u8d1 Application Interactivity

Discuss how other graphics applications can enhance your productivity with Flash

The graphics program I seem to use the most is Illustrator as it supplies so many useful drawing and graphics tools and it is also easily imported into Flash. The image can be imported flat or it can be imported as keyframes for animation and can also be separated into layers. Once imported into Flash it can be edited as if it were created in Flash.

I use Photoshop some and I hope to explore 3ds max more in the future. I just ordered Toon Boom Studio after hearing Mark in this class mention it so I hope I can start using that soon also. I mentioned before how drawing with a stylus and tablet such as the Wacom is really necessary for me when creating drawn graphics or artwork. ----- Richard

I would recommend http://www.lynda.com and, in particular, http://movielibrary.lynda.com/html/index.asp . I just signed up for their movie library and I think it is worth it considering the information it contains. Another helpful site is http://www.macromedia.com ---------- Richard

u8d2 Progress Report

Develop and post a professional progress report (that is, like one you would create on a job) detailing progress on your final project. This paper should be one or two pages in length (no more), and should contain a list of references for your final project and a timeline for completion. Just as in the proposal, you need not use all references of this paper, but just include those which illustrate points you will make in your final paper. Post your progress report attached as a .PDF.

Review the reports of at least two classmates. Choose one unreviewed progress report, and write a one-page review. Examine the content, format, style, and techniques used .

To Charlotte: I can relate to your situation. I also have had problems related to recent storms with the Internet and the server here in this office: we can try to control technology but we still can't control the weather.

Your information is done in an organized design and an effective graphical format � clear to see and understand. It looks like your layout was drawn as a table but the horizontal lines in a table graph I think go all the way through. Did you draw that in Flash or in a vector program like Illustrator? Just curious.

One can always put dates on past occurrences but I have always had difficulty in putting dates on anticipated future occurrences � to me it's almost like trying to see the future � but it is a necessity in order to plan a schedule. So future dates are really only anticipated goals -- Just philosophizing some. Looks like you have gotten all of the needed information for the project but also in nontechnical terms for the layman or clients to understand. So overall I think a worthwhile project and plan. ----- Richard

To Jason: I think the report is very professional and describes the scenario very well and expresses the need for developing a new site for Kreative Kids Bedding. Also it looks as if the project completion schedule is progressing in a logical way and at a good and natural pace. From the report I gather that Firewahl mostly designs websites, is that right? I think the homepage has a catchy tune and everything transitions well. Are you going to mention in the site where Kreative Kids bedding is located or where the home office is? ----- Richard

MY PROGRESS REPORT

Project description:

To display the various principles and techniques of multimedia using mostly Flash MX 2004 in addition to some other software programs such as Illustrator, Photoshop, Fireworks, and Dreamweaver learned during the course TS5514 Advanced Multimedia presented by Capella University and instructed by Amar Almasude.

Link to the splash page: http://vle1.capella.edu/125836/Splash1New2A.htm

Link to the main page: http://rbloodworth.com/5514/TS5514GameBoard1.htm

The various squares will become links to other pages

My experimental idea for the site I am doing involves all of the pages immediately branching off from the main page so that the homepage is for the most part always visible and the user is always aware of where he is. I plan on using movie clips and the draggable piece created in Unit 7.

A new method involves transferring VCDs and DVDs from CDs to the computer. A program called MPEG4 is used for that purpose. The VCD transfers played back correctly but the playback image, when played on Media Player or Real Player, of the recorded DVD segments are upside down mirror images of the movies. But when the videos are imported into Flash using the Sorenson compression the images show correctly.   So either that is the usual occurrence or Flash (or probably the Sorenson compression component) is able to recognize the mirror images and correct them so these videos will be used as movie clips in the project.

Work completed:

7- 19 Initial sketches of the proposed project

7- 26 Imported bitmaps

8- 2 An initial splash page with sound and on/off buttons

8- 9 Sound added to splash page

8- 23 The basic interface constructed in a gameboard format.

8- 30 Movie clips utilizing MPEG4 and Sorenson squeeze

9- 6 More raster and vector graphics as well as movie clips added

Work remaining:

9-13 Preloader developed

Links to all of the pages

Sound added to various pages

9- 20 Integrating all of the various aspects of the project

Reinhardt, Robert, & Dowd, Snow (2004). Flash MX 2004 Bible . Indianapolis : Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Yeung, Rosanna, & Weinman, Lynda (2004). Flash MX 2004 Hands-On Training . Indianapolis : Peachpit Press.

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I am also including a project report for an interface design for an interface design class since it covers many of the same concepts and techniques. The interface is instructive in nature, explaining principles and some techniques involved in creating functional and aesthetically pleasing website interfaces.

The link to this site is: http://www.lc.capellauniversity.edu/~125836/ED722HomePage1.htm

The site covers the following topics
Purpose and audience
Navigation
Screen design and layout
Text and typography
Images and
Multimedia
Usability

This site seeks to help designers design website that can have the users of the site answer the following questions:

What site is this?
What page is this?
What are the major sections?
What are the options at each level?
Does the reader know where he is within the scheme of the website?
How can the reader of the website perform a search?
And they should always be able to locate the home page.

The website designer should create a site so that people react in an almost instinctual, non-thinking way when using the website so that the interaction within the website forms a natural, flowing, and attractive interface. Though people sometimes enjoy a challenge, generally speaking, if something is difficult to do and given a choice then people tend not to do -- it especially if there is an easier and more efficient way of doing it.

The above items are discussed and illustrated and the following computer graphics are used:

Scrolling text with on/off buttons
Links to URLs and other html pages
Raster and vector graphic images
Text styles and typography
Site system diagrams
Use of multimedia including:
Animation
Sound
Preloaders
Music selectors
Videos
Movie clips
Animated graphics and rollovers
Slide shows
Action scripting

References include:

Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (2000) by Steve Krug, published by New Riders Publishing ( Indianapolis ).

Macromedia Dreamweaver MX for Windows and Macintosh � Visual Quickstart Guide (2003) by J. Tarin Towers, published by Peachpit Press (Berkeley, CA).

Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 Hands-On-Training (2003) by Garo Green with Lynda Weinman, published by Peachpit Press ( Indianapolis ).

The Non-Designer's Web Book (2000) by J. Tolbert & R. Williams, published by Peachpitt Press ( Berkeley , CA ).

Web Style Guide: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites by P. Lynch & S. Horton, published by Yale University Press ( London ).

U8a1 Final Project Questions

The rough draft of your project will be due next week in Unit 9. All that should be left to do is some final tweaking.
Submit the following information:

1. A statement about your progress on the project. What problems are you encountering (e.g., not being able to find information)? How can the instructor be of assistance? The problem always is time � one can never seem to have enough. There can always be more done to a project, in fact, in a way one could say a project never ends since it can be constantly updated as is done with computer software, for instance.

2. What steps are you taking to ensure that you will finish the project within the allotted time for the course? I am doing what I can to fill in all of the requirements within the quarter.

3. Any questions or concerns.

Some questions I have to anyone are regarding preloaders: Does anyone know of good information sources for constructing preloaders? Are there various progress bars available (the bars that show the loading percentage and advance)? Also, is there a way of making the loading start at the same time the splash page opens?

To Amar Almasude: I am sorry that this is delayed in getting to you. I have been without the Internet for a few days. The outer edges of the hurricane caused storms in this area and there were power shortages and the server in the office where I am using the Internet was nonfunctional for a while.

My URL for this class has been moved to: http://rbloodworth.com/5514/Splash1New2AAA.htm which shows the Splash page.

I haven't linked it yet to the main page since I want to wait until a preloader is done. I might want to ask you some questions about preloaders soon such as where does one find a variety of loading bars (the indicators, the progress bar or percent field, that show the progress of loading usually with a horizontal bar). As I work through the S5514 project I hope that there is a way for the page to be loading while the splash screen is on in addition to the preloader page. Can the loading start while the splash page is on? Here is the rough of my project main page:

http://rbloodworth.com/5514/TS5514GameBoard1.htm

I plan on having most of the other squares as links to other pages all in a gameboard format but they can show the various areas we have covered during this course.

I have been putting a lot of time into both of the classes I am taking this quarter. The other class is about interface design and I am using a lot of Flash content in addition to the Dreamweaver html pages. I am hoping that you will consider this also as part of my Flash experience even though it is for another class.

Here is the URL for ED722 Interface Design, I hope you can go through the site and you can find a lot of Flash content:

http://rbloodworth.com/722/ED722HomePage1.htm

I think just going through the Flash Bible is quite a task in itself as it is quite a voluminous book. It is my goal to go the entire book and do all of the exercises but that could take quite a bit of time also.