Director in a Nutshell. Covers Director 6, 6.5 and 7.01. A Desktop Quick Reference (Nutshell Handbook) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Covering Director and Shockwave from versions 6 to 7.0.1 this is a must- have for users of this world-class multimedia package.

Far more comprehensive than Macromedia's supplied documentation this desktop volume probes the deepest, darkest recesses of the cast, score, stage, sprites and animations and then goes on to investigate Shockwave's content delivery methods and the range of suitable content types.

Throw in a information and background on the Lingo scripting system and what you have is an all-in-one resource guide that deserves to become the standard text for anyone looking to produce multimedia presentations or standalone or Web-based delivery.

Author Bruce Epstein does a sterling job of introducing a massive amount of information in a clear and concise fashion which makes its point without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail.

Presented in O'Reilly's tried and trusted "in a Nutshell" format it's easy to flip through, interesting to read when there's five minutes to spare and invaluable for those moments when Director decides it's not going to do something and it's not obvious why.

On its own this is an invaluable resource, when buddied-up with the companion volume Lingo in a Nutshell what you have is one of the most complete references to any computing package on the market today. Strong praise indeed, but well-earned all the same.

Director in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference 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. In particular, you learn how to use the Score and create animations tools as well as work with Cast members, libraries, and the Stage. You get to set up coordinates, alignment, and registration points; tackle cross-platform delivery issues; and create projectors and runtime files. Those out to optimize their system performance will find sections on managing memory.

You get plenty of help using Lingo and Director's scripting tool, as well as in working with limitations in the various versions of Director. (The book covers versions 6, 6.5, and 7 for both Windows and Macintosh.) Users of every level should be able to glean a lot of useful tips from this book, though most parts are of a technical level best suited to proficient users rather than newcomers to the program. --Kathleen Caster

Readers already familiar with Director who are moving from version 6/6.5 to 7 will want this solid resource, which is also a companion to Epstein's recent Lingo in a Nutshell (O'Reilly, 1998).
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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.

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.

The most advanced Director book ever. Covers D6, D6.5 & D7.
Director in a Nutshell is not just another introductory book that rehashes the user manuals and GUI. It covers the behind-the-scenes issues that affect every aspect of Director development, including cross-platform issues, differences between the authoring, runtime, and Shockwave environments, media preparation and optimization, memory and performance, MIAWs, sound and digital video issues, coordinate systems, Xtras, Text and Fonts, Vector Shapes, menus, cursors, buttons, palettes and color models. It is completely updated for Director 7 and includes tons of Lingo (including all the sprite and member properties for each media type). It is packed with Lingo examples, like how to analyze the user's environment at runtime, how to analyze the Score for corruption, and much more. If you think you know a lot about Director and don't need another Director book, be prepared to be enlightened. This is not an introductory book, but it does summarize Director's UI components, and covers every shortcut possible in Director (and there are hundreds). It will easily be the best money you've ever spent on a Director book, and will pay for itself the first day you own it. I guarantee it will make using Director more productive (and profitable) than you ever imagined. Trust me.

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.