Need some serious help!

miyabita · #1 (**permalink**) 10-07-2004, 07:25 PM

I am trying to learn how to use Flash MX, but am having very little luck. The tutorials they provide with the program are very confusing to me. I need a tutorial that will start at the very, very basics (step one) and will let me follow through. I am a fast learner as long as I can understand the tutorial, so I can probably have the basics down in a day or less, but I just cannot follow the tutorials! It is especially hard because Ic annot figure out how to make the tutorial stay viewable at the same time as the work file that I am supposed to be learning from. So I have to click back and forth between the work file and the instructions. Plus I have found some things don't work as the instructions tell me. I had to fiddle around with one thing in the work file until I just stumbled upon the answer because the instructions were either wrong or else I just missed something and happened to find another way to get the thing done.

Basically, I need a tutorial that is similar to the one provided with the program (in that it goes in an order, starting with basic one thing then progressing to the next until I know all the tools and basic things, then moving on to advanced) or a series of tutorials that will do this for me. I have found some tutorials that look easy to follow, but I am not sure where to start. Are there any compresensive tutorials that go over several of the basics, like tweening, fonts, effects, text, the tool buttons, etc. all at once?

ITGProductions · #2 (**permalink**) 10-08-2004, 10:48 AM

Great resource...

ManJonStudios · #3 (**permalink**) 10-09-2004, 03:54 PM

I had the same problem, when I started. I am one of those start working then refer to the tutorials as I get stumped. I find out what I need to know to get past the problem, then I go back to work.

My best suggestion for you is to do what I did. Find a pre-made template that you can study. Work it backwards. By starting with a completed project, you can figure out what it took to make these things work. It has worked for me, now I have a very good grasp of flash basics and I can create templates myself. I hope it works for you.

voodooboy · #4 (**permalink**) 10-11-2004, 11:22 AM

There are several new books out that cover the learning process in a real world atmosphere by working on real projects in each chapter. I tend to lean towards recommending the books from SAM's Publishing (ie Learn Flash MX in 21 days) for beginners. The content is very clean and easy to understand. The short projects help give real world examples and make it easier to pick-up on the basics.

mseshadri · #5 (**permalink**) 10-13-2004, 04:03 AM

I found Gary Rosenzweig's "Flash 5 for Fun and Games" very useful when I was first learning flash ( still find it useful-there is a Flash MX version)I think the first book I bough was Peter Chung's from Peachpit Press which was terrible because a lot of his code just did not work and the editors had done a poor job with it. If you work through Rosenzweig's book slowly, you get a good undrerstanding of how Flash works.

poab · #6 (**permalink**) 10-13-2004, 07:45 AM

Hi,

Personally I'd stick with the foundation series from friendsofed if I were you. Not read this one as it's a bit basic for me now but http://www.friendsofed.com/books/1590593030/ looks like what you want.

Avoid actionscript as much as possible until you're 100% ready (by which I mean you know how to use the program properly). When you are ready don't do it half-heartedly, and buy Colin Moock's book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...384498-0880625 (There is an AS2.0 essentials book by the same author but it assumes prior knowledge of AS1.0)

cheers.