This is the Safari online edition of the printed book.

This book covers Flash CS4, including all the features brand new for Flash users. Flash CS4 introduces motion tweening, a new method for animating objects, such as symbols and text fields. Using a new panel, the Motion Editor, Flash developers will find it easier than ever to create sophisticated, lifelike animations. In addition, inverse kinematics allows animators to create armatures, skeleton-like structures that connect symbols and govern their movement. The animation chapters of the Flash CS4 Visual Quickstart Guide will be fully updated to integrate the new animation techniques with the old and to give beginners some insight into how and when to use which types. Flash CS4 Professional: Visual QuickStart Guide uses step-by-step instructions and plenty of screenshots to guide readers along so that they’ll be up and running quickly.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 5 Ratings

The right amount of information - 2009-03-11
Reviewer Rating:
This is a 4.5 star review. I just can't give technical books 5 stars.

If you are new to Flash, or haven't used it in several years, and are familiar with computers -- this is an excellent guide. Most introductory Flash books are too simple -- this has the right amount of information.

I picked up this book as I was desperate to learn Flash for a project. I had messed around with the interface, and having used other Adobe products -- it felt familiar. I read through about 1/2 of this book in one day in order to familiarize myself with the basics of using Flash.

The content is well presented visually and well written -- so you can scan and get it quickly. Then you can dive into deeper detail if need be. It has great tips which are worth the book itself. I did not spend much time on the tweening and inverse kinematics sections as I did not need that for my project.

New to Flash and familiar with software products, especially Adobe products? This is for you. Now that I'm more familiar with Flash, I still find it a valuable reference book. I wish I started with this one!

Good book but only as a reference - 2009-10-11
Reviewer Rating:
It's a shame that this book carries the name "visual quickstart guide", because other than the fact that it's in no way a quickstart guide, it's a decent book.

We're using this book in an introductory Flash CS4 class that I'm taking, and in that capacity, I think this book fails miserably. The book is really a reference, not a learning tool. It doesn't take you through any projects, or demonstrations, or show you techniques on how different tools within Flash are used to create things. And it really doesn't hold your hand from the beginning and get you to the point where you feel comfortable using the tool. Instead it just exhaustively walks through tool by tool, showing you how to use that tool, then moving onto the next.

So if you want to know how to create a mask in Flash, you can turn right to the section on how to do that, and learn that quickly. But if you've never used Flash, and your goal is to create some graphics for your website, this book is nearly useless.

The book is pretty much split into four parts. The first part details all the drawing tools. The second part talks about the animation tools, the third part talks about "interactivity" (i.e., actionscript) and the final part talks about video and sound.

I'm glad I have the book, I'll keep it as a reference, but teachers, please don't make the mistake in thinking this is a "sit down and read how to use Flash" type of book, because it certainly is not.

Excellent resource - 2009-10-13
Reviewer Rating:
This is an excellent resource book. It is written for both the the beginner and the advanced user. I have read a wide variety of books on this subject, I have found this to be the easiest, best text.

would not recommend this book - 2009-09-02
Reviewer Rating:
This book is too difficult to understand how Flash works, I wish I could have a refund... I never did use the book for my class, it was useless!!

QuickStart Guides Flash CS4 - 2009-03-19
Reviewer Rating:
These CS4 QuickStart Guides look like a great idea. Was told about them by a friend who said they start you off just like you don't know anything about the product and walk you through the whole product bit by bit.

Wonderful idea. Will buy more of these to get myself caught up on Adobe's line.

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