Adobe Director MX 2004 Fundamentals

Course Description:

Director Fundamentals provides multimedia developers with the knowledge and hands-on experience required to build rich media sequences for both the web and CD-ROM. This two day course is a practical, hands-on course which covers working with animations, building interactivity, working with Shockwave, using the power of Lingo and utilising databases.

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to create, import and sequence media elements in Director, publish animations for use on the web and in multimedia productions and understand the essentials of the Lingo/JavaScript programming environment.

This authorised course is designed to enable you to harness the power of Adobe Director quickly and easily.

This course includes the following modules:

Director basics

• Creating a storyboard
• The Cast, Score and Stage
• Importing cast members
• Working with sprites
• Using inks to alter the relationship between sprites
• Editing cast members
• Using the Paint window
• Internal and external casts

Using the score

• How the score is structured
• The control panel
• Making the score easy to read
• Adding markers

Animation

• Basic animation techniques
• Using the Timeline
• Tweening techniques
• Working with key frames
• Previewing your animation
• Reversing animations
• Creating film loops

Transitions, sounds, video and Flash

• Adding and editing transitions
• Drag and drop behaviours
• Using blends in the score
• Using the sound channels
• Using the vector drawing tools
• Importing video
• Controlling digital video
• Importing Flash content

Adding interactivity

• Using the Behaviours Inspector
• Markers and navigation
• Using Lingo scripts for navigation
• Advanced navigation techniques
• Navigating between Director movies
• Using the Library palette
• Drag and drop behaviours

Buttons

• Built-in button Behaviours
• Custom cursors and buttons
• Fonts and menus

Alpha channels and masks

• Sprite properties and palettes
• Importing 32 bit images
• PSD vs PNG

Learning Lingo

• Useful Lingo scripts
• Adapting Lingo scripts
• Different types of scripts
• When to use different scripts
• Handlers and Events
• Navigating with Lingo
• Controlling Sprites with Lingo
• Controlling sound with Lingo

Synchronising with digital video

• Cropping digital video
• Optimising your movie
• Using Cue Points in video
• Controlling video with Lingo
• Cross platform issues
• Keyboard control
• Working with DVD video
• DVD support
• DVD events manager

3D in Director

• Importing W3D files
• Overview of Director 3D
• 3D sprite properties
• Using 3D behaviours

Exporting from Director

• Creating a Projector
• Embedding fonts
• File size issues
• Using Xtras
• The Shockwave format
• Testing your movie
• Creating an AutoRun file for CD-ROMs