All homework should be uploaded to student’s own site on a.parsons.edu.

Make a folder for each week called “week01″, “week02″, etc.  (These folders should be inside “public_html” so we can all see them, organized in a folder called “lab.”)

Post a link to the assignment page on your own blog.  You can create a “lab” category so you can easily see all of your lab related posts on one page. I will check your blogs each week for homework, if it is not posted there you will not receive credit for it. You can comment on this page if you have want feedback or a detailed critique.

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Week 14. Due 4/30:

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Week 13. Due 4/23:

  • READ: Using Adobe Flash CS4 [if you don't have PDF yet, download from Flash Resources page]
    • Using Mask Layers pp. 218-220
    • Using Inverse Kinematics, pp. 220-229
  • More Inverse Kinematics: Animating Puppet tutorial
  • Another useful tutorial on Motion Easing using the Motion Editor
  • Identify the Flash techniques you are still having trouble with and bring examples to class.
  • CREATE: Finish up your Flash homework assignments from the last few weeks – *NOTE: if your assignments are not posted to your blog, you will get a zero for them.*
  • CREATE: Show your idea for your final project in Flash, with sketches or mockups. Start designing or drawing the visual composition, backgrounds and elements. Break down the functional components as best you can.

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Week 12. Due 4/16:

  • Catch up on all assigned reading in Flash CS4 All-In-One for Dummies [remember you have to login, then select Books 24x7, then search]
  • Read Books V (Audio) and VI (Video)
  • AdobeTV Tutorials [easier to view maximized using icon in lower right of video player] – don’t forget to check under About This Episode for sample files:
    • Getting Started 09: Working With Sound
      [also do these short tutorials on creating button sounds with code and without code]
    • Getting Started 10: Working With Video
    • Getting Started 15: Working With Motion Presets
    • Getting Started 16: Animating Bones
    • Using Inverse Kinematics
    • Optional: Preparing AI and PS Files For Flash
  • Adobe Developer Connection: Animating Filters – Blur
  • Animation Learning Guide: Timelines and Keyframes, Frame-by-Frame Animation, Motion Tween Manipulation, Motion Paths, Motion Editor, Preset and Custom Eases
  • CREATE: Pick 2 or more techniques from these tutorials and create an interactive example.
  • CREATE: Start thinking about a final project you would like to make. It can be something you’re thinking about or designing in Studio. It can be an art piece, a game, a website, an interface simulation…

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Week 11. Due 4/9:

  • Read Book 3 Chapter 4 (Advanced Animation Techniques) from Flash CS4 for Dummies
  • Adobe Tutorials: Creating Motion Tweens: Part 1 & Part 2, Getting Started 14 – Using the Motion Editor, Using the Motion Editor (11 rows down from Getting Started 14), Using Motion Presets
  • Read Book 4 Chapters 1-5: Adding ActionScript 3.0 Magic
  • Tutorials: Learning ActionScript One-on-One
  • Read Book 7 Chapter 1: Adding Buttons to a Flash Project
  • CREATE: Create something that goes through multiple stages of transformation from user’s interaction. Use button clicks or other types of mouse interactions to change symbols and move around on the timeline. It can be an abstract animation, or a simple game, or a revealing of something hidden or unexpected. Your movie must either loop seamlessly or have a button or timer to go back to the beginning.

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Week 10. Due 4/2:

  • Read Books I-III of Flash CS4 All-In-One For Dummies. You can skip Book I Chapter 3 (ActionsScript) for now.
  • Do the following short Getting Started tutorials (1-4 minutes each) on AdobeTV: 1-8, 11-13, 19.
  • Pick a descriptive word that evokes something visual or kinetic or emotional. Create a short Flash movie illustrating the feeling of this word, using the typography of the word itself. Use any or all of the techniques learned so far: shape and motion tweening, scale transformations, bitmaps, etc.
    • Some examples of words: sparkling, mellow, impatient, flowing, enraged, inspired, disappointed, unyielding, cowardly, magical…
  • Upload your movies and link to them from your blog. You only need to upload the HTML and SWF file, not the FLA file (unless you want people to see how you created it).
  • If you want more reinforcement on animating in Flash, the Animation Learning Guide on Adobe Developer Connection (on Resources page) is good, and includes sample files.
  • If you want to go a bit further, check out the Graphics Effects Learning Guide.

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Week 9. Due 3/26:

  • Begin Flash tutorials

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Week 8. Due 3/19:

  • Spring Break

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Week 7. Due 3/12:

  • MIDTERM PRESENTATIONS

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Week 6. Due 3/5:

  • Read CSS Mastery selections (see Posts for how to access)
  • Lab Day: work on portfolio sites

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Week 4. Due 2/26:

  • Make blog posts (on your own blogs) pointing to your homework assignments.
  • Visit the blogs of all your classmates and make at least one comment on one of their homework projects.
  • Iron out the bugs and messy code in your portfolio site.
  • Validate all of your HTML and CSS pages, link is on Resources page.
  • Learn how to use the Inspector. In Safari Preferences go to Advanced tab and enable Show Develop menu. In Firefox, install Firebug.

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Week 3. Due 2/19:

  • If you’re still confused about basic CSS, go through these tutorials again: http://www.w3schools.com/Css/css_intro.asp
  • Do the CSS Positioning Tutorial [link on course page, or side menu]
  • Make a simple portfolio site for yourself using CSS layout and positioning techniques you’ve learned so far. You must have at least 3 pages (e.g. About Me, Artwork, Print Design), with at least 4 images on each portfolio page with short descriptive text.
  • If you want to go farther, make a hidden link to a page where you create geometric designs purely with CSS. See what interactive movement you can create with a:hover (rollover) selectors. Play around with opacity – http://www.w3schools.com/Css/css_image_transparency.asp.

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Week 2. Due 2/12:

  • Join class blog [use "register" link in right-hand Meta column]
  • Upload an image of yourself on www.gravatar.com [this will work with WordPress]
    • use the same email address you’re using for class blog
  • Review CSS basics on CSS Primer page [link on Resources page]
  • Convert Week 1 homework (sandwich xHTML pages) to CSS
  • Make at least 3 WordPress posts with images, video, or sound
    • One of them can be about the homework and what worked and what confused you
  • Find a cool WP theme and install it [in Dashboard, under Appearance, Add New Themes]

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Week 1. Due 2/5:

  • Make 5-page xHTML document about your favorite sandwich