So I thought of this quick fix, basically I just add ‘Category Name -’ to the front of the feed and Opera automatically sorts out all of the feeds into alphabetical order. Sure its a mega basic idea but it might help someone else out there.

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Open up Flash and make 2 buttons, one which is labeled Play and the other one Pause. On a new layer create some sort of animation that lasts for at least 10 frames. Extend the bottom layers length in the timeline so that it is the same as the animation.

Add the following code to the Play button:

on (release){
play();
}

And add this code to the Pause button.

on (release){
stop();
}

Let?’s look at some of the code. on (release) means that once the button is released. The { finishes the statement what follows it on the next line tells the program what will happen once the button is released. play() makes the program play the animation in the timeline and stop() stops the animation in the timeline. The ; ends the command. The final { closes off the code.

Now when you test your movie you can click Pause to Pause the animation and Play to continue it.

How would you make the program stop at the beginning therefore prompting the user to press Play to begin? Simple. Place

Stop();

in the first frame. This will stop the program automatically.

You don?’t need to use release to make the button do the code. You can use other conditions such as press.

This type of timeline control is probably the most important Flash code that you?’ll ever use. So make sure that you know how to use it. It also works well in animation pieces with a simple user interface.

Downloadable Source Files

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To start first choose a picture of your choice and then convert it into a movieclip. Right click on the layer of the movieclip and select Add motion guide.

On the motion guide layer draw a line with the line tool or the pen tool if you want to be creative. Make sure that the line is all connected . On the movieclip layer right click several frames down the timeline(I chose 20 frames) and create a keyframe, then create a motion tween between the frames of the movieclip layer. Make sure that the guide layer lasts for the same time as the movieclip layer and has no keyframe at the end just a frame. With the movieclip move it over the end of one side of your line and it should snap to the end. Go to the end of your movielcip?’s motion tween and move the movieclip over to the other side of the line. View your animation by pressing Cntrl + Enter and see how it moves where you want it. See how you can?’t see the line of the motion guide in the movie? You can change that line anyway that you want to.

That is how you use motion guides to tween a movieclip into any direction that you want.

Downloadable Source Files

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Load up Flash and create 2 static texts field spaced apart one that says Input your name and the other that says Your name is. Underneath the Input your name text create a blank input text field that has a border around it. You do this by selecting the show border around text option.

Stick the words namebox in the instance name box just under the type of text.

Under the Your name is text create a new dynamic text box. Make sure that the font colour is black so that you see it when you are outputting. Stick the word name under the variable heading; var.

Create a new button somewhere on the stage and add the following code to it.

on (release){
name=namebox.text;
}

This code says that once the button is released the name variable will be the same as namebox which is in a text field.

Text the movie to see if it works. If everything is done correctly you should be able to input your name into the input text box and once you press the button your name appears as the dynamic text.

You could output your name properly if you want to. The trace function in Flash outputs data to the screen. Adding the trace function to the code ends up like this:

on (release){
name=namebox.text;
trace(name);
}
Notice how name is set before it is outputted to the screen? If it wasn?’t the variable would be shown as undefined.

Using the same style of programming you can make a calculator of sorts.

Create a new Flash file and add the an Input numbers to be multiplied,1st number, 2nd number and The result is static textboxes in the appropriate positions. Underneath the 1st and 2nd number titles make an input text field one which has the instance of no1 and the other with no2. Under the result title make a dynamic text field with the variable result. Create a well placed button and insert the following code into it:

on (release){
result=no1.text*no2.text;
}
The code is similar to the previous code. It sets the variable result to be what the result of multiplying the 2 inputted variables as on the buttons release. You can add trace to this one if you would like.

These basic examples can lead the way for some larger programs. You can create calculators with various buttons that change the inputted text or a form asking you to fill in your details and then showing a results page with your inputted values.

If you have any difficulty with creating these programs then I advise that you download my samples and see where you went wrong.

Downloadable Source Files

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This is probably my favourite little Flash program that I have made. Its so simple, anyone can do it.

Load up Flash and create a movieclip with something clearly visible inside it. All that?’s left now is to insert the code.

This is the code that you put into your movieclip.

onClipEvent(enterFrame){
this._x=_root._xmouse;
this._y=_root._ymouse;
}

Lets look at this code.

onClipEvent tells the program that once an event happens in the movieclip then?’. The condition in the brackets is that event. In this case once the current frame is entered. The { sets us up for the action which is about to occur when the frame is entered. This?’ is referring to the current movieclip which the code is in. ._x is referring to the x value. Equals sets the value to be the same as the other value. _ root._xmouse looks for the x value of the mouse. The ; closes off the action. The code on the next line is the same but for the y axis. The { closes off the code.

What this means as a whole is that once the frame is entered then the x and y values of the current movieclip are the same as that of the mouse.

You can do what I like to do and edit your movieclip so that it looks pretty. I made a little planet and a moon in my example which can be found here:

Downloadable Source Files

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Ever wanted to change the way that your text looks in Flash MX? Then make it animate and do cool effects? This tutorial goes through most of the common ways.

Editing Text

This is relatively simple and can be achieved through just playing around with the Text properties.

Firstly select the Text Tool

Then type any text that you want into the text field that you create. Try to keep the text field at the right length to avoid creating a new line. I chose to work with Raven.

Look down at the properties bar and make sure that the font is static text.

Okay now we have our text lets have a little play around with it. In the Text properties play around and choose a font that you like I chose Arial Rounded MT Bold. Chose the type of script, it is probably better to leave it as normal. Chose the A/V tool and space out the text.

My text now looks like that:

You can have a play around with the bold, italics and its aligning too if you want to but that doesn?’t provide much to do if you want to change the way your text looks. To change the text we would break it apart and craft it the way we want it to be.
Select your text and press Ctrl +b, which breaks the text into letters, you can move the letters around and make the text look strange if you want to.

But if you want to edit your text even more select all of the letters and press Cntrl + b again. Now they are all shapes that you can freely edit. So have a play around and change how your text looks. Use the arrow tool and change the edges of the text. Heres what I made:

You can use the text and edit it in anyways that you can with a normal object. I used the color mixer and added a radial effect to my text, so it looks like this.

The sides are white and had no alpha effects for those who are experienced. But if you use a different colored background then choose the matching color or set the white to 0 alpha. Setting it to 0 alpha and the background colour give off basically the same look. That is probably most of the text effects that you can do in Flash MX. Its all really up to you depending on what you want your text to look like.

Alpha Tweening

So you can make text look pretty cool in Flash MX, well how about animating the text? Making it do cool tricks. This can all be achieved using Flash MX?’s symbol properties and basic tweening.

Firstly type in some text and right click on the text and convert the text into a movieclip.

Okay now we have our movie clip. Right click 20 frames into the timeline and make a key frame.

Now in frame 20 select the movieclip and go to it?’s properties. On the color drop down menu select alpha and set the alpha to 0.

Right click in the timeline. Anywhere except for the 1st and 20th frames and create a motion tween. Press Ctrl+ Enter to export the movie or select Test movie from the Control tab.

Wow look we have a cool alpha tweening effect! You can make a new key frame at frame 40 and tween the Text back to normal alpha if you want to so that the movie looks complete. This is only one of many animation effects that you can do with text. Of course you could do the same thing but use colors by tinting the movie clip. But this tutorial has taught you the basic system for changing what text look likes through animation. Not only can you use text but you can use anything as long as you follow that system.

Tweening letters

So far we have learnt how to break apart text and how to animate text. This part of the tutorial combines some of the best bits of the rest of the tutorial to create something neat.

Start off and create some text and break it apart into shapes. Select each letter and convert them into movieclips. Create a few new layers and cut and paste each letter onto a separate layer. When you paste your movieclip right click and select paste in place.

Now we have all of our letters on separate letters. On each of the layers create a keyframe at the end at frame 30.

On frame 30 select each separate letter and move them offstage, do this for all of the letters. Then make every layer have a motion tween and test your movie. See how all of the letters separate. That?’s the effect! For more information on tweening keep on reading.

Easing

When you tween an object in Flash MX you can make it move faster or slower depending on what you set the ease to. Create a tween be it a motion tween or a shape tween and select the ease in the tween properties.

Change the ease to what you want it to be. The best way to discover tweening is to tween objects yourself and test. It?’s a nice effect when used well.

Now you know how to create cool looking text and are able to apply cool animations to them.

If you would like the Fla. Version of all of what is set in this tutorial then click below to download it. Each section is put into a scene, to play just a scene press Cntrl + Alt + Enter or click test Scene under Control. Raven?’s showpiece is a little movie that shows some effects that can be done with what has been done in the tutorial.

Downloadable Source Files

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This tutorial goes through everything to do with using lines in Flash MX.

To create a line select the Line tool then click on the stage, while holding down move your line in the direction that you want it to go and then release it.

When your line is on the stage you can move it by clicking on it then grabbing and dragging it. You can also change the curve in your line by selecting any part of the line when it displays the curve signal. Or increase/decrease the length of the line and rotate it by placing your cursor over the start or end of the line and then moving it when the symbol changes to a right angle.

You can draw another line and connect the two with the right angled cursor. With these techniques you can create many good line drawings in Flash.

When selecting your lines you can change their properties. Once your line/s are selected look at the Properties bar and you can change the properties. You can change their thickness, colour and the type of stroke. You can also do this before you go to draw your line.

Like any other shape that you draw in Flash, lines can be connected to other shapes easily.

There is an easy way to create wavy lines in Flash and this can be done via the Pen Tool. Select the Pen Tool from the Tool bar.

Then drag a line on the stage like you would with the Pen tool. This creates a blue line with a dot in the centre. Do it again but a little bit out from your last one. You?’ll see that a wavy blue line is created. This is your line, you can make more and more cuves by repeating these steps. To stop creating a line you can use the Arrow tool and select off of your line. Learning how to use this tool properly takes time and practice.

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Assumed knowledge: Basic Photoshop skills, layers, blends and renders.
Concepts covered: Using a series of blends to create a good looking sig with no brushesIf your fairly new to Photoshop or are just sick of the same brush based sigs and want to try something new then this tutorial is for you. This tutorial will run thru how to make a sig such as this one:

To begin with create a new Photoshop document. I’d set the size to be around 350 by 100 or similar. Then open up the file which contains your render. The render doesn’t need to be anything special, I’d suggest something that has colours similar to the colours that you want in the final version. Press Cntrl + A or from the main menu Select>>All. Then press Cntrl + X or Edit>>Cut and then paste(Cnrl + V or Edit>>Paste) in the document with your sig. Adjust the render so that its it a nice position.

Its not required but I recommend that you clear any background that you have as it will appear in the final version. Just select the magic wand tool from the tool menu and select and delete. It doesn’t have to be a perfect job. Duplicate the render by right clicking and selecting duplicate layer.

Select the above render layer and the from the main menu select Filter>>Blur>>Gaussian blur and then set the blur to 15.

Duplicate the layer. On the duplicate layer select Filter>>Blur>>Motion Blur and set the angle to be 35 degrees and the distance to about 99.

Next we need to rotate the image to cover the whole canvas. Select Edit>>Transform>>Rotate 180 degree. Then duplicate the rotated layer, this should cover up the rest of the canvas.

Now go back to the original render and bring it to the top. Select Filter>>Blur>>Motion Blur and then set the specifications to an angle of 13 degrees and distance to over 200. Then select Filter>>Brush strokes>>Spatter and select similar specs to these:

Then duplicate that layer and on the duplicate layer select Edit>.Transform>>Flip Horizontal. Then right click on the layer and select Blending options, then set the type of blend to Overlay.

So far this is what I have so far:

Not bad so far. Since writing this I’ve realised that other effects work really well. A light film grain filter works well, also if you change the angle/strength of the motion blur then you can get a different flow for the signature. I recommend that you play around as you go and see what stuff you can make.

Next select Layer>>New Layer>>Layer… then Image>>Apply Image and set the options to a default setting. Then set the type of blend to Hard light and netx select Filter>>Sketch>>Water Paper wth the following specs:

Head down to the two motion blured layers, one that blurs to the right and one that blurs to the left. Duplicate each layer and put them ontop with a blend set to Opacity.

To finish off I did another applied image and set the blend to Hard light with a 35% opacity.

From there just add some text in and a 1 stroke border with an Overlay or Soft light blend.

Thats how you do it! Try to mix and match. What I just showed was fairly complex but you can capitalize on some nice effects. Here are 2 samples sigs that I whipped up in a few minutes using this tutorial.

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Assumed knowledge: General layout of Fireworks MX and basic concepts
Concepts covered: Editing bitmaps, using fills and effectsMost people often want to know about how to make a good sig and don?’t know how to make a good one themselves. Most signatures follow the same structure; they are rectangular in shape, have a picture of a loved character, the name of the user and a tidy looking border. This tutorial teaches you how to set all of this up. It is the first step to creating good signatures; the structure.

Setting up the backgroundNote: This tutorial assumes that you have the default layout of Fireworks MX. If you don?’t then you can get the windows that you require by choosing them off of Window in the Fireworks menu.

Open up Fireworks MX and create a new file with the size of 400 by 100 pixels. Set the canvas colour to transparent.

400 by 100 pixels is often a good size to make a signature, you don?’t have to choose that size but it is a good size to use. It is also a good idea to have a design already thought up, this will make it easier to create something that you specifically want other than just playing around until you get lucky.

To begin with we need a background for our signature, select the rectangle tool under vector and create a rectangle that covers the whole canvas. Be careful and make sure that the outline isn?’t showing, remove it if you want by selecting the red crossed colour under the rectangle properties.

If you haven?’t made you rectangle large enough to cover the canvas grab one of the blue squares on the edges and increase the size.

In the rectangles properties menu select the type of fill that you want.

You?’ll notice that the rectangles fill changes when you select the type of fill. Select the type of fill that you would like. To the left of the fill select the color edit and have a play around with the colours and how much you want. Click under the linear fill to add more colours and then click on the ink tube to change the colour. I wouldn?’t add too many colours. Fireworks has a few default selections under present that you may like to try. The tubes above the linear fill change the opacity and are just like the colours.

You may notice the black line on your rectangle, this is the direction of the effect, move it around and bring it in and out to change what your effect looks like.

To make the fill not so plain you can add texture to it, select texture under the edge selection(which is not very important for us). Select a texture to go over the top of your rectangle, you can select the strength of how visible the texture is. Make sure that its not too strong. I set mine to 19% transparency.

If you would like to add a few effects to your rectangle then select the + sign under effects on the right hand side of the rectangles properties. You can change the colour of the whole rectangle under Adjust Color. Bevel and Emboss adds shine to your rectangle. Blur blurs, there are a few okay effects in other, Shadow and Glow add shadows to your selected image and Sharpen makes the image look sharper. The bottom two are plugins, some come with Fireworks MX and others you can get elsewhere. They are well worth a look but not covered in this tutorial. You can add effects to your rectangle and other pictures that you choose to use but there is no point of me teaching them as you should learn by trying them out for yourself. The only effect that I have done is Inverted my rectangle and changed the colour by selecting Colourize under Hue/Saturation.

Something that can really top of a sig and make it look really tidy is a nice clean border. There are many cool borders that you can try out but a nice line one should be all that you should need. Create another rectangle, this will automatically be put on a new layer. For the rectangles fill select none(the white box with red diagonal stripe). On the right of the fill options are the line options for the rectangle. Choose whatever colour suits your sig and make the thickness 2 pixels. Make the coordinates and length and width the same in the picture to get it to fit around the 400 by 100 size, change the size if your canvas is a different size.

That?’s the whole background done!

Preparing the bitmaps

One thing you should do before continuing is to save your work.;)

One thing that a sig needs is a decent picture, you should have a picture ready to stick into your sig. It would be much, much easier if the picture was of a character and had solid background colour (such as white). Cutting out a photo or screenshot can be very difficult.

Select File>Open from the Fireworks menu and open the picture that you have chosen. Zoom in so that you can see most of the picture. From the Bitmap menu select the magic wand tool.

Click on an area that you wish to remove from the picture, such as a solid white background. An outline of the area that is selected will appear, if this is close enough to the picture that you want delete it. If you want it to select more, if there is too much space between that and the picture increase the tolerance in the properties section. If you accidentally delete too much be sure to go Edit>Undo and undo your error.

Select the now cleanly cut out picture and right click and select edit>copy then open up your signature and right click and select paste to paste your image. Drag your picture into the location that you wish to have it. If you notice that the picture isn?’t quite cut out enough and you have increased the tolerance but it goes into the character then use the eraser tool and attempt to clean it up, it gets very difficult to clean up picture. This is something that many people spite, white outlines.

No matter what your outcome is, select your picture and move it into the right location. If you need to shrink your picture select the scale tool from the tools menu under Select. Then grab one of the corners and move it to the size you want. Fireworks automatically makes the space equal for the length and width unless you don?’t select the corners. You can also rotate the image in this mode. You can also get to the scale option by selecting Modify>Transform. In this menu you can also flip the picture.

Once your picture is in the right place and at the right size you can delete the part of the picture that covers the border if you would like. To do this select the Marguee tool just above the Magic wand tool. With the layer of the character selected use the tool to cover the area that you want to remove around the border and delete it. This should make the border fit in nicely and make the character look in the picture.

If you have several characters that you want to add you can have them at different sizes, flipped and you can also change their alpha if you would like. You can change the alpha by clicking on the alpha setting on the bitmaps (characters) properties.

As mentioned before you can add effects to the images by clicking on the + button and selecting the effects and the variables for them that you want. I don?’t want to explain them all as it is better to try them out for yourself. I recommend using Adjust Color>Hue/Saturation and then clicking colorize. I use it a fair bit. But the rest of the effects are for you to try out. Have fun. The effects can be added to everything; vectors and bitmaps.

Time for text

Okay we have a sig but we need a name to proudly show off who made the signature. Select the text tool under Vector in the tool menu. Move it to where you want the text to be and drag out the length that you want, Fireworks will again make a new layer. Type in your name and have a look at the text properties. The set out should be familiar to anyone that has used a Word processing program. So select the font and colour that you want. You can change your text to whatever you want you can add glow and shadow to it as well. A good tip would be to set the outline to a solid colour and then set the inside fill as clear. There are heaps of effects that you can create with your text.

Final Step exporting

Okay, is your sig perfect? Good. Go to File> Export Preview and start to export your signature. Here are my tips on the file type:

JPEG- this is best for a solid picture with no animation and transparency so if you have stuck to what?’s in the tutorial then select this. You can choose the quality as well, but it increases the size of your file.

GIF-Less quality then a JPEG but it can be used for animation and transparency which is great. But it?’s terrible for solid pictures.

You can also use PNGs and BMPs but it is better to stick to GIF or JPEG formats.

When you are ready click Export and save your file.

There you go your first sig. If you wish to host it I suggest going to Imageshack.us and hosting it from there, be sure to remove all of the adds to imageshack and just the have the IMG tags and the address of your picture.

Here is what I have made from this tutorial:

DP?’s showpiece

All the best when making your sigs. I?’d love to see some of the work that people have done by learning this about making sigs from this tutorial so please�just�leave�a�comment and make sure that you have exported your signatures.

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Assumed knowledge: Basic Photoshop skills, including using brushes, some blending and layer properties.
Concepts covered: How to blend pictures into a background via layer blending, colour blending and using brushes. How to remove white backgrounds from pictures using 2 different techniques.Blending pictures into a background or one another is a very important to have and this tutorial goes through the 3 best ways to blend objects into a background.

Getting Started

So that we can begin our blends we need to set up more kind of template. Firstly find a picture that you?’d like to blend and open it in Photoshop. Make sure that you have the standard windows open such as the History, layers and tools.

Right click on the layer of your picture and select duplicate layer or you can unlock the layer. Now we need to remove the white background from behind the picture, that is if your picture is not a transparent GIF. If it is and your happy with it then you can skip this step.

There are two ways that we can do this, via the magic wand tool or by blending the white out the layer. Firstly though create a new layer and then fill it with black via the paint bucket tool. Move that layer behind your picture so that you can tell how much white is gone. Then select the magic wand tool and click the areas that you want to remove and press delete. You can up your tolerance via the magic wand properties so it can take out more. Once your happy with the result you can move on.

The other way is to just right click on your picture and select blending options. Then move the blending of the white on the layer as seen in the screenshot. Move it as much as you need until it looks right.

This is my result. Its nothing special but that?’s the point, if we blend well then we won?’t need to worry too much about the white as long as most of it is gone.

Layer Blending

There?’s only one last step until this is blended in with the black background. Right click and select the blending options then from the various number of blends available select one which you want to use. You can play around with the transparency as well if you wish. There you go that is a simple blend. Here is my example:

Colour Blending

You can also blend colours together. For example make a character red on a red background. Select Layer>>New Adjustment Layer>>Hue and saturation You can play around with the colour in there. But if you want to add more depth then select Layer>>New Adjustment Layer>>Color Balance and edit from there. This edits everything that is under layer and tints it to the colurs and colour depth that you have selected. You can do this to ordinary pictures by themself by going Image>>Adjustments and so forth. Some people also like to desaturate there picture before adding the colours, or they work in black and white when creating their image. Here is my example, since the background is black I chose a dark blue for my picture, usually you?’d not have a solid black background so it would be easier to blend.

Brush blending

To use brushes for blending is also rather simple but it allows more flexibly because you can chose the areas on which you want to blend and not just the whole picture. Although you can blend on radial effects etc. brushes still allow more control.

Select the brushes that you?’d like to use and set them to a blend and transparency that would suit your picture. Then just use them over the edges of the picture. You can go in deep or just around the edges a bit slightly its up to you. Using brushes to blend is a skill that develops over time so be sure to practice using it. Here is my example:

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Assumed knowledge: Basic knowledge of the Photoshop interface and how to create simple effects.
Concepts covered: Creating a gradient background and using light sources.Start up Photoshop and create a picture with the size that suits your needs. Make sure that the default windows are loaded up in Photoshop. You?’ll need the layers window at the least. I just chose a 400 by 400 square. Once your done setting up your work environment. Right click on the background layer and duplicate it.

This is so we can add blending effects to the layer. Delete the locked background layer. Next we need to add a gradient overlay to our layer. You can do this by right clicking on the layer and selecting blending options then select Gradient Overlay.

You can edit the options for your gradient in this menu. If you click on the sample gradient you can change the colours for your gradient. You can also add extra ink plots for your gradient. The other options are pretty standard. You can change them yourself to edit your gradient so that it?’s the way that you want.

One you have a perfect gradient then with your layer selected click on the little arrow and select flatten image. This will turn it into a flattened bitmap.

To add a bit of light to the background select Filter>>Render>>Lighting Effects
Then select the lighting that you want to accommodate your picture. Once again you can mess with the options as much as you want to get the right lighting.

Now your backdrop is complete. You can add effects to it if you want to, perhaps some brushes to give the picture some substance. I used the same technique to create the wallpaper Prime Destination(link goes here). This is the backdrop that I created:

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Assumed knowledge: Basic Fireworks MX interface, basic effects and object properties.
Concepts covered: Use of the pen tool and simple effects.Note: if you are unfamiliar with effects in Fireworks then I recomend that you look at my Signature tutorial as it goes through quite a bit in there.

Fireworks MX is a great program for creating vector graphics. This tutorial will go thru how to use the pen tool (the most dynamic of all the vector tools) and how to add neat effects to the creations to give them a bit more spice.

Start off by selecting the Pen tool from the Tools bar. Click on the canvas to start a point. Click again on the canvas away from the first point and move it around to create a curve effect. Continue clicking anywhere on the canvas to continue creating the curvy line effect.

Basic Rules

You should be getting a general gist of how it works now. There is a bit that you should know about it first.

While holding down

-When creating a curve, you can change the direction that the points meet up by rotating your cursor around the point.

-The further you move your cursor away from the point the curve stretches out further.

Clicking

-You can edit any curve that you’ve made by clicking on the point and moving it around.

-You can click on the curve and create a new point on it if you wish.

-Clicking on the rotation points does the same as creating a new point.

-Selecting the pointer tool and clicking off the line deselects the curve(s).

-You can continue the curve after deselection by selecting the pen tool and clicking on the last point made.

Effects

-You can edit the line properties of anything made with the pen tool like any normal line.

-When adding a colour fill, you can do this via the properties menu or via the paint bucket. If the shape is open a the fill shall join the gap automatically with the shortest possible line.

-All of your regular effects can be applied to curves via effects under the properties.

These rules should help you grasp all of the ways to use the pen tool.

Now that we know the basics we can start making some intresting shapes. Use the pen tool and make a shape that you think looks intresting. Then fill it with a colour. You can edit the type of fill that you want. I wouldn’t go to wild as we’re going for a more subtle and smooth effect here. I’d recomend a Solid fill or a Linear one with slight colour variation. Edit the fill properties how you want them. If using a linear fill then move the rotating line so that you get the effect that your after.

Add a one pixel soft border to the shape with a colour which is either the same or lighter than the fill colour. A bit of texture also looks nice so select a texture form Texture under the Properties menu. I’d go for a simple pattern such as diagonal lines or a hatch effect with less than 10% opacity.

Now to add some effects. Go to the Effects box under Properties and add an effect. Select Bevel and Emboss>>Inner Bevel. I selecting the following variables for my bevel:

Depending on what shape and design you are after edit the effects to your needs. What I have selected is a slight amount to give a rounded effect.

Then add another effect in the same way. This time go to Bevel and Emboss>>Raised Emboss and leave the default properties there.

That is how you make intresting shapes in Fireworks MX. I hope you enjoyed the tutorial, feel free to add your own style to your shapes. Here’s what I made:

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Learning to program in C++ is no easy task, it requires plenty of time and patience. To ensure that you learn the most out of C++ I strongly recommend purchasing a book to get you through as these tutorils will only get you so far but are indeed a good first step.

To get started you need a C++ compier, there are many C++ compilers out there. Any compiler should able to process our code. I recommend Dev C++ which can be obtained at BloodShed.

Open up your compiler and type the following code in:

#include
using namespace std;int main()
{
cout<<"Hello, world!";//outputs Hello, world!
cin.get();
}Now compile and run your program. This can be done by selecting the compile and run command in your compiler. Some compilers do both at once. Compiling your program is when the code is checked to see if there are errors, if there is they will be listed somewhere in your compiler. If there are no errors an EXE file is created. Running just opens up that EXE file. The EXE file with most compilers is located in the same folder as the source code.

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Assumed knowledge: Basic Photoshop skills, layers and simple blending.
Concepts covered: Blending renders using filters with blendIf you ever experienced messing up a piece of your work due to a render that didn’t look right then this may be a saving grace for you. By using filters and blending over the render you can get a vairety of different effects.

I’ll run you through an example with one of my favourite techniques. Create a new document with your render and duplicate the layer with the render. Select the top layer of the render and then select Filter>>Blur>>Gaussian Blur and apply the following properites:

Then select the Blending options on that layer and set the type of blend to Overlay and the opacity between 80-100%. This should give you a dreamy effect with brighter colours.

From here on it all you need to do is experiment. I have created the following examples:

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To begin with we need to create some scanlines. There are infinite types of patterns you can have for your scanlines. The most popular type of scan lines used are the diagonal lines. So create a new 3 by 3 pixel document, zoom in as far as you can and select the Pencil tool from the Tool bar under brush. Then create a similar patten to the one shown.

If you want to you can create a line coming in from the other side or invert the whole image for a stronger effect. I suggest doing them all and a bit more to get a good pattern set going. When your done select Edit>>Define Patten from the menu and then name your pattern.

To use the scan lines select any area in a documnent that you wish to use with any of the selection tools and then select Edit>>Fill>>Pattern>>your pattern. From here you can select the type of blend that you want.

General Scanline tips

-If you want to fill the whole document with scanlines then press Ctrl + A and fill.

-If your using scanlines to cover the image in a signature and don’t want scanlines on the render then use the eraser to clear/fade out the lines around the render.

-You can add more effects to the scanlines like eveything else in PS. Just go through and edit the blending options on the layer.

-If you want scanlines that aren’t too strong I suggest selecting Overlay or Softlight as the blend and 20-10% opacity.

-If you want great scanline patterns then some art website have downloadable packs that you can use.

-Don’t overuse scanlines as they can become intrusive on the image.

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Assumed knowledge: Basic signature making skills in Photoshop.
Concepts covered: Quickly blending a render into a background with no fussSo you’ve made a great sig and you want to include a render in it. But you’ve already made the background and aren’t easily able to stick the render in. Fear not, this tutorial will tech you a very quick and easy way to blend a render into a background.Firstly paste the render into your canvas, cut it out and move in into the area that you wish it to be in. The cutting out doesn’t need to be fantastic just any old job will do. Here’s what I have:

Now select the lasso tool and go around the outline of your render. When your done right click on the render and select Feather and set it to about 7, it depends on the size of your render. Then right click again and select Select Inverse. Press delete and your all done. If your not happy then you can repeat the steps again until its cleared enough.

This was my result:

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Assumed knowledge: Navigation of Fireworks MX
Concepts covered: Adding a series of effects to bitmaps, flattening and merging down layersOver times photographs often form their very own style. They age and look worn, brown and faded. In this tutorial you will learn how to create an effect that you can use to make a new picture look older.

Before you do anything select a suitable Bitmap picture that you would like to use in your piece. Open up Fireworks MX and load the picture that you would like to use. Click on the picture and then from the Properties menu click the + on the effect and select Other->Convert to alpha.

This will make your image transparent and in Grayscale color. Next create a rectangle and set its size equal to that of the picture?’s size and then set the x and y values to both be 0 This will make the rectangle fit perfectly to your background. Next fill in the rectangle with brown via the rectangle?’s properties menu. Make sure that the rectangle has no border.

Select the layer of your picture and from the effects menu select Adjust color->Color fill. Then choose an appropriate color that would make the image look faded. I suggest a lighter brown color to your rectangle.

Select the rectangle again and from the properties inspector select an appropriate texture from the range and then set the alpha to be around 9%. This is the effect that I chose:

Once you are finished with your texture. Right click on the rectangle and choose Flatten Selection. Once you have done that the rectangle will become a bitmap. Then select your picture?’s layer and press Ctrl + E to make the two images become one or you can convert them into a symbol by choosing Modify->Symbol->Convert to Symbol.

From there click on the whole image and from the Properties Menu add an effect. Select Alien Skin Splat LE->Edges. Alien Skin Splat LE is a free Plug-in that comes with Fireworks MX. The options that I suggest for an old Photo effect can be seen in the screenshot.

Make sure that you tick the transparent fill box so that we can do the last effect. The last effect is a simple one and can be one via the Properties Menu again. This time select Shadow and Glow->Drop Shadow. You can toy around with the options here but the default ones should be sufficient. This should finish your piece. Export it if you would like. Make sure that it?’s a transparent GIF. This was what I managed to create:

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Digital cameras have been one of the most successful electronic products in the past few years. Despite being available for the past 20 years it has only been in the last couple of years that they have achieved true success. This was due to the cameras being available at a mainstream price point and also the large increase in features and quality.Digital is now standard and many households own a digital camera or are considering purchasing one in the near future. This guide is designed to help you; the consumer to choose the best camera for your needs.

I’ve decided to split this article up into several sections, to begin with I shall explain the 3 most important features to look out for when buying a digital camera. Then I shall list and explain the 3 maket categories for digital cameras. So that you know what range of cameras would suit you. To conclude I shall provide some general advice on how the pick up your dream camera and also a few links to get you started.

Note All prices, weblinks are Australian as I am Australian if you want a currentcy convertor then try this one

Key features

There are 3 key features that you will need to look for in purchasing the right camera. They are all just as important as the next. Be sure to keep these in mind as they define the quality of the camera.

Megapixel

A camera’s megapixel(MP) refers to the number of pixels that are in each photo. A pixel is a tiny dot on a computerized image. Therefore a camera with 1 MP is composed of 1 million pixels, that is the length multiplied by the width equals 1 million pixels. Nowadays the average MP is about 5MP. Mobile phone cameras have around 1-2MP. So basically the greater the MP the larger the dimensions of your photos. Which is handy for large prints or stock photos.

There are numerous points to consider about opting for a high or low MP. Higher MP images take up more space than lower MP images. More MP means that you can take up larger(poster sized) prints. Once you have taken a photograph with a low MP you cannot increase its size without quality loss. With a higher MP you then can have larger image of an object that you couldn’t zoom in on. For example if you are taking an image of a bird in the distance and you cannot zoom in on it. Because the image is larger than you are still getting a large image on the bird in comparison to if it was taken with a low MP.

Optical Zoom

Optical zoom is the original zoom. For example, if a camera is 3x optical zoom that means that you can increasethe size an object(in the photo) 3 times without a loss in quality. Entry level cameras start at 3x optical zoom. 3X is about the average for digital cameras. The general increase is 3x 6x 8x -10x 12x 15x 18x. Although anything above 12x is definetly much harder to find as the demand isn’t too great for them

When looking for cameras beware of digital zoom. Digital zoom is similar to optical zoom but there is no zoom, instead for each number of zoom the image is stretched that many times. This is okay is you want to crop your image before you shoot. But its better doing in manually on a computer.

Modes/Features

A cameras mode refers to the way that the lens will take the shot. The wealth and quality of these modes adds to the value of the camera. An example of a mode that you may use would be ‘night shot’ which is made for photograhs taken outside at night. In this case the lens is open for a longer time as it requires more light to take a clear photo.

3 markets

The way I see the camera market is that it is designed for 3 types of people; the entry level models for the beginners, the mid level cameras for people wanting a bit more and the fully featured cameras for the people wanting the latest and greatest.

Entry level cameras

These cameras all have a basic ‘vanilla’ set up. Generally they have around 4 to 6 MP and always have 3x optical zoom. The main indicator of price difference comes down to the quality of the lens, inclusion of a separate lithium ion battery and the size/sleekness of the camera. Screen size varies from 1.8 to 2.5 inch.

Entry level cameras as expected have the worse image stabilization. Image stabalization is how still the image looks. For example if you shake the camera while it is taking a picture, the photo will be distorted and have motion blur. They are also the most poorly made and generally have the dullest design.

These cameras usually have the average slew of modes being; movie mode(short amounts of low quality video), macro mod, night shot, nature shot, action shots and maybe a few more.

Price wise entry level cameras would begin at about $AUS180 and end at about $AUS300, with a median of about $AUS220. They would include your standard 1 year repair warranty. About 40% of entry level cameras come with their own separate battery and charger, which is really handy if you don’t have rechargable batteries. All cameras should come with a wrist strap, sometimes a soft case is included but generally not. Depending on the brand they will throw in plenty of propaganda to awe over.

Entry level cameras are great for people that want a cheaper no frills option. They are ideal for pointing and shooting. There’s also that bit of zoom to help them out if they need it. The basic modes of the camera are ideal for those types of scenarios which everyone gets in. I’d recommend this range to families on a budget or anyone that needs a bare bones camera.

Mid level cameras

Mid level cameras are a step up from your entry models. They usually have 5x or 6x optical zoom with the occasional 3x optical zoom popping its head in. With around about 5-8 megapixel. Price wise you are looking at between $AUS300 – $AUS450.

Mid level cameras are basically an upgrade of everything in an entry model. The screens are often at 2.4/2.5 inch which is the largest size that they get. There are additional modes and options in mid level cameras such as panaoramic(wide angle) shots.

The movie mode tends to be much better as well. Usually at a larger 640 x 480 size compared to a 320 x 240 seen in the entry models. All of the cameras should have a small speaker(often near the side of the lens or ontop of the camera) which allows sound in the movie mode.

One of the most distinctive differences with the mid level cameras is how they are design. There is a more slim line and ‘techy’ look to it. They are generally also made of a harder steel finish which makes the camera more durable and also more shiny and as we all know shiny is good.

These cameras also have good image stabalisation, so when you move the camera while the lens is focusing the lens automatically adjusts to your movements. This stops blurring on your lovely photos and gives them a much sharper look.

Because your paying more they’ll often throw in a thicker manual(in 5 different languages), some software(simple organizing and printing stuff), all of the cameras should rely on its own battery and have its own charger included if not rechargables. They should also include a sample memory card of about 13-20mbs of storage. Although in rare cases I’ve seen up to 64mb sample cards. If there’s no sample card then there should be some built in memory. The sample card should be a definete feature of any mid-level camera.

If you are interested there are some unique mid level cameras that continue to push into the top end of the market. They are the touch screen and waterproof cameras. The Pentax T10, Sony T50 and various other models are touchscreen and have a 3 inch screen. Pentax and Olympus are the main 2 brands that do waterproof cameras.

I recommend that consumers after something that want something with more options and of better quality should look into a mid level range camera. They have more features so it will take some time to fully understand the camera. Discovering all of these features and how best to use them is just the best fun. These cameras also don’t blow the budget too much and are generally worth what your paying for.

Fully featured cameras

So your looking for something thats top of the line but you don’t want to break into the SLR(single lens reflex) market. This is for you then. The fully featured cameras are a showcase of what the big brands are doing to push the boundaies of this type of product. The best thing about being a fan of photography is observing what brands like Panasonic, Sony, Pentax and Fujifilm are doing to push the envelope. These cameras are just that.

The price range goes from $AUS450-$AUS850 which is a lot for a compact digital camera. The megapixel on these cameras is from about 6-10+MP. They really like to ramp up the optical zoom with these, the range is from 6-12+x. I’ve recently come across an Olympus model boasting a massive 18x optical zoom(and a free bottle of burben!).

There are really 2 types of cameras in this field, that is the ones that are very slim line and the ones that look more akin to an SLR camera. The previously mentioned have the highest specifications out of all of the market. But they are also the largest and heaviest of all the cameras.

These cameras tend to have upwards of 20 different shooting modes. As well as variables that you can define to adjust your shots for the right setting. These can include apeture priority, shutter speed, metering etc. Some of the fully featured cameras also have manual focus which is a fantastic inclusion and it really blurs the line between the compacts and the SLR markets. Along with the manual focus, hoods for the ends of the lens may be include. The hoods are used to prevent lens flare from the sun. There are also more photo editing options available, you can crop, draw and modify the properties of a photo through the image display

I recomend these cameras for anyone that has plenty of money lying around and is interested in having a good play around with a compact digital camera. There is plenty to learn about photography with these cameras, so it will definetly last you a while.
General advice

Here’s some key points that you should have in mind when looking for a digital camera.

Screensize/viewfinder

This is something that people usually don’t think about. The larger the screen the more charge it takes from the battery. Large screens do look very nice but are by no means a necessity. If you can try and pick up a camera that has a viewfinder as you can turn the screen off and save on the battery. Viewfinders in compact cameras are becoming rarer and rarer, so you might have to do some hunting.

Keep in mind that viewfinders on digital compact cameras are often dodgy. Some ranges(the FujiFilm 5000 range is notorious for this) just emulate what is on the main screen and shrink it for the viewfinder. There are also alignment issues as the viewfinder is seperate to the lens. I will explain that last one in a follow up article.

Ask Ask Ask

If you are poking around a store be sure to ask the sales assistant if you are unsure about anything. If you go to a department store the staff probably have a mediocore to good understand on the cameras. If your after very specific details(resolution of video in movie mode, that kinda stuff) then your better off going to a specialty camera store or a comprehensive site like dpreview. It may also be worth asking whether or not they have had many returns/repairs on the camera in question.

When your in a store be sure to ask if you can hold the camera of interest. Just so that you get use to the feel of the camera, practice your grip and poses. Also have a good feel on the ‘finish’ of the camera. Raise it towards the light to test the shinyness of the camera(greater shinyness = greater envy from your friends).

Ask the sales assistant if they have any additional leaflets or information on the cameras. Manufactures love to plug their propoganda to retailers whom pass it onto us. The brochures are great as they display exaggerated ‘before/after’ shots showcasing the cool technology of the camera.

Getting the right price

The great thing about digital cameras is that the market is so competitve which means that the prices keep on dropping and the quality keeps increasing. Most weekly catalogue savings have some good to decent discounts. If your after a particular make its definetly worthwhile shopping around and trying to find the best price.

Most large retail chains don’t dig battering or ‘cutting a deal’ but it does happen so try if your feeling lucky. Picking up some accessories definetly encourages them to drop the price. If you want to ‘cut a deal’ try specialty camera stores as they know their price limits and like to be competitve. But then again large department stores buy in bulk so they can go lower…if pushed. I suggest not being too pushy as it is just plain rude, be firm but not unreasonable.

If you are going to buy a catalogued item, get in on the first day or ASAP so that you don’t miss out.

Don’t forget

To check the return policy of the store, find out how long you have until you can’t get your money back or an exchange. Once the camera is out of that time period it would be put onto a one year repair warranty. Also enquire about extended warranties as they aren’t as stupid as they sounds.

Accessories and extra gear

There is at least one accessorie that you should buy with your camera and that is a memory card. As previously mentioned cameras do come with built in memory or an sample card but these are fairly insufficient for long term use. Memory cards store your photos, so the larger size(Megapixel) that you save the photos to the more space they will take up on the card.

Cards come in a variety of sizes, being: 256mb, 512mb, 1gb, 2gb and in 4 types; Secure Digital(SD), XD, Memory Stick Pro Duo and Compact Flash. Of these types most cameras take SD, your FujiFilm, Olympus among others take XD, all Sony cameras take Memory Stick Pro Duos and Compact Flash cameras are quite rare. So SDs and XDs are the 2 to keep in mind.

Other accessories include tripods, carry bags, lens filters, lens caps, seperate flashes, lighting equipment etc. Your best bet on picking up some of the more specialized equipment is either through specialty stores or through the manufactures themselves. I’ve posted up the website links to camera manufacturers, so have a peep thru the product catalogues and see if theres any accessories that might interest you.

Conclusion

At long last the end! Thanks for reading this lengthy article, I really do apreciate it. Cameras are just great fun, so stop reading this and head down to your local camera shop or check out the weblinks that I’ve provided. They link straight to the product catalogues of the various manufacturers, so you don’t have to fluff around.

One last piece of advice, when choosing your camera don’t forget to buy the best camera to suit your needs.

Product Catalogues

Panasonic

Olympus

FujiFilm

Sony

Samsung

Canon

Pentax

Nikon

Ricoh/Vivitar

Kodak

Camera resource/review sites

DpreviewDCresource

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