Reviewing After Effects 7 Visual Quickpro Guide (Reviewed by: Rafiq Elmansy)

Product Details:
Book Name: After Effects 7 Visual Quickpro Guide
Writer: Antony Bolante
Publisher: Peachpit publishing
ISBN: 0321383540

Are you new with After Effects? Adobe After Effects 7 Visual Quickpro Guide for Antony Bolante really gives you fast steps toward learning more about this product. This book gives you a strong base to start a leading career using After Effects.
Antony Bolante in his book considered that the reader is beginner in After Effects. So, he describes each tiny part in an easy to understand way.

The first chapters in the book describe this great program, anatomy and tools. And shows you with examples how to use these tools.
For example, chapter 12 shows all about creating text and text animation. It starts with setting the workspace for text and goes through creating text, editing, formatting, setting text options and describes in details how to get the most out of text animation, starting with making the text follow a path, using text animation presets and creating animator groups.
The last chapter teaches you how to get your work out to the world by using different rendering techniques in After Effects.

I think this book is the best resource for beginner After Effect designers and animators, as it really gives you a big push toward the proficiency of Adobe after Effects.

Reviewed by: Rafiq Elmansy

PHP and MYSQL for dynamic web sites (Reviewed by: Rafiq Elmansy)

Product Details:
Writer: Larry Ullman
Book Name: PHP and MySQL for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide
Publisher: Peachpit press
ISBN: 0321186486
http://www.peachpit.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=0321336577&rl=1


PHP and MYSQL for dynamic websites for Larry Ullman is another member of Visual Quick Pro Guide series that gives you a fast efficient way to learn. The book covers PHP 5 and MYSQL 4.1 for beginners, intermediate and advanced users.
The introduction of the book gives you a fast definition for some important terminology about dynamic websites, what is PHP, why use PHP, how it works and what is MYSQL.
The first chapter is an introduction to PHP language, the basic Syntax, sending data to browser, writing comments, variables, strings, numbers, constants and quotation marks.
The second chapter covers the programming with PHP such as creating forms and validating forms data. The next chapter covers dynamic websites.
Chapter 4 and 5 covers SQL and MYSQL. And using PHP with MYSQL is covered in chapter 7.
The following chapters covers different related issues such as web application developing, cookies, sessions, security, CMS example and ecommerce example.
The book is good start for beginner to learn web developing with PHP and SQL.

Reviewed by: Rafiq Elmansy

Exploring the Flash Professional 9 ActionScript 3.0 Preview

Jen deHaan is the first to post a preview article about Flash Professional ActionScript 3.0. In her article, Jen preview the new features in Flash Professional AS 3.0 with new ActionScript Virtual machine (AVM) as well as the new scripts in AS 3.0.
read the full article and more in Adobe Developer Center update:http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/
Also, there are new announcements on the Adobe pressroom:http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/

Adding 3D to Flash projects using After Effects

A new artilce has posted for me at adobe site, it talks about how to use After Effects 3D layer feature to enhance you Flash animation with 3D and animating your Flash or Illustrator objects in the 3D space.
Read the full article at Adobe developer center:

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/3d_in_flash.html

What Gates's Departure Means for Microsoft

PCworld.com has published an analysis for Bill Gates`s departure affect on Microsoft, read the whole analysis at the following link:
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,126127,00.asp

Google news reader

With the Google News Reader you can add the site you like to visit regularly, and keep yourself updated with its news and updated content. The Google News Reader has a simple interface and takes no time to customize. Visit the Google News Reader at the following link:
http://www.google.com/reader/view/

Reviewing Flash Professional 8 Beyond The Basics (Reviewed by: Rafiq R. Elmansy)

The Flash Professional 8 Beyond The Basics for Shane Rebenchied is a practice book that includes some useful tutorial for both Flash designers and developers. About 50 step-by-step tutorials cover many needed techniques to create a professional Flash application. Such as, formatting dynamically loaded text using HTML, CSS and nested images, building preloader with the MovieClipLoader class, adding a progressively downloading multi-track MP3 player and using component to create a feed back form.

For the first time I looked at the book index, I felt like the tutorials are not very well organized, but with another deep look, I realized that the tutorials are pinpoint the problems you may face when creating a Flash application in a professional way.

The book also includes a CD-ROM with exercises and training videos. To know more about this book you can visit http://www.peachpit.com/title/0321293878

Product Details:
Reviewing Flash Professional 8 Beyond The Basics
Publisher: Peachpit
ISBN: 0-321-29387-8

Reviewed by: Rafiq R. Elmansy

Photoshop CS2 RAW from Oreilly

In March, Oreilly has published Photoshop CS2 RAW book, which concern with the RAW extension. This extension gives you more control on the images created from your digital camera as it does not affected by the camera process and deliver you that data captured in an uncompressed format. Read more about this new book at the following link:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/photoshopraw/

Photoshop TV

Photoshop TV is a Photoshop Podcast produced by the NAPP. the www.photoshoptv.com includes nice updated Podcasts for Adobe Photoshop tips and tricks. you can subscribe through iTunes by adding the following URL to Subscribe Podcast list (Advanced > Subscribe Podcast ):

http://feeds.feedburner.com/photoshoptv/

Network for professionals

I was just getting recovered from my latest surgery when my friend Greg Hamer invited me to join Linkedin.com network. I think it is a great network to connect professionals, friends and old colleges. It keeps you updated with your contacts info changes and lets search for jobs within this network and link you with other companies. Visit http://www.linkedin.com/ and join this great community. you can add me to your contact too (Rafiq Elmansy, email rafiqelmansy (at) yahoo (dot) com).

New Cookbook for Flash 8

Oreilly has published a new Cookbook for Flash 8. As the rest of the series, Flash 8 Cookbook is a practice book for both developers and designers. read the following link for more info about this book:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/flash8ckbk/

Submit your work for the 2006 Adobe Customer Reel

You're invited!

Submit your work for the 2006 Adobe Customer Reel by June 30. http://www.adobe.com/motion/customerreel.html

Adobe invites you to submit your work for possible inclusion in the 2006 Adobe Digital Video and Audio Customer Reel! This is a chance to showcase the work you produce using Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Encore DVD, Adobe Audition, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and other Adobe products! We want to see your work and show it to others in the industry so they can see how creative our users are—and see the possibilities of Adobe's Digital Video and Audio products.

Adobe plans to introduce the reel at SIGGRAPH in Boston this August. Over the next year Adobe will also present the reel at tradeshows, seminars and industry events worldwide. This reel also proudly plays in the lobby of Adobe's headquarters—reminding all that some of the coolest products at Adobe are the ones that make images move.

If you are able to grant us the additional right to distribute your materials as part of the Reel for the purpose of promoting Adobe products and services, your work may reach an even wider audience! To be included in versions of the Reel that are played on the Adobe web site and shared with customers and partners, be sure to check the option on the last page of the Non-Exclusive License Agreement.

NTSC Beta SP is our preferred format, but we can also accept Digibeta, miniDV, miniDV (DV, HDV, or HD), and uncompressed movie files (QuickTime and AVI) on data DVDs. We cannot accept PAL, and would prefer to use authored DVDs only if no other option is available, as compression means the finished quality will be less than ideal. This year, we plan to produce the reel in 16:9 format as well as 4:3, so if you have both options available, please send them both to us.

Please tell us which Adobe products you used and a little about the project(s) you're submitting by filling out the contact sheet. If your work has audio, please make sure that you have the rights for Adobe to use the audio or indicate that we need to use copyright free music.

To submit your work:

1) Print and fill out t he Contact Infosheet : http://www.adobe.com/motion/pdfs/2006_dvreel_contactinfo.pdf.

2) Print and complete 2 copies of the Non-Exclusive License : http://www.adobe.com/motion/pdfs/2006_dvreel_license_agreement.pdf

3) Send your reel, both copies of the Non-Exclusive License (one copy will be sent back to you), and the Contact Info sheet to:

Attn: Adobe Customer Reel

Meredith Yeary

Adobe Systems, Inc.

801 North 34^th St.

Seattle , WA 98103

We can't guarantee that your work will be included but we make every effort to include as broad a range of work as possible. Submissions in past years have come from Istanbul, New York, Tokyo, LA, Paris, Poland and virtually everywhere in between, and have represented everything from experimental films and self-promotions to commercials, broadcast graphics, and film compositing projects. We'd love to see what you've been working on, so please send your reel to us!

If you have any questions, please email us at customerreel@adobe.com .

Remember, the submission deadline is June 30. Thanks again for your support!

Sincerely,

The Adobe Digital Video and Audio Product Teams

Cartoonsmart.com video about IE changes

Cartoonsmart.com added a new video tutorial with samples for how to Flash using Javascript after the IE changes, visit the following link for details and free downloads:
http://www.cartoonsmart.com/change_code.html

Adobe Photoshop CS2 review

I remember when I first started to learn Adobe Photoshop, 7 years ago. I started with Photoshop 4; life was not so much easy as it is today. We had to go through a lot of steps to do effects we can do now with fewer steps and less time. Adobe Photoshop goes through a lot of enhancements and improvements since then.

Workflow improvements:

The new version of Adobe Photoshop is part of the new Adobe Creative Suite 2, which provides more workflow with the integration between Adobe applications using Adobe Bridge (figure 1). The new version is more users friendly, saves much time and gives you the ability to create professional outputs in fewer steps with its new features.

In addition to the Adobe Bridge, The new Adobe creative suite includes improvements in the color management by providing a simplified printing interface for color management. As well as Version Cue 2.0, which enable you to manage files either by one user or in workgroup.

Figure 1. Adobe Bridge browser

Photo editing improvements:

Photoshop CS2 includes many new features to improve the photo editing process such as The Camera Raw plug-in, which enable you to apply your setting to a batch of images, The High Dynamic Range, Optical lens correction, noise reduction, Smart Sharpen filter and Spot Healing tool.

With the new Photoshop, you do not have to worry about the red eye problem any more because it removes this problem with the new red eye correction feature. Also, The Blur effects are enhanced with new Blur filters like Box Blur, Shape Blur and Surface Blur.

Design enhancements:

The new Adobe Photoshop CS2 includes great improvements for designers. For example, you do not have to create a perspective to your image manually or relay on third party plug-in to create the perspective effect you need, the new Vanishing Point do it for you.

Also, you do not need to worry about image distortion when you transform your image; the new Smart Object feature creates multiple instances of your image or vector, and updates them all at once (figure 2). As well as the ability to control multiple layers.

In addition to the above design features, which I think it is the most useful for designers, there are some other new features like image wrapping, the ability to create animation, Japanese type features, smart guides and integrated online service.

Figure 2. Free transforming Smart Object

Also, Adobe Photoshop CS2 includes other new features such as customizable menus, batch image processing, new PDF engine, Scripting and action event manager, UI font size customization, Update Manager, Variables as in Image ready, Video preview, WYSIWYG Font menu.

Some old features have also changed such as layer grouping, merging layers, loading selections, clipping mask visibility, file browsing and placing files as smart objects.

As we see from the above brief of the new features in Adobe Photoshop CS2, it provides photographers and designers with some great tools to enhance their work. I think this feature really worth the upgrade, which costs 169$. The new version of Adobe Photoshop CS2 costs 649$.

And to know more about this great product, visit Adobe site at the following link:

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/

Google page creator

Google comes up with a new service that enable you to creat simple web site in a less than a minute as if you are creating a word document. Visit Google page creator section and enjoy:

http://pages.google.com


Rafiq Elmansy
Senior graphic designer,
Macromedia certified professional
www.beedesignstudio.com
www.macromedia-review.blogspot.com

Orisinal games

Since 4 years, a friend told me about this great site Orisinal.com for Ferry Halim. Since then, I run to it when I feel bored or got a work stress and need some freshing. Actually, the games in this site is unique in simplicity, design and colors. if you need to have some rest, just forget every thing around you (except your work manager!!) and play a game or two. Looking to the games colors is enough to refresh your mind. The site link is:

http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/


Rafiq R. Elmansy
Multimedia Graphic Designer
Macromedia Certified Proffessional

www.beedesignstudio.com
www.macromedia-review.blogspot.com
www.mmug-egypt.mxdj.com

My New Site

Finally, I have just updated my site(www.beedesignstudio.com), hope very one visit and tell me your opinion, for comments and inquiries, please email me at the following email:

rafiqelmansy(at)yahoo(dot)com

Rafiq R. Elmansy
Multimedia Graphic Design, Macromedia Certified Professional
Adobe User Group Manager
www.beedesignstudio.com

Adobe After Effects 6.5 Magic Review (Reviewed by: Rafiq Elmansy)

The Adobe After Effects 6.5 Magic for James Rankin and Anna Ullrich is a practice book. You will learn by example 100 of the After Effects techniques through 22 chapters. Each chapter includes project that helps you creating cinematic and commercials animation effects.
Creating each project is described step by step easily and clearly, by the end of each project, you will find a Now Try This section that inspire you with new ideas to apply what you have learnt in each chapter.
The After Effects Magic projects are varies from text, lighting and corporate logo animation techniques. I wished the book includes more projects and order them according to its level. But generally, the book is good choice as a practice resource that lets you easily digest many of the After Effects features.

Reviewed by: Rafiq Elmansy

Product Details:
Book Name: Adobe After Effects Magic
Writer: James Rankin, Anna Ullrich
Publisher: New Riders Press
ISBN: 0321267230

Reviewing Adobe After Effects Studio Techniques (Reviewed by: Rafiq R. Elmansy)

The Adobe After Effects Studio techniques book takes you in a tour to explore what is inside this magnificent program and how to use its capabilities in creating video effects.

The book focused on the video production techniques. The first section introduces the program and its working foundations. While the second section concerns with the effects composting, the third section talks about how to work with light, air, water, smoke, clouds and fire effects.

The book level is for intermediate/ advanced. So, you need to have a background about the After Effects to enjoy reading this book.

Reviewed by: Rafiq R. Elmansy

Product Details:
Adobe After Effects Studio Techniques
Publisher: Adobe Press
ISBN: 0321316207

Achieving Amazing Easing Effects in Flash article

Among the great features in the new Flash Professional 8, I have concentrated on a wonderful feature for animation and creating animation effect. Which is the new custom easing effect feature. This feature enables Flash animator and designers to create amazing tweening effect and mimic natural animation effects. To read more about this great feature, visit Macromedia site at the following link:
http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/flash/articles/custom_easing.html