgoing lengthy tutorials and focusing directly on getting results and solving specific problems - 100 of them to be exact. Once inside it is caution-to-the-wind since the only guide lines are "what if" and "whatever works." That's why they're called hacks, after all. It's an approach that works for me, since I'm really just an overgrown novice that has used the program for several years but infrequently. When I do use it I just want to get the job done and don't have the luxury (or patience, maybe?) to search the documentation, learn a comprehensive set of new skills, then figure out how they apply to my current need. And I don't think I'm alone here.

Although the book, like Flash itself, is not for the unmotivated, there really is something here for everyone from beginner to veteran. If you are tempted by the promise of shiny new tricks and sweet insider workarounds then you can eagerly and easily search these pages for tasty snacks to digest now and save the heavier helpings for later. The preface offers a useful starting point with a concise overview and clear explanations of the conventions used to organize and demonstrate the text.

The book covers a wide range of topics. Twelve chapters are each devoted to specific issues such as Visual Effects, Drawing and Masking, 3D and Physics, Sound, ActionScript, etc., and each contains several related tips. The individual "hacks", although usable by themselves, often relate to material in other examples, and are clearly and conveniently cross-referenced in the text. Many of the longer examples can be downloaded from the books web page [...]

And, as promised, the tips are pretty nifty. Some are showy, like #33 - Particle Effects. And some are sneaky, like #20 - Use Complex Shapes as Masks (by using a hairline split, invisible to the eye but recognized by the processor, to open enclosed areas.) But even the coolest tricks would be useless if you couldn't understand the instructions. Fortunately that isn't an issue here. The text is easy to read and well organized with clear examples and illustrations. I especially appreciated the tons of URLs to websites with further examples of great Flash work. Another nice feature is how other programs such as Photoshop, Fireworks, and Poser can be used in conjunction with Flash.

This title is one of a series of "Hacks" books by O'Reilly, a list of which can be found [...] Billed as "a community for developers and power users of all stripes" I went there anyway and felt only slightly over my head. But it looks like the real deal for the power hungry. I `m a long-time fan of the seriously usable content and simple direct presentation style of O"Reilly technical reference manuals. This book ventures into more creative realms than their usual titles but stays true to form.

Great book with useful "real-world" examples - 2007-02-01
Reviewer Rating:
Book review of Flash Hacks

Introduction:

Flash Hacks from O'Reilly is a great book that every Flash Designer or Developer should have in their library. The "get-to-the-point" style of the Hacks series is also very useful when you have a deadline fast approaching. There are 100 "hacks" in this book that, for the most part, are projects that can be used in your everyday Flash development.

First the bad news:

BWhile this book is full of great project that touch the surface of most problems, I found that the book could have used more in-depth examples. I also wanted a full chapter on Flash Components, which was not really covered at all. Flash is now the goto format for Rich Internet Applications because of the player market penetration, and with the need to regularly utilize components, it would have been nice to seem more information on the subject.

Now for the good news:

I choose this book mainly for the Sound and Browser Integration chapters, but I was pleasantly suprised to find more than a handful of topics that helped me develop better applications. I especially liked the chapter on Optimization along with the Color Effects chapter. Both of these chapters provided tid-bits of information that were directly related to a few projects I was working on.

Conclusion:

While there is room for improvement, I would highly recommend this book, or the next version that I assume will be coming out shortly. For the begining and intermediate Flash Developer, the hacks in this book will help you build better user experiences for your clients.




Book Rating: 8.5 / 10

100 tricks for working with Flash with something for everyone - 2006-11-03
Reviewer Rating:
This book is about coming up with new ideas for your Flash web designs, ActionScript, and Flash content. It is not just about showing you some interesting hacks, it is about showing you some of the nonobvious techniques and ideas that will make your Flash designs more original and your applications more effective.

If you want to get some quick ideas for new directions in your designs, the first four chapters look at the core techniques that affect the look and feel of a site, such as drawing, animation, and effects. Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, and Chapter 8 revolve around media and content, so visit them for inspiration and information pertaining to 3D, text, sound, or UI elements. Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, and Chapter 12 cover specialized topics such as browser integration, optimization, and security plus a healthy dose of ActionScript for good measure. You should peruse them for answers to question like, "How do I center the Flash Stage in the browser?" or "How can I prevent someone from stealing my design?"

Flash is a versatile authoring tool and consists of a number of separate areas that usually need to be combined to produce the finished effect or piece, so don't take the chapter titles and synopses as anything other than broad headings. For example, many chapters contain some element of animation, and most hacks contain ActionScript because it lets you do some really interesting things. The following is a brief description of the table of contents:

Chapter 1, Visual Effects
This chapter looks at ways you can make your graphic content more interesting by adding various effects and transitions.

Chapter 2, Color Effects
The savvy designer uses color in addition to animation. Color is often overlooked, but this chapter shows how color changes can transform the atmosphere of a piece or add video-like effects, such as fades and wipes.

Chapter 3, Drawing and Masking
Combining Flash's graphic animation facilities with ActionScript increases your creative horizons considerably. This chapter shows graphic effects created at both authoring time and runtime. Masking, which underlies many of the graphics tricks and techniques, is also discussed.

Chapter 4, Animation
The hacks in this chapter offer content creation shortcuts for manually drawn animation, plus ways to optimize animation created under ActionScript control.

Chapter 5, 3D and Physics
Flash Player is somewhat underpowered in terms of computational and animation speed. Therefore, processor-intensive applications, such as 3D, are problematic in Flash. Flash doesn't include any native 3D ActionScript commands or 3D hardware support, unlike Macromedia Director which supports the Shockwave 3D format. This chapter provides a number of hacks that bypass Flash's performance limitations to add physics simulations and 3D effects to your repertoire.

Chapter 6, Text
This chapter covers ways to store, display, and manipulate text, as well as create animated text effects.

Chapter 7, Sound
Without sound, your carefully crafted content will feel flat and uninspired. The main thrust of this chapter is to show hacks that allow you to create sounds for Flash without having to go to a usually very costly off-the-shelf sound source CD-ROM and without having to nurture any music talent. This chapter also looks at a number of issues that can stop Flash sound from working as advertised and which have put off many Flash sound experimenters in the past. A secondary aim is to present a few sound-related hacks that are not normally attempted. These techniques are hacks because they are sound applications that are not mainstream, such as Flash-based spoken word input and output.

Chapter 8, User Interface Elements
This chapter covers hacks related to user interface issues, such as buttons, scrollbars, and mouse input. However, this book is not about interface design but about stretching Flash in ways Macromedia might not have foreseen or intended. Therefore, the hacks in this chapter cover several nonobvious uses of UI elements within Flash. Some of them overcome apparent limitations in the UI facilities provided by Flash. But the first hack shows that UIs are not just for the end user, sometimes they can make development easier, too.

Chapter 9, Performance and Optimization
This chapter includes hacks to keep your filesizes small and your applications speedy. Flash's animation engine isn't the fastest one around because the Flash Player is optimized for a small download size, not for performance. Also, it is designed with web use in mind; therefore, it is optimized for small, low-bandwidth files rather than large, complex animation. In order to maintain its small footprint and ensure maximum compatibility, the Flash Player does not support hardware acceleration. Therefore, performance issues are often paramount for the Flash designer.

Chapter 10, ActionScript
Although almost every hack in the book includes some ActionScript, this chapter covers ways to get the most out of ActionScript, including undocumented features. ActionScript adds true power to Flash. Without ActionScript, Flash can create only linear animation. With a little ActionScript, you can create basic navigation via clickable buttons and hotspots. Learning more advanced ActionScript techniques gives you access to features such as creating a local shared object also known as a "Flash cookie". Without ActionScript, you cannot create Flash sites that communicate with the browser, exchange data with server-side applications, or download MP3 files.

Chapter 11, Browser Integration
This chapter looks at ways of maximizing browser compatibility so you can maximize the audience and enhance their enjoyment of your content. Ironically, part of the world's love-hate relationship with Flash is based on misconceptions. Many web developers and users don't realize the extent to which Flash works with browsers. In this chapter, we'll see how to integrate Flash with standard browser conventions, such as the Back button, which is highlighted in Hack #94, and search engines like Google.

Chapter 12, Security
This chapter provides a few ways to protect your content and designs, despite the vulnerability of the SWF format.

There are 100 total hacks, with an accompanying thermometer. The "temperature" indicates novice, intermediate, or expert hack.

GREAT BOOK! - 2007-06-08
Reviewer Rating:
This is a great book..I'm not a guru in flash, but this title is great if you are looking for great tips for flash...full satisfing

Browse Similar Topics

Top Level Categories:
Graphics
Multimedia
Programming

Sub-Categories:
Graphics > Flash
Flash > ActionScript
Multimedia > Macromedia
Programming > ActionScripting