This book is a good reference for beginning Flash users, and a good review for intermediate to advanced Flash users.

Chapters 1-5 provide an overview of the Flash interface, drawing tools, symbols (buttons, graphics, and movie clips), library, creating simple animations (including discussions of frame rate, shape tweens, and motion tweens), effects, and filters. These chapters may well be just a review for intermediate to advanced Flash users. As someone who’s been using Flash for a number of years, I found the first 5 chapters a quick read and an interesting review, but after that point I picked up a few more tips and tricks.

Chapter 6, on importing artwork, includes specific CS3 information regarding browsing for files in Bridge CS3 and importing files from other programs. Tips #50-53 provide good detail regarding new CS3 features that enable Flash to integrate well with Bridge, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Fireworks. For example, you can use Bridge CS3 to preview SWFs, movies, and animation, and Flash CS3 allows users to import Illustrator and Photoshop documents as layers, eliminating the need for third party software to do the same.

Chapter 7 is a good overview of working with sound, including information on setting sound properties and simple editing of sounds. Chapter 8 goes into detail about working with video, with tips on importing video files, choosing skins, and using the Flash video encoder.

Chapter 9 provides information on publishing and exporting your Flash movie. Chapter 10 covers basic ActionScript; tips #87-92 include a simple comparison of ActionScript 1.0 vs. 2.0 vs. 3.0. The book wraps up with chapter 11 which covers using components (premade and pre-scripted elements such as buttons, menus, check boxes, progress bars, video playback elements, etc.).

I felt this book provided much useful information and an overview of Flash’s capabilities. The only facet of the book I was dissatisfied with regards learning styles: as opposed to just reading about various tools, I personally find kinesthetic learning (actually “doing the do”) a more effective way to learn software. Hands-on project-based approaches (Lynda Weinman’s Hands-On Training and Total Training, for example) are, at least for me, a better way to dive in and learn software. This book includes very few hands-on exercises, but is a good reference and/or review of Flash CS3.