What Version of After Effects do I need?Nearly all of the training in this series will apply to After Effects CS3 and the Professional version of AE 6.5 & 7.Why is it free, are you guys crazy?Time to come clean. The truth is we want you to buy our DVDs but not all of our products are for beginners, so by teaching you the basics, you'll be in a position to take advantage of our great post production tools.Pretty sneaky Oh yeah... and we love you too.Why should I learn After Effects?After Effects gives you the power to create amazing visual effects and motion graphics. These skills will surely make you more valuable at work or to a future employer. You will also appear more attractive and confident.01. Introduction02. Effects03. Animation04. Keying & Transparency05. Motion Tracking06. Time Remapping07. 3D Integration08. Titles: 1 & 209. Expressions10. Renderinghttp://rapidshare.com/files/56644616/tutorial.flvhttp://rapidshare.com/files/56644641/tutorial.flvhttp://rapidshare.com/files/56644872/tutorial.flvhttp://rapidshare.com/files/56645432/tutorial.flvhttp://rapidshare.com/files/56645597/tutorial.flvhttp://rapidshare.com/files/56645718/tutorial.flvhttp://rapidshare.com/files/56645987/tutorial.flvhttp://rapidshare.com/files/56647363/tutorial.flvhttp://rapidshare.com/files/56647756/tutorial.flvhttp://rapidshare.com/files/56647990/tutorial.flvhttp://rapidshare.com/files/56648163/tutorial.flv

Total Training Adobe After Effects CS3 Advanced [Re-Upload] Get ready to dive in deeper than basic editing and compositing with these entertaining and educational videos on the advanced feature set in After Effects. You�ll explore the 3D environment to understand better how to work with 3D cameras and add realistic lighting and shadows. Plus, test drive tools that you may have never ventured to try before, such as painting and keying. Ko wraps up the course with a closer look at the all new Puppetry and Shapes tools. Highlights * Now that you've mastered the 2D features found in the After Effects Essentials series, you�re ready to understand the possibilities of 3D within After Effects. * Explore the advanced features and expressions to take full advantage of the Javascript within After Effects. * Learn how to combine painting, motion tracking, text and keying, so that you can approach any animation or composites in After Effects with confidence that you can get it done. * Animating the 3D layers with a 3D camera can add dynamic, organic looks to your composite. The key to making this work is to understand how to manipulate the various parts of each 3D element. * The puppetry tools help you deform layers in ways that you had never considered before. With an auto-tracing feature you can quickly start animating with this active tool.
http://rapidshare.com/files/69526536/After_Effects_CS3_Advanced.part01.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/69594086/After_Effects_CS3_Advanced.part02.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/69605481/After_Effects_CS3_Advanced.part03.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/69617336/After_Effects_CS3_Advanced.part04.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/69629932/After_Effects_CS3_Advanced.part05.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/69642752/After_Effects_CS3_Advanced.part06.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/69657037/After_Effects_CS3_Advanced.part07.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/69689601/After_Effects_CS3_Advanced.part08.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/69710353/After_Effects_CS3_Advanced.part09.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/69733230/After_Effects_CS3_Advanced.part10.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/69750337/After_Effects_CS3_Advanced.part11.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/69756958/After_Effects_CS3_Advanced.part12.rar

fter Effect Basic Training

In this Free Video Training Series, you'll learn everything you need to know to start using After Effects today. This is not an overview of the software, this is a real training series that covers advanced techniques for Motion Tracking, Color Keying and even 3D Title Design. Of course, we'll cover the basics too.Videocopilot.net After Effect Basic TrainingWelcome to Basic Training!In this Free Video Training Series, you'll learn everything you need to know to start using After Effects today. This is not an overview of the software, this is a real training series that covers advanced techniques for Motion Tracking, Color Keying and even 3D Title Design. Of course, we'll cover the basics too.What Version of After Effects do I need?Nearly all of the training in this series will apply to After Effects CS3 and the Professional version of AE 6.5 & 7.Why is it free, are you guys crazy?Time to come clean. The truth is we want you to buy our DVDs but not all of our products are for beginners, so by teaching you the basics, you'll be in a position to take advantage of our great post production tools.Pretty sneaky Oh yeah... and we love you too.Why should I learn After Effects?After Effects gives you the power to create amazing visual effects and motion graphics. These skills will surely make you more valuable at work or to a future employer. You will also appear more attractive and confident.01. Introduction02. Effects03. Animation04. Keying & Transparency05. Motion Tracking06. Time Remapping07. 3D Integration08. Titles: 1 & 209. Expressions10. RenderingLinks:http://rapidshare.com/files/61325831/aftr_bsc_tut.part01.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/61326772/aftr_bsc_tut.part02.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/61329342/aftr_bsc_tut.part03.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/61351788/aftr_bsc_tut.part04.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/61354004/aftr_bsc_tut.part05.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/61357647/aftr_bsc_tut.part06.rarhttp://rapidshare.com/files/61361402/aftr_bsc_tut.part07.rar

After Effects 7 Essential Training

After Effects 7 Essential Training with Jeff Foster is a comprehensive overview of Adobe?s powerful motion graphics software. The video-based training covers the interface, creating a project from scratch, working with keyframes, motion paths, animation presets, layer essentials, moving and trimming time, text layers and animation, filters and special effects, painting and cloning, alpha channels and masks, track mattes and color keying. Other topics include working with expressions, tracking motion, adding and adjusting audio, and rendering final movies. Exercise files accompany the training videos, allowing you to follow along and learn at your own pace. Table of contents Introduction Welcome 0:27 2 MB Setting up for exercise files 2:48 4.3 MB 1. Getting Started What's new in After Effects 7 6:30 14.9 MB Standard vs. professional 4:24 10.5 MB New format support in After Effects 7 3:46 9.1 MB 2. Interface Essentials Default workspace 1:56 2.6 MB Window and panel management 3:50 7.3 MB Customizing your workspace 2:41 4 MB 3. Creating Projects Creating and configuring a project 2:51 3.1 MB Importing assets into a project 5:58 9 MB Premultiplied vs. straight alpha 1:55 3 MB 4. Composition Creating a composition 3:14 4 MB Getting footage into a composition 1:24 2.3 MB Importing a Photoshop file as a composition 1:25 2 MB Creating a composition from footage 3:20 5 MB 5. Timeline, Keyframes, and Animation Setting object durations 3:09 5.3 MB Keyframe essentials 3:46 8.3 MB Animating position 3:40 6 MB Animating other transform properties 5:33 9 MB Copying and pasting keyframes 1:54 4.1 MB Property keyboard shortcuts 3:14 4.2 MB Animating an anchor point using the Pan Behind tool 2:20 5.1 MB Adjusting b?zier motion 2:29 4.2 MB Auto-orienting an object along a path 2:05 3.5 MB Following a complex motion path 3:28 6.8 MB Editing keyframes with the Graph Editor 3:20 5.6 MB Using animation presets 3:04 5.1 MB Creating and saving animation presets 2:31 6.2 MB 6. Playing with Time Using Keyframe Assistant 3:49 8.7 MB Keyframe interpolation - roving over time 2:38 4.3 MB Types of keyframe interpolation 2:40 3.9 MB Hold keyframes 1:59 3.4 MB Speed Graph Editor 4:20 9.8 MB 7. Previewing Movies Using the Time Control panel 3:29 7.5 MB RAM preview options 4:24 12.2 MB Previewing a region of interest and a work area 3:19 5.6 MB Wireframe previews 2:23 4.1 MB 8. Layer Essentials Layer basics 2:54 4.6 MB Editing an original layer in Photoshop 0:56 1.6 MB Solo, Lock and Shy buttons 2:25 4.2 MB The quality switch vs. continuous rasterization 1:28 2.5 MB Applying motion blur 2:24 5.5 MB Moving and trimming time in layers 2:31 4.3 MB Splitting layers 2:05 4.7 MB Time stretching and frame blending 4:01 9.3 MB Time remapping 5:49 13.4 MB Applying a timewarp effect 3:40 9.8 MB Replacing layers 1:27 3.5 MB Sequencing layers 2:38 6.1 MB Creating solid layers 1:36 2.5 MB Aligning and distributing layers 1:12 1.6 MB Layer modes 1:34 2.6 MB Interpreting footage 2:07 3.5 MB 9. Text Layers Creating and formatting text layers 3:25 4.7 MB Basic text animation 1:59 4.3 MB Using the Range selector 2:23 5 MB The Wiggly selector 4:05 8.8 MB Multiple animators and selectors 3:30 8 MB Using character offset 5:00 10.4 MB Text on a path 5:17 9.3 MB Applying text animation presets 3:19 6.2 MB Modifying and saving a text animation preset 2:44 4 MB Saving a text on path animation as a preset 3:47 6.8 MB 10. Essential Effects Applying filter effects 2:18 3.3 MB Animating effects 4:19 7 MB Drop shadows 1:12 1.9 MB Wipes and transitions 3:09 5.1 MB Lens blur 3:53 9.5 MB Making color correction adjustments 3:43 5.8 MB Effects as adjustment layers 2:14 3.7 MB Pre-compositing effects 3:12 5.2 MB Saving effects as favorites 2:10 3.8 MB 11. Parenting Essentials Simple parenting 4:03 7 MB Character animation 3:13 7.1 MB Using a null object as a parent 2:32 3.6 MB 12. Painting Painting essentials 4:43 7.3 MB Editing paint strokes 5:13 8.8 MB Paint strokes over time 5:10 8.9 MB Using brush strokes as a matte 3:28 8.2 MB Using the Clone tool 4:20 7.1 MB 13. Masking Essentials Creating simple masks 2:18 3.9 MB Drawing precise masks using the Pen tool 3:12 4.3 MB Using masks with text effects 1:59 2.9 MB Using masks modes 2:23 4.1 MB Animating and changing mask shapes 4:51 8.4 MB Convert an alpha channel to a mask with Auto-Trace 2:37 4.6 MB Faking painting with the Scribble effect 4:13 6.5 MB 14. Track Mattes and Alpha Channels Creating a track matte 2:10 3.6 MB Luminance-based track mattes 2:28 4.3 MB Animated text mattes with effects 6:34 16.3 MB 15. Removing a Background with Color Keying Choosing a key color 1:45 2 MB Adjusting and fixing color key selections 5:15 8.4 MB Using Luma Key on non-bluescreen composites 3:45 5.1 MB Using Keylight 4:27 7.1 MB 16. Using 3-D Layers Creating 3-D layers in the timeline 4:08 6.2 MB Adding lights in 3-D 7:54 11.6 MB Adding and animating a camera 5:21 9 MB Moving a camera around a scene 6:00 9.6 MB Auto-orienting objects 2:35 4.8 MB 17. Working with Expressions Adding expressions and creating relationships 3:33 6.4 MB Multiplying expression values 5:32 9.5 MB Expression arrays 5:22 11.2 MB Text, effects, and expressions 7:58 12.4 MB Converting expressions to keyframes 3:40 5.5 MB 18. Tracking Motion and Stabilizing Footage Tracking motion in a video clip 4:08 6.9 MB Corner pinning footage 3:15 5.4 MB Stabilizing footage 2:24 4.8 MB Fixing tracking problems 2:18 5.3 MB 19. Adding Audio Adding audio to a composition 3:18 6.1 MB Adding markers and comments 6:57 12.1 MB Adjusting audio levels 4:39 8.9 MB 20. Rendering Final Movies Using the render queue default settings 3:50 8.8 MB Changing the render queue settings 7:42 17.4 MB Output module and rendering templates 3:43 6.1 MB Rendering alpha channels or motion masks 2:10 5.3 MB Rendering audio 2:41 4.5 MB Saving RAM previews 2:36 4 MB Collecting files 3:35 5.1 MB After Effects for the Web 3:44 8.8 MB Rendering as Macromedia Flash files (.SWF and . FLV) 2:19 5.1 MB Conclusion Goodbye 0:24 1.7 MB
http://rapidshare.com/files/42897312/affx.part01.rar
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PASSWORD: anilom

Breaking 1Gbps with Flash Media Server

I’ve received a lot of requests lately about how much media can be delivered through Flash Media Server (FMS). As you may or may not know, FMS is held to the same limitations as most other streaming or HTTP servers, that is the available bandwidth, disk speed, memory and CPU power on a single server. When we introduced Flash Media Server 3 we increased the performance significantly to allow you to take full advantage of hardware and ultimately help to reduce the total cost of ownership.

Generally network administrators will run a server network adaptor anywhere from 60-80% capacity (average about 700Mbps). This is not the limit of what FMS is capable of. Limiting utilization is useful to allow burst headroom, and to reduce the CPU load. There is a direct relationship between the network adaptor and the server’s CPU. As a network adaptor utilization nears 100%, the server’s CPU utilization significantly increases.
Both Flash Media Interactive Server 3 and Flash Media Streaming Server 3 can deliver more than 1Gbps from a single server. There are 2 key ways to increase the total capacity on both Windows and Linux. First, you could purchase and install a 10Gbps network card. This is not a typical practice (yet) because these cards are still very expensive – hopefully that will change soon. A more common way to increase capacity is to use multiple network adaptors (NICs).

When doing this, you amalgamate the total throughput to break the 1 Gbps limit. The sub-100% utilization of each network interface should still be practiced in your capacity planning. 2 Network cards could provide up to 1.4Gbps per server (measured at 70% utilization/NIC). The method to do this is called “bonding” in Linux or “teaming” in Windows. Flash Media Server leverages the resources of the hardware available by the server. These techniques are done in the operating system and not with Flash Media Server configuration.

Flash Media Server can be also configured to manage multiple network cards as separate resources. You can provision streaming at the adaptor level, and bind delivery of specific media or communications on different network cards. With either of these solutions, you will still be limited by the total data center and switch capacity.
Using multiple network adaptors may help to reduce your total delivery costs by serving more streams with less hardware.

Here is a sample calculation for determining the number of servers you need with multiple network cards.

	Number of Servers required
	1,000 streams @ 700Kbps	5,000 streams @ 700Kbps	10,000 streams @ 700Kbps	25,000 streams @ 700Kbps	100,000 streams @ 700Kbps
1 Gbps NIC	1	5	10	25	100
2 Gbps NICs	1	3	5	13	50

The threshold for these calculations is 700Mbps (70%) of a 1Gbps network interface. You can choose to run the network cards at a higher percentage if you are sure you don’t need the extra head room. As you increase the utilization, you will reduce the number of servers required.

To understand more about using multiple network cards in Windows Server 2003 you can visit:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/254101

To understand more about using multiple network cards in Linux Red Hat you can visit:
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/csgfs/browse/rh-cs-en/s1-hardware-connect.html

Breaking 1Gbps with Flash Media Server

I’ve received a lot of requests lately about how much media can be delivered through Flash Media Server (FMS). As you may or may not know, FMS is held to the same limitations as most other streaming or HTTP servers, that is the available bandwidth, disk speed, memory and CPU power on a single server. When we introduced Flash Media Server 3 we increased the performance significantly to allow you to take full advantage of hardware and ultimately help to reduce the total cost of ownership.

Generally network administrators will run a server network adaptor anywhere from 60-80% capacity (average about 700Mbps). This is not the limit of what FMS is capable of. Limiting utilization is useful to allow burst headroom, and to reduce the CPU load. There is a direct relationship between the network adaptor and the server’s CPU. As a network adaptor utilization nears 100%, the server’s CPU utilization significantly increases.
Both Flash Media Interactive Server 3 and Flash Media Streaming Server 3 can deliver more than 1Gbps from a single server. There are 2 key ways to increase the total capacity on both Windows and Linux. First, you could purchase and install a 10Gbps network card. This is not a typical practice (yet) because these cards are still very expensive – hopefully that will change soon. A more common way to increase capacity is to use multiple network adaptors (NICs).

When doing this, you amalgamate the total throughput to break the 1 Gbps limit. The sub-100% utilization of each network interface should still be practiced in your capacity planning. 2 Network cards could provide up to 1.4Gbps per server (measured at 70% utilization/NIC). The method to do this is called “bonding” in Linux or “teaming” in Windows. Flash Media Server leverages the resources of the hardware available by the server. These techniques are done in the operating system and not with Flash Media Server configuration.

Flash Media Server can be also configured to manage multiple network cards as separate resources. You can provision streaming at the adaptor level, and bind delivery of specific media or communications on different network cards. With either of these solutions, you will still be limited by the total data center and switch capacity.
Using multiple network adaptors may help to reduce your total delivery costs by serving more streams with less hardware.

Here is a sample calculation for determining the number of servers you need with multiple network cards.

	Number of Servers required
	1,000 streams @ 700Kbps	5,000 streams @ 700Kbps	10,000 streams @ 700Kbps	25,000 streams @ 700Kbps	100,000 streams @ 700Kbps
1 Gbps NIC	1	5	10	25	100
2 Gbps NICs	1	3	5	13	50

The threshold for these calculations is 700Mbps (70%) of a 1Gbps network interface. You can choose to run the network cards at a higher percentage if you are sure you don’t need the extra head room. As you increase the utilization, you will reduce the number of servers required.

To understand more about using multiple network cards in Windows Server 2003 you can visit:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/254101

To understand more about using multiple network cards in Linux Red Hat you can visit:
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/csgfs/browse/rh-cs-en/s1-hardware-connect.html

Flashloaded fCMS

Flash CMS

The fCMS is a Flash CMS component (Flash Content Management System) that allows you to update text, images and SWFs directly on a live Flash website without ever leaving your browser window. The website developer or their client has no need for a separate administration panel for managing the content of the website and all of the changes can be applied at runtime.

Flash CMS Features

* Direct updating of content on a live Flash website
* No client training required. As easy to use as a word processor
* Editable textfields with built-in text editor (allows for multi-page textfields)
* Updatable images and SWFs - includes auto size, auto fit, positioning and captions
* Customizable font list, font size list and color palette
* Hidden login - type blindly a predefined word to access the CMS
* Allows for multiple users with different file upload permissions
* All data stored in an XML file - suitable for small to medium website content (no database required)
* No end user coding or HTML knowledge required
* Easy to use and customize
* Secure - username and password are securely stored on the server side only
* Light weight - adds only up to 20kb to your Flash movies

----------------------------------
RS DOWNLOAD
NO PASSWORD
----------------------------------
Download File:
Click HERE to download this post.

Lynda.com - Photoshop Lightroom 2 Essential Training

In Photoshop Lightroom 2 Essential Training, Chris Orwig explores Adobe's professional toolbox for image organization, processing, and output. He demonstrates effective use of catalogs, collections, keywords, and filters in the Library module; image correction and enhancement with the Develop module; and publishing the results via the Slideshow, Print, and Web modules. Chris also shares a wealth of creative tips and workflow techniques for capturing and processing stunning photographs.

Download links:

http://rapidshare.com/files/138927238/Lightroom_2_Essential.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/138927504/Lightroom_2_Essential.part2.rar
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Photoshop User TV Episode 136 - 140

Photoshop User TV Episode 136 (June 02, 2008)

Free Download from Rapidshare | MOV | 157 MB

So What Have We Learned:
The Photoshop Guys are all together this week and ready with some tutorials, prizes, and recommendations for places to visit on the web.

http://rapidshare.com/files/133046163/akhareshe.info_136_psutv_06022008.rar
No Password

Photoshop User TV Episode 137 (June 09, 2008)
Free Download from Rapidshare | MOV | 147 MB

So What Have We Learned:
Matt and Dave are giving away a big contest prize this week and they are joined by a special guest that viewers may recognize from the PhotoshopUser TV news desk.

http://rapidshare.com/files/133065243/akhareshe.info_137_psutv_06092008.rar
No Password

Photoshop User TV Episode 138 (June 16, 2008)
Free Download from Rapidshare | MOV | 136 MB

So What Have We Learned:
Matt and Dave have tutorials to share while Scott conducts an interview with Rich Harrington about using Photoshop with video.

http://rapidshare.com/files/133081775/akhareshe.info_138_psutv_06162008.rar
No Password

Photoshop User TV Episode 139 (June 23, 2008)
Free Download from Rapidshare | MOV | 156 MB

So What Have We Learned:
Matt and Dave are back again. They have filled this episode with tutorials, tip-torials, prizes, contests, and links to some interesting places on the web.

http://rapidshare.com/files/133345085/akhareshe.info_139_psutv_06232008.rar
No Password

Photoshop User TV Episode 140 (June 30, 2008)
Free Download from Rapidshare | MOV | 238 MB

So What Have We Learned:
Scott is still recovering from vacation so Matt and Dave are calling on “Graphics Guy” Corey Barker to help them out.

http://rapidshare.com/files/133436581/akhareshe.info_140_psutv_06302008.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/133482314/akhareshe.info_140_psutv_06302008.part2.rar
No Password

Photoshop User TV Episode 131 - 135

Photoshop User TV Episode 131 (April 28, 2008)
Free Download from Rapidshare | MOV | 140 MB

So What Have We Learned:
Aloha. Scott is out of town so Matt and Dave are in charge of this week’s volcanic new episode.

http://rapidshare.com/files/132589836/akhareshe.info_131_psutv_04282008.rar
No Password

Photoshop User TV Episode 132 (May 5, 2008)
Free Download from Rapidshare | MOV | 137 MB

So What Have We Learned:
All three Photoshop Guys are behind the desk this week. They are ready with some tutorials, industry news and websites to visit.

http://rapidshare.com/files/132603140/akhareshe.info_132_psutv_05052008.rar
No Password

Photoshop User TV Episode 133 (May 12, 2008)
Free Download from Rapidshare | MOV | 120 MB

So What Have We Learned:
Matt and Dave have tutorials and Scott has an interview with guest photographer David duChemin who shares some travel photography tips.

http://rapidshare.com/files/132781312/akhareshe.info_133_psutv_05122008.rar
No Password

Photoshop User TV Episode 134 (May 19, 2008)
Free Download from Rapidshare | MOV | 132 MB

So What Have We Learned:
Matt and Dave co-host this show while Scott does an interview with photographer Rick Sammon in a studio far, far away.

http://rapidshare.com/files/132806567/akhareshe.info_134_psutv_05192008.rar
No Password

Photoshop User TV Episode 135 (May 26, 2008)
Free Download from Rapidshare | MOV | 145 MB

So What Have We Learned:
Matt gets tongue-tied going through his tutorial, and Dave shows how he uses smart objects to avoid working too hard.

http://rapidshare.com/files/132828132/akhareshe.info_135_psutv_05262008.rar
No Password

10 common mistakes when building AIR applications

Adobe AIR has grown immensely popular over the past months. With its popularity, many new applications have been released. During this period, the following 10 issues have been the mistakes I have seen most often among developers. Hopefully, this list can help you avoid the same mistakes when building your next AIR application.

1. Making an application platform specific

Many AIR developers have a primary platform that they use as their development environment. In some cases, developers have not spent a great deal of time on other platforms, and they may not know how users on those platforms interact with desktop applications. Developers working on Windows, for example, need to have a good understanding of the user experience in respect to the Dock and the Application menu on the Mac platform, and Mac developers need to understand the user experience with the task bar and application window menus on Windows. Failure to understand these concepts can lead to applications that feel awkward and unnatural to the end user.

Consider this example: A Mac developer might place a Preferences menu item in the application menu for his AIR application. However, for the Windows version of the AIR application, he fails to add this menu item to each window menu. If the application were only tested and developed on a Mac this error might not get caught.

Some developers don't have access to other systems, but virtualization helps to eliminate some of these issues by providing the developer access to multiple operating systems on a single computer. One of the most useful tools in creating effective native applications is to have a regular user of another platform evaluate your application for both functionality and usability. By taking this extra step, you can catch most platform-specific issues in your AIR application.

2. Not including update capability in an application

One of the most important changes in the transition from the web to the desktop is the way that updates are handled. No longer does the user "come to you" to get your application, but rather you send the application to the user. Depending on how you configure your application, users might not ever have to return to your site to get the latest and most secure version of your application.

Previously, it took a little bit of work to develop an effective update mechanism for your AIR applications. However, Adobe has done most of the work for you with the Adobe AIR Update Framework. Adobe even gives you the option of using two different flavors of this framework: one includes a default user interface, and the other handles the logic and allows you to create a custom user interface that fits with your application.

Anytime you send a version of an AIR application to someone outside of your core development team, you ought to have some update mechanism in place (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Adobe AIR Update Framework

3. Changing the application ID after an app has been released

The AIR runtime uses two factors to determine the signature of an application: the application ID and the publisher ID. These values become very important when you distribute your application. If you change one of these pieces of information, an end user might be unable to update her version with the newer version. This could result in the user installing two different versions of your application, which, in turn, could result in the update version being unable to access any application-specific data from the first installation. In either situation, the end user might get frustrated enough to not use your application again.

To avoid this situation, you need to settle on a few things when you create your application. First, you need to set an application ID in the application descriptor file. This application ID is invisible to the user and will not change. It does, however, need to be consistent. Second, you should always use the same signing certificate when creating your application. The AIR packager uses the signing certificate to determine the publisher ID. If you do need to use a new signing certificate, the AIR developer tools provide a means to do so. For more information, refer to the article "Signing an AIR file to change the application certificate" in the AIR documentation for Ajax, Flash, and Flex developers.

4. Not planning for offline support

One of the advantages of Adobe AIR is the online/offline capability for applications. Many applications might not need or use this functionality. In most cases, this will not cause any problems, unless going offline breaks the application.

Every AIR application that interacts with an online service needs to be tested while the development environment is offline. This way you can determine where you need to place warnings or disable user interface elements so that the end user understands what functionality is not available while the application is in an offline mode.

If you want to expand your application to include specific offline functionality, AIR has APIs to work with the local file system, the SQLite embedded database, and even a secure data store. By utilizing these APIs you can create applications that can easily store information on the user's computer to create a seamless offline experience. For an enterprise solution, the newest version of LiveCycle Data Services provides online/offline synchronization of data for AIR inside of Flex based AIR applications. For more information, see Christophe Coenraets' blog post: Offline Synchronization using AIR and LiveCycle Data Services.

5. Not thinking in AIR

The AIR APIs are powerful and provide a great deal of functionality to developers. However, I have often found that there are pieces of the API that some developers are not familiar with. For example, I have noticed developers trying to encrypt data in a text file instead of using the EncryptedLocalStore functionality, or storing delimited data in a text file when using the embedded SQLite database would provide better functionality.

This oversight can be extremely common in web applications that are ported to Adobe AIR. One of the great things about AIR is that many of these applications can be ported with little or no changes to the code. However, in some cases the application could benefit greatly from using some of the AIR APIs to add functionality that enhances the user's experience.

To get a better grip on the APIs provided in AIR, you can review the AIR documentation and sample applications.

6. Using custom chrome to create confusing interfaces

Custom chrome puts a lot of power in the hands of developers and designers. By using it, you are altering the way a user interacts with an application. If this custom chrome has a consistent feel with the standard operating system chrome, users will be able to interact with it seamlessly. However, if users cannot easily maximize, minimize, or close an application window, the chances of them using your application on a regular basis are very slim.

Having a single look across all platforms certainly has its benefits. Using the standard chrome will cause the application to appear different on each platform. Custom chrome gives a single branded experience across all platforms, and if it can be accomplished without confusing the user, it is a powerful tool. Some applications, such as the EBay Desktop AIR application, give the user the option of the standard or custom window chrome. As long as you approach custom chrome with caution and keep the user's experience in the forefront as you develop your application, custom chrome will be an asset. For more information, refer to Ethan Eisman's article Adobe AIR and the experience brand, Lee Brimelow's Creating custom-chrome AIR applications in Flash CS3, as well as the AIR Quick Starts for Flex, Flash, and Ajax.

7. Not using the seamless install badge

Developers sometimes assume that everyone's system is configured in a similar way to their own. This can be dangerous when distributing packaged AIR applications to your end users. First, you cannot guarantee that users have the Adobe AIR runtime installed on their computers. Second, you cannot assume that the server delivering the file will know how to properly handle packaged AIR files.

Luckily, these issues can both be handled by properly configuring and using the seamless install badges for Adobe AIR. This allows users who have Adobe Flash Player installed to download your application as well as the AIR runtime (if needed). It will then install the necessary elements. This takes the guesswork out of AIR application distribution. There are currently two versions of the badge that can be used: the original design (see Figure 2) and a new version designed by Grant Skinner (see Figure 3) that is on Adobe Labs.

Figure 2. Original install badge design

Figure 3. Updated install badge design

For more information, refer to my article, Deploying AIR applications seamlessly with badge install and to Additional Seamless Install Badge with new look and feel on Adobe Labs.

8. Not encrypting sensitive data

Many AIR applications interact with other services on the Internet. In many of these cases, the user inputs sensitive information such as a username and password to access these services. This is just one instance where secure data is stored by an AIR application. Anytime you store sensitive information for an AIR application, it needs to be encrypted.

Many developers have confused the security of different storage options within AIR. Some developers have mistakenly assumed that information with the local database is secure, but that information can be accessed by any application that can read a SQLite database. Essentially, the only truly secure way to store information with the AIR API is to use the EncryptedLocalStore class. This uses platform-specific encryption to store information, and it can (optionally) also be configured to be accessed by a single AIR application only. Some developers have created custom ways to encrypt information in local files, but in almost all cases the EncryptedLocalStore class is your best option. For more information, see Kevin Hoyt's article Using the encrypted local store feature.

9. Not preserving native interaction

Some actions span almost all applications on a specific operating system. For example, Windows users can be sure that in almost every application objects can be copied by using the Ctrl+C keyboard shortcut. In addition, Mac users expect the same behavior with the Command+C shortcut. These are the type of actions that need to be preserved so that the user can have a familiar experience when interacting with your application. If you changed the Copy keyboard shortcut to a different key combination, it would only cause confusion and decrease usability.

For example, if you are dealing with SWF content, the normal keyboard shortcuts for copy, cut, and paste are enabled in TextInput, but they are not enabled in TextArea (the default shortcuts work for all types of text inputs in an HTML AIR application). In this case, you would need to be sure that this functionality was preserved for the user by manually adding them.

When dealing with keyboard shortcuts, review other applications to ensure that if you are performing a standard action, you use the common keyboard shortcut for that specific platform. In addition, if certain items appear in application or window menus (such as Cut, Copy, and Paste) be sure that those items are present and indicate the relevant keyboard shortcut.

10. Assuming performance doesn't matter outside of the browser

Developing applications for the desktop can be a liberating experience. By breaking out of the browser, you are freed from many constraints. However, the temptation is to not worry about issues such as memory and processor utilization. These issues become compounded when you utilize resource-intensive functionality within AIR, such a
s custom chrome and window transparency. Just as with a web application, every AIR application should be tested and profiled for system resource utilization. If you are creating an AIR application in Flex Builder, you can use the Profiler to view your application's resource utilization over time.

Remember that your AIR application has the ability to slow down the entire desktop experience for the end user. Your AIR application needs to use only the amount of resources that make sense. If your application performs complex tasks, a high utilization of system resources might make sense. However, if your application performs a relatively simple task, the end user will not be satisfied with a high usage of system resources. For more information, refer to Using the Profiler in LiveDocs.

Latest ADC Developer Desktop is out

If you don’t know about the ADC Developer Desktop, it’s an AIR application that delivers a number of helpful resources for developers, including Bug Base notifications, a Component Explorer, an RSS reader, and listings of Adobe User Groups & events.

You can download the ADC Developer Desktop for free at the AIR Marketplace.

Acrobat 9 SDK Now Available

The Acrobat 9 SDK is posted to the Acrobat Developer Center for public download.

But wait, there's more.

New in Acrobat 9, we've added a livedocs version of the documentation. Now you'll be able to provide feedback on most topics and even submit corrections or report bugs. Now's the chance to show off your Kung-Fu skills and contribute to the developer community. Comments will be monitored so don't expect them to show up right away but they will show up.

Flex Developer Alert!
Acrobat 9 Custom Navigator SDK is available in Pre-release:

Use Flex and your ActionScript skills to create SWF interfaces (Navigators) for PDF Portfolios using the new ActionScript APIs for Acrobat 9. Check out my previous post to see some of the possibilities. The good news is, the Custom Navigator SDK is all ActionScript, you don't need to know anything about the rest of the Acrobat SDK to get started.

Use this PDF form to request access to the prerelease program.

Photoflow V1.1

photoFlow v1.1 (Flash component)

The photoFlow Flash component displays multiple images with a stack effect, perspective and reflection. The images can be flipped by clicking on a specific image in the stack, using the supplied skinnable scrollbar, or scrolling the mousewheel. Images can be added or changed directly in the Component Inspector, through ActionScript or using an external XML file.

Features:
Easily update images using the Component Inspector, ActionScript or an XML file
Adjustable flip speed, spacing between stacked images and image size
Customizable perspective view and reflections
Option to flip images as a slideshow
Add links/hyperlinks to each image
ActionScript events to perform an action when an image has loaded, is selected, etc...
Images can be external or included in the library
Mouse wheel image flipping (Windows only)
Optionally display a name for each image
Option to set the number of images to preload
Option to automatically scale images to fit or to fill the defined size
Zoom in on selected image or on all images on mouse over
photoFlow can open on a pre-defined image
Customizable background color and opacity
Option to start flipping from left-to-right or right-to-left
Supports sound effects for image flipping
Built-in preloader
Light weight (weighs only 18kb with the scrollbar)

Code:
http://rapidshare.com/files/135682837/fsdkfjhesdkfjskdol.rar

Code:
http://w15.easy-share.com/1700195787.html

Photoshop CS3 Extended Video and 3D Bible

Paperback: 464 pages
Data: February 26, 2008
Format: PDF
Description: Harness the powerful new capabilities of Photoshop CS3 Extended

When you think of editing 3D images, if your first thought isn't Photoshop's filters, styles, and paint tools, think again. Now you can apply your Photoshop skills to 3D and video with Photoshop's new CS3 Extended and the in-depth instruction in this comprehensive guide. Want to create composites using 3D objects? Learn how to animate? Jazz up YouTube videos? From animation basics to blending video layers, this book has what you need to produce digital and 3D content like a pro.

*Get to know 3D formats, workspaces, and tools
*Create a 3D layer from a 2D image with Vanishing Point
*Position a 3D camera and zoom, pan, or change views
*Transform 3D objects with filters, blends, textures, and masks
*Import video into Photoshop and edit, trim, and extract
*Learn rotoscoping basics and how to animate
*Build sequences scene by scene with the Timeline editor
*Fine-tune alpha channels and add special effects

Download - (23 Mb)