Director in a Nutshell

By Bruce A. Epstein
March 1999
Pages: 649
ISBN 10: 1-56592-382-0 | ISBN 13: 9781565923829
(Average of 1 Customer Reviews)

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Book description

This concise guide gives the reader both the nitty-gritty details and the bigger context in which to use the multiple facets of this premier multimedia tool. It also shows how to use Director on the Internet with Shockwave, Netscape Navigator, and Microsoft Internet Explorer. It's a high-end handbook, at a low-end price -- an indispensable desktop reference for every Director user. Covers the latest features of Director 7, including the 7.0.2 maintenance release.
Full Description

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.

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Cover | Table of Contents | Index | Sample Chapters | Colophon

Book details

First Edition: March 1999
ISBN: 1-56592-382-0
Pages: 649
Average Customer Reviews: (Based on 1 Reviews)

Featured customer reviews

Director in a Nutshell Review, August 21 2000

Rating:

Submitted by Melissa [Respond | View]

This was a great book. Although a bit outdated, as I am using Director 8, I found that it has greatly increased my understanding of Director and made my programs more efficient.

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Media reviews

"Another of O'Reilly's excellent guides, this book is the definitive desktop reference for developers working with Director, Macromedia's multimedia authoring tool." --Joe McCool, C Vu, May 2000

"Helps Director users uncover little-known but vitally important details about using Macromedia's multimedia program effectively. It supplies ample guidance on troubleshooting common difficulties and insight on avoiding the most common problems. This is a well-organized book--progressing from developing your understanding of how Director works, which should enrich your productivity, to showing you how to best handle audio and video." --Kathleen Caster, amazon.com, March 1999

"A clear and practical guide." --Forecast, June 1999

"Bruce...obviously investigated issues, and didn't just regurgitate the manuals and help system." --John C. Ware, Director lead engineer and author of the MUI Xtra

"Tell me when the book is available. I look forward to deleting my Director Help files." --Miles Lightwood, Director developer

What the Experts are Saying about Director in a Nutshell:

"On the other hand, if you know Director pretty well but need a quick, handy guide to the program's labyrinthine command structure and syntax, Lingo expert Bruce Epstein has just the thing. Whether you're working with Director 5, 6, 6.5 or 7, Director in a Nutshell (O'Reilly & Associates, $24.95, ISBN 1-56592-382-0) will probably have whatever arcane bit of information you need, and it won't take you long to find it. Epstein designed the book as a complement to the Director manuals and Help system, and provides workarounds for the program's many bugs and quirks.

For example, depending on how you're developing your movie, you might want the Score window to look a certain way. Table 3-5 provides paths for nine different configurations, plus hotkeys when available. Among the many other tables are lists of hyperlink commands in Director 7, Paint window inks, and sprite ink effects. Lingo tips include one that shows you how to use global variables to create a Stub Projector whose behavior can be modified by changing the external Lingo.ini file. Throughout, Epstein specifies which tips work for which version of Director.

Among the many topics covered in this concise (582 pages) reference are memory and performance, the score and animation, and Shockwave and the Internet. The book is packed with information; you won't want to just sit down and read it (unless you're a total Director fiend), but you'll keep it handy as you're working on projects to help you over development humps. Between the many tables, Lingo snippets and useful advice, you'll find Director in a Nutshell to be indispensable. Director and Lingo in a Nutshell (DiaN/LiaN) kick butt. Buy them." --Spectrum Reviews

"A massive road atlas into the territory known as Director and Shockwave. Offers vital details for developers of every interest level, including coverage of many topics rarely even mentioned in other books. I want copies for everyone on the Director QA team." -Buzz Kettles Senior Quality Designer Macromedia Director Team

"A great piece of work of which Bruce can be very proud. I would describe it as 'a Direct-L Killer'. If it doesn't kill off all the questions on the Direct-L listserve, it will at least cut down the volume." --Peter Small Author of Lingo Sorcery and Magical A-Life Avatars

"This is the first book that provides the under-the-hood details that benefit Director developers of all levels. More thorough and accurate than any other reference available." --Marc Canter Canter Technology Inventor of Director

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