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A Note from Lynda Weinman

In my opinion, most people buy computer books in order to learn, yet it is amazing how few of these books are actually written by teachers. I take pride in the fact that this book was written by an experienced teacher who is familiar with training students in this subject matter. In this book, you will find carefully developed lessons to help you learn Macromedia Flash MX 2004— one of the most powerful animation and interactivity tools for the Web.

This book is targeted towards beginning-level Web developers who need a tool to create creative, powerful, and interactive Web sites. The premise of the hands-on exercise approach is to get you up to speed quickly in Macromedia Flash MX 2004, while actively working through the book's lessons. It's one thing to read about a product, and an entirely other experience to try the product and get measurable results. Our motto is, "read the book, follow the exercises, and you will know the product." We've received countless testimonials to this fact, and it is our goal to make sure it remains true for all of our hands-on training books.

Many exercise-based books take a paint-by-numbers approach to teaching. While this approach works, it's often difficult to figure out how to apply those lessons to a real-world situation, or understand why or when you would use the technique again. What sets this book apart is that the lessons contain lots of background information and insights into each given subject, and they are designed to help you understand the process as well as the exercise.

At times, pictures are worth a lot more than words. When necessary, we have also included short QuickTime movies to show any process that's difficult to explain in text. These files are located on the H•O•T CD-ROM inside a folder called movies. It's our style to approach teaching from many different angles, because we know that some people are visual learners while others like to read, and still others like to get out there and try things.

This book combines a lot of teaching approaches so you can learn Macromedia Flash MX 2004 as thoroughly as you want to. This book didn't set out to cover every single aspect of Macromedia Flash MX 2004. The manual and many other reference books are great for that! What we saw missing from the bookshelves was a process oriented tutorial that taught readers core principles, techniques, and tips in a hands-on training format.

It's my hope that this book will give you a strong foundation in Macromedia Flash MX 2004 and give you the necessary skills to begin developing animations and interactive Web sites. If it does, then we've accomplished the job we set out to do!

—Lynda Weinman

About the Author

Rosanna Yeung

Whoever told Rosanna that teaching was "work" sure hasn't witnessed her professorial multimedia magic at the Art Institute of California, where she teaches Web Design and Development classes. She's got this innate love for the creative freedom of the Web, and you can see the transference of her passion in the eyes of her students.

Rosanna's creative energy doesn't only exist in the classroom or on the Web. Don't be surprised if you see her donning Rasta braids with a flock of friends on boards, surfing the sea or the snow. She's done her time in the business world as well—starting her creative adventures behind the camera and microphone in radio, TV, and film and then transitioning to multimedia and Web design at Ingram Micro before heading off to the teaching world. Her work at Ingram Micro is actually where her love for teaching began—by no one's fault but her own, Rosanna found herself working with other departments and their Web content almost daily. Her knowledge of the Web and patience and passion for teaching made her the integral link from a print medium to a dynamic Web resource.

When she's not writing on the chalkboard or surfing the Web, sea, or snow, you'll find her with her trusty companions—her husband Alan and her black Labrador Forever—as they restore their new Eichler home in California.