About the Book
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 a concise and complete guide to 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. The book integrates 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. The text also 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; and analyzing the Score and Cast, the run-time environment, and analyzing performance and memory usage.
This book should benefit a very large audience of Director 6 users. Beginners should value the concise and complete coverage of every topic and function. Intermediate users should appreciate the explanations that illuminate the big picture surrounding every operation. Advanced users should find the book an indispensable reference tool to remind them of the proper syntax, commands, and shortcuts in Director. This book should even help content-providers understand how proper graphics, audio, and video preparation can eliminate repetitious revisions and save programming time.
Table of Contents:
Preface Part I. Director's Core Components Chapter 1. How Director Works Director's Frame-Based Model Effects Channels Sprites Scripts and the Script Channel Cast Members Drawing to the Stage Lingo Versus the Score Cast, Score, and Lingo Cooperation How Director Runs Your Movie The Grand Scheme of Things. Chapter 2. Being More Productive Plan Ahead Hardware and Software You'll Need Configuring Your System Mastering Director Shortcuts in Director OS Shortcuts and Tips. Chapter 3. The Score and Animation Animation Techniques The Score Effects Channels Being More Productive in the Score Score Lingo Preventing Problems. Chapter 4. CastLibs, Cast Members, and Sprites Cast Libraries Importing, Inserting, and Creating Assets Working with Cast Members CastLib and Cast Member Lingo. Chapter 5. Coordinates, Alignment, and Registration Points Registration Points and Alignment Alignment in the User Interface. Chapter 6. The Stage and Movies-in-a-Window The Stage Movies-in-a-Window Declaring and Using MIAWs Window Properties Part II. Delivery and Optimization. Chapter 7. Cross-Platform and OS Dependencies Planning Your Cross-Platform Strategy Cross-Platform Differences. Chapter 8. Projectors and the Runtime Environment Runtime Projectors Analyzing the Runtime Environment Projectors (Runtime) Versus Director (Authoring) Projector Utilities. Chapter 9. Memory and Performance Disk Storage and Memory Management Media Sizes Data Throughput Director Memory Budget Cast Member Loading and Unloading Memory Optimization Performance. Chapter 10. Using Xtras Types of Xtras Loading and Registering Xtras Including Xtras with a Projector Chapter 11. Shockwave and the Internet Getting Started with Shockwave Shockwave Plug-ins and ActiveX Controls Running a Shocked Movie on a Web Page Uploading Shocked Files to a Web Server Support, Preferences, and Xtras Folders Streaming Playback Shockwave Differences Projectors That Access the Internet Communicating with the Browser Network Errors-netError( ) New Shockwave Features in D7 Part III. Multimedia Elements. Chapter 12. Text and Fields Rich Text, Fields, and Bitmapped Text Text Appearance and Attributes Manipulating Text in the Interface Text and Field Lingo. Chapter 13. Graphics, Color, and Palettes Color -Related Lingo Commands Graphics Types Colors Schemes and Color Depths Palettes Palette Channel Properties Color Palettes Window Paint Window Color Chips Xtras. Chapter 14. Graphical User Interface Components Buttons Widgets Cursors Menus Dialog Boxes. Chapter 15. Sound and Cue Points Digital Audio Primer Sound Playback in Director Sound Playback Methods Sound Channels and Sound Mixing Sound Tools and Interface Options Cue Points and Timing Shockwave Audio (SWA) Other Sound-Related Lingo Troubleshooting Sound Problems Sound Editing Applications and Utilities. Chapter 16. Digital Video Digital Video in Director Digital Video Tools and Options Controlling Digital Video Playback Digital Video Resources Digital Video Troubleshooting Other Video and Non-Video Formats QTVR and VRML QTVR 1.0 Xtra QuickDraw 3D
About the Author :
Bruce Epstein first learned Director when it became apparent that no one would fund his desire to wander aimlessly unless he was doing so in front of a keyboard. Since that time he has become a recognized Director and Lingo expert, spouting unsolicited advice in various books, magazines, and multimedia fora. Bruce has programmed and optimized dozens of cross-platform multimedia products, such as children's edutainment titles, enhanced audio CDs, and interactive advertisements, including the Chrysler/Plymouth Virtual Auto Plaza. He writes voraciously about multimedia development, software design, and project management, and refers to himself in the third person. In his copious spare time, Bruce runs Zeus Productions, which offers Lingo consulting and Xtras for Director. Director in a Nutshell is Bruce's brain in a book, distilling years of Director and Lingo expertise into a concise desktop reference.
