Resources Exploration

I spent two years teaching myself Flash from the ground up, which of course meant I spent quite a bit of time Googling and trying to grasp the fundamental concepts of the software. Had it not been for the sites listed below, this process would have been much more difficult for me.

Kirupa

Kirupa actually covers far more programming languages and concepts than just Flash and Actionscript. New Windows-proprietary technologies are covered such as Silverlight and their new Windows Phone. In addition, entire languages (such as PHP and ASP) are analyzed. What I found incredibly useful about this site was the extensive library on a variety of topics, simple to complex, in addition to a variety of tutorials that illustrate the things they are trying to teach. As is the case with many resources sites, a community forum is available for when you’re really stuck.

Flashkit

Like Kirupa, Flashkit features a variety of tutorials on Flash fundamentals. I have found this site to have more complex examples and projects, though it doesn’t go into the useful detail that the authors of Kirupa do. However, if you’re comfortable with Actionscript sometimes all you need to solve a problem is to look at someone else’s code.

Actionscript.org

Actionscript.org features a variety of articles on the theories and happenings with Flash. While their tutorials don’t break down into the bare fundamentals, they do feature interesting projects that a new Flash user might not know how to start (such as drop down navigation). Actionscript.org features a useful forum, and I have found solutions to many Flash problems in there.

Colorblender

As a graphic designer, there are many aspects of design I am constantly checking for, such as balance, a focal point, and color. Color has an incredible impact on a design, and can be manipulate to generate a certain emotional response from a viewer. However, colors are sensitive beings can can be difficult to harmonize. That being said, I have found Colorblender to be a fantastic resource for when I need to come up with a group of colors for a project. Simply use the sliders to generate your desired color (or manually enter its RGB values) and the interface automatically creates a blend of six colors. Individual swatches can be manually edited with ease, though this sometimes allows the harmony to lose its strength. I use this utility quite frequently and have been very pleased with the result; especially when it convinces me to use a color I might not have otherwise considered.