Macromedia Director 6 is the premier authoring tool for delivering interactive content on both the Internet and the desktop. It is the dominant multimedia package for Windows 95/NT, Windows 3.1, and the Macintosh. A quarter million developers use Director(R) to incorporate animation and audio into dynamic Web pages, and to create engaging interactive corporate presentations, multimedia advertising, entertainment CD-ROMs, enhanced music CDs, and even DVDs. Director 6 is a complete multimedia authoring environment that integrates graphics, video, sound, and 3D images into compelling interactive products. Director in a Nutshell is the most concise and complete guide available for Director. It also covers the use of Director on the Internet with Shockwave, Netscape Navigator, and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Java in a Nutshell and WebMaster in a Nutshell have established themselves as indispensable developer references, and Director in a Nutshell continues this family tradition. Like all In a Nutshell books, it takes the Director topic and drills down, expands, and delights the reader by providing useful information that the reader didn't even expect to find. Director in a Nutshell condenses hundreds of Director tips and techniques into a desktop quick-reference format that is a must-have addition to every Director developer's library. The book begins with an overview of Director's interface and the new features in version 6. It covers the use of video, audio, graphics, text, buttons, menus, and 3D images in Director. It highlights cross-platform differences for developers under both Windows 3.1/95/NT and the Macintosh. It also includes a detailed chapter on optimizing performance and memory usage. Director in a Nutshell is an indispensable companion book to Lingo in a Nutshell. Each chapter is devoted to topics such as palettes, sound, or digital video. Director in a Nutshell is the only book to integrate Director's multiple facets into a comprehensive discussion of each topic. The reader gets both the nitty-gritty details and the bigger context in which to use them. Director in a Nutshell also covers:

• Covers the latest features of Director 7, including the 7.0.2 maintenance release.
• New Sprite operations, Behaviors, and Inspectors in Director 6
• All commands and options in the Score, Cast, Paint, Text, Palette, and Video Windows
• Animation techniques and shortcuts
• All supported file formats and media types for both import and export
• Lists of palettes, transitions, cursors, ink effects, and window types
• Video playback and manipulation, including QuickTime, Video for Windows, and QTVR
• Creating run-time Projectors and optimizing playback on all platforms
• Comprehensive command summaries by topic
• Hundreds of Director shortcuts
• Shockwave and Internet-enabled Projectors
• Sound playback, including Shockwave audio and cue points
• Browser scripting, media control, and performance optimization
• Analyzing the Score and Cast, the run-time environment, and anlyzing performance and memory usage

This book will benefit a very large audience of Director 6 users. Beginners will value the concise and complete coverage of every topic and function. Intermediate users will appreciate the explanations that illuminate the big picture surrounding every operation. Advanced users will find the book an indispensable reference tool to remind them of the proper syntax, commands, and shortcuts in Director. This book will even help content-providers understand how proper graphics, audio, and video preparation can eliminate repetitious revisions and save programming time. Director in a Nutshell is a high-end handbook, at a low-end price -- an indispensable desktop reference for every Director user.

Rating:

See larger cover