Book excerpt: If you're a Flash designer looking for a solid overview of Flash CS4, this book is for you. Through the use of solid and practical exercises, you will soon master the fundamentals of this fourth edition of the Adobe Flash authoring tool. Using a series of carefully developed tutorials, you will be led from basic Flash CS4 techniques to the point where you can create animations, MP3 players, and customized Flash video players in no time. Each chapter focuses on a major aspect of Flash, and then lets you take the reins in a "Your Turn" exercise to create something amazing with what you've learned. This book focuses on the core skill set you need to feel at home with Flash CS4, and also introduces you to some of the biggest names in today's Flash community through interviews and actual "How To" examples, so you can learn from the masters. You will start by studying the Flash CS4 interface, and while you're at it, you'll be guided toward mastery of the fundamentals, such as movie clips, text, and graphics, which will lead you into some of the more fascinating aspects of Flash, including audio, video, animation, and 3D transformations. By the time you finish, you will have created an MP3 player and a Flash video player, been introduced to the basics of ActionScript 3.0, learned how to combine Flash with XML, styled Flash text with CSS, created animated scenes, and worked your way through a host of additional projects. All of these exercises are designed to give you the knowledge necessary to master Flash CS4 from the ground up. If you're already a seasoned Flash designer, this book will get you up to speed with the fourth version in relatively short order. This book covers all of the new Flash CS4 features, such as the new animation and 3D tools, the new Adobe Media Encoder, and a pair of the coolest new additions to the tools panel: a spray brush tool and a deco tool. You can discover more about this book, download source code, and more at the book's companion website: www.foundationflashcs4.com.