Macromedia Studio MX All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies

Review
“…beginner-friendly tome…” (Web Pages Made Easy, July 2003)


Review
“…beginner-friendly tome…” (Web Pages Made Easy, July 2003)


Book Description
* Self-contained minibooks provide complete coverage of the entire Macromedia Studio MX package-Dreamweaver MX, Flash MX, Fireworks MX, ColdFusion MX, and FreeHand 10
* Bonus minibooks deliver the lowdown on Macromedia Sitespring as well as other Web development tools and techniques
* Packed with extra visuals, including lots of screen shots illustrating
* step-by-step instructions
* Shows how to use each program separately and in tandem to create state-of-the-art Web projects


Book Info
All in one reference packed with extra visuals, including screen shots illustrating step by step instruction. Shows how to use each program separately and in tandem to create state of the art Web projects. Softcover.


From the Back Cover
7 books in 1– your key to Macromedia Studio MX success! Your one-stop guide to building great Web sites with Macromedia tools So you’ve decided to build a Web site, you’ve installed Macromedia Studio MX – now what? Now, you cruise through this handy reference and discover just what to do with Flash, Dreamweaver, and those other cool tools. It’s easy to find what you want in one of the 7 minibooks; there’s even one devoted to planning that terrific traffic-building site. The Dummies Way Coverage of the essentials and beyond Explanations in plain English "Get in, get out" information Thumbtabs and other navigation aids Tear-out cheat sheet A dash of humor and fun


About the Author
Damon Dean has been working in Internet technologies and development for nearly a decade as an Editor, Producer, and Developer. As a Development Editor for Sybex, Damon was responsible for developing both the multimedia and computer game book lines. After developing those properties into profitable units, he moved on to Postlinear Entertainment, where he produced and designed online multiplayer computer games for publishers such as Sega and MGM.  Three years later, Damon took his software development skills and moved into Web development. As a founding member of 415 Productions, Damon worked with several large companies, including Credit Suisse, Robert Mondavi, HP, and BART. His application design and development resume includes architecting and building Content Management Systems, Extranets, corporate Intranets, and enterprise CRMs. After four years at 415, Damon moved on in the summer of 2001 to be the Internet Services Director at a private foundation in Oakland, CA.
Damon has written several books dating back to 1996. His first book, A Pocket Tour of Multimedia on the Internet (Sybex), was eventually translated into five languages. In 1997, Damon began a relationship with Wiley Publishing (formerly IDG Books) and has written several books for them, including Web Channel Development For Dummies, FrontPage 2000 For Dummies Quick Reference, Act! 2000 For Dummies Quick Reference (coauthor), and most recently, Cascading Style Sheets For Dummies.

Andy Cowitt is a Senior Integrator for 415, Inc., a Web development firm in San Francisco. Having been at 415 since the company started, Andy has worked on Web sites and multimedia applications for Apple, Oracle, Macromedia, the San Francisco Symphony, KQED, and Beaulieu Vineyards, among others. He’s been using Macromedia’s Web development products since each of them arrived on the scene. In his spare time, Andy has been known to write, sing, and play guitar for his pop band, The Pinecones. He lives in Oakland with illustrator Michael Wertz and their dog, Olive.

Ellen Finkelstein has written numerous best-selling computer books on AutoCAD, PowerPoint, and Flash. She writes articles for several Web sites and is also a content consultant for Web sites and presentations. Her AutoCAD 2002 Bible is in its third edition, and her Macromedia Flash MX For Dummies is in its second edition. She writes at home so that she can take the bread out of the oven on time.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
More than 250,000 web pros have purchased the new Macromedia Studio MX: Dreamweaver MX, Flash MX, Fireworks MX, FreeHand 10, and a developer edition of ColdFusion MX, all bundled together at a big discount. Many more are using at least some of these products. Maybe you're one of them -- upgrading one product at a time, as you need them -- and as you can shake the money loose.

Wouldn't it be nice to have one easy-to-understand book that introduced all these products, showed how they fit together, and walked you through the whole process of building a site with them? Here's that book: Macromedia Studio MX All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies®.

Think of it as seven books in one. The first: a concise five-chapter introduction to web development. Damon Dean begins with practical techniques for creating and organizing content; mapping your "plan of attack," and deciding which tool's right for each job. Dean also offers a six-page "checklist" of best practices for building web sites.

Next, he presents five "books" covering each individual Studio MX products -- each roughly 150 pages, and concluding with a full chapter on integrating that product with the rest of the suite.

Dean's "book" on Dreamweaver MX begins with an easy-to-understand tour of Dreamweaver's visual interface and views; then moves on to creating simple web pages, setting page properties, working with text, tables, images, links, and rollovers. You'll learn how to define and manage sites, work with Dreamweaver's powerfully efficient templates, monitor page download time, and use check-in/check-out Version Control to keep everyone on the same page(s). There are chapters on forms and layers, even a detailed introduction to using Dreamweaver to create ColdFusion code.

Dean next moves on to Fireworks, which just keeps on getting better. He begins with the revamped, high-productivity Fireworks MX interface. Using Fireworks MX's Property Inspector, for example, you can inspect and change every object property from one location. You not only have better control, you can exercise it more rapidly.

You'll learn how to use Fireworks' drawing, text, line, and fill tools; select, control, and transform image elements; cope with web color management; and much more. There's a full chapter on layers and frames, plus step-by-step coverage of image slicing and optimization. Dean covers image maps, using behaviors to build interactive graphics, even a bit of animation editing.

He also walks you through using Fireworks MX's new Data-Driven Graphics Wizard, which allows you to connect graphics files with XML files and automatically generate new graphics on the fly -- very powerful.

Next, it's on to Freehand, the venerable illustration tool that's been extended to the Web (making it ideal for repurposing images for graphics-rich print environments and interactive online environments). Dean walks through Freehand's interface and basic toolset; working with layers; using Freehand's text tools; working with predefined shapes; and much more. There's also a full chapter on Freehand's color management tools, which are crucial for both Web and print work.

Dean then offers a concise and practical introduction to Flash -- from basic moviemaking principles all the way to the rudiments of ActionScript. You'll get hands-on practice with the timeline, library, and image editing tools; learn to use symbols to build more efficient content; create animations; organize your movies with layers and scenes; add audio and video clips; create Flash forms; and, of course, export movies and generate accompanying HTML.

Dean's concise introduction to ColdFusion thoroughly demystifies this product. He walks you through configuration and installation; shows how to set up data sources and connect with mail servers; and teaches the basics of the CFML tag language. That leaves room for more advanced techniques -- ranging from writing SQL queries to generating graphics with CFGRAPH.

He concludes with a five-chapter walkthrough of the entire Studio MX site development process. There are practical processes for creating site maps and user interface design diagrams; integrating Flash content; and finally, constructing your dynamic site with ColdFusion and Dreamweaver. You won't find a more wide-ranging introduction to Macromedia Studio MX -- all of it. Bill Camarda

Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

So you've decided to build a Web site, you've installed Macromedia Studio MX -- now what? Now, you cruise through this handy reference and discover just what to do with Flash, Dreamweaver, and those other cool tools. It's easy to find what you want in one of the 7 minibooks; there's even one devoted to planning that terrific traffic-building site.

SYNOPSIS