Lynda.com - + new features, - confusing interface

For a number of years, Lynda.com's online tutorials have been AU's primary resource for software training. These excellent online training tutorials offer thousands of hours of instruction for AU faculty, students and staff. AU has a multi-year license to provide these, free of charge, to the AU community, whether they are on campus or off.

Recently Lynda.com changed their interface as they introduced their Lynda Campus product. The good new is that for the first time this lets users track which videos they have watched, bookmark videos to review later, and save certificates of completion when they finish tutorials.

Unfortunately, to do this Lynda.com makes it mandatory for users to create a personal login before they can go to the tutorials. Poor design makes it look like a user is signing up for an individual account with Lynda.com. Don't worry, once you create a login, you will still have access through your AU affiliation and there will be no charge.

For information about accessing Lynda.com, you can search ALADIN for Title = Lynda.com.

Todd's Thoughts: Web 2.0 and the Redefintion of Everything

Ok, so maybe this should be Todd's Tips, but this is something worth thinking about.

With the wild connectivity supplied to us by Web 2.0 technology forces us to re-define our notions of communication and information. As we link, we link ourselves to other people and ultimately to the Web itself. And, as Professor Michael Wesch of Kansas State University suggests, we link ourselves to the machine; we become the machine. This notion is perhaps a bit buried in the mythology of the Matrix, but it's not very far off.

It's really worth taking a few minutes to watch his video about the way Web2.0 is changing us as sentient beings:

DMS Help: The "Sin City Effect"

The so-called "Sin City effect" is a color-correction technique in which a range of colors is left saturated with color while the rest of an image (can be still or video) is completely desaturated to black and white. The effect is called the "Sin City effect" because it was used widely in Robert Rodriguez' film "Sin City."

But you don't need a Hollywood post-production budget to do it. In fact, all you need is Final Cut Pro and a few minutes.

Check out the video below and stylize your next project:

DMS Help: Cool Text Effects in Photoshop

Is your text feeling a little flat in your latest Photoshop project? Feel like your words need a bit more flare?

Here' s your answer: 50 Photoshop tutorials that show you how to bring new life to your text. Check them out and make your text demand attention.

DMS Help: Creating Grunge Effects in Photoshop

The grunge style is in. Contemporary design is loaded with images that seem to have been left out in the rain. Even so the grunge style is often very visually appealing. But how do you create these effects?

Actually, the grunge look is easier than you think. Here's a list of 40 great tutorials on how to create a variety of grungy effects in Photoshop.

Take a look and get grungy.

What is AR?

"AR" is an acronym for "augmented reality." For those who don't know AR is adding digital images, text or information to a real-time image/video of the real world.

Take the photo to the left, for example. The iPhone user is pointing the camera on his phone at a building. The application then provides the rest of the information and overlays it on a visual layer.

Take a look at this video, it's a more fun application of AR:

Virtual Ribbons from James Alliban on Vimeo.

I know it seems like this technology is WAY beyond anything you can do at this point, but it's not. You can do it in Flash. Check out this tutorial from Adobe and learn just how easy it can be to create amazing AR applications.

DMS Help: Learn Any Adobe Product on Adobe TV

Need to learn how to use an Adobe product fast? No problem. Just tune in to Adobe TV.

I know, sounds weird right. But it's not. In fact, it's really quite awesome.

Adobe TV is a massive online repository of videos about Adobe's multimedia production software. Not only are there a HUGE number of tutorials spanning beginning to advanced techniques, there are also tons of instructive interviews with industry professionals on a wide variety of topics like video production, photography and web design.

Check out Adobe TV. You won't be disappointed. Especially since it's all free!

Interactive Media: Flash, pt 5 - Getting Started with Action Script

Action Script 3.0 (AS3) is Adobe's programming language. It is used in the applications Flash and Flex to develop interactive web applications, interactive animations and games.

AS3 is a complete and fully functional object-oriented programming language which can handle a vast array of interactivity-related tasks such as handling key stroke and mouse click events to playing video and audio to handling AR input via a webcam. Moreover, since AS3 is part of the Flash platform it is fully integrated with Flash's drawing and animating capabilities and therefore allows referencing pre-made art and objects in your very simple.

So what's the catch, you ask? The catch is that AS3 is not the easiest programming language to learn. But never fear, Adobe is here for you.

One of the very best places to begin learning AS3 is a series of videos presented on Adobe TV: Actionscript 1:1 with Doug Winnie. In nearly 50 short videos, Doug takes you through AS3 programming step-by-step. By the time you're half way through you'll know enough to begin developing your own games. Check out Doug's videos and start creating your own interactive media.

Interactive Media: Flash, pt 4 - Getting Started with Animation

Once you get to the point where you can draw in Flash with some competency you need to learn how to animate.

For those of you who are AU students, the best place to go for this type of training is Lynda.com. But, if you're not or you just want to learn how to do some pretty amazing stuff with Flash animation (such as 3D graphics or even augmented reality), Adobe's Developer Connection website has a large number of tutorials on animating in Flash. Most of these tutorials are text tutorials, though there are a few videos, but don't let that dissuade you. You can learn some REALLY amazing things from these tutorials.

So check out the listing and learn to make some amazing animations and more.

DMS Help: Regression - Tour of a Mac

It just occurred to me that I have spent the last year posting all sorts of articles and tutorials on how to use all this high-level software and I have never once posted anything on how to use a Mac.

I know, I know. Macs are simple. Easier than PC's in this author's opinion.

Still, folks come into the DMS all the time and say things like, "I've never used a mac before." Well, for all you first-time Mac users, this one's for you.

Here's a video tutorial on the basics of Mac-dom. It's quick and simple and will tell you all you need to know about how to function on a Mac.

Interactive Media: Flash, pt 3 - Get Started with Flash

Once you've found yourself a place to work with Flash, either here in the DMS or at home on your brand new copy of Flash, you need to learn how to use it.

Before you can animate or make games, you need to learn how to draw in Flash. Games and animation require characters and backgrounds.

As it happens there's an excellent hour-long tutorial on just this subject.

Most of the tutorials on CartoonSmart cost money, but not this most basic one on drawing in Flash. Watch it and you'll be ready to roll for the next step in no time.

Todd's Tips: The Best Format for Apple Video Editing Software

Apple video editing software loves .dv files.

A .dv file is a fairly uncompressed video format which is commonly found on the Macintosh platform. Despite its size it works seamlessly with both iMovie and Final Cut Pro.

By seamlessly I mean that it is not necessary to render your footage in Final Cut Pro and cuts take no time at all in iMovie.

How do I get my footage into .dv format you ask? Not a problem, you'll use Visual Hub of course. And here's how:

DMS Help: Cheap Software for AU Students

If you use a lot of multimedia development software and you don't know about JourneyEd you have been missing out.

JourneyEd offers HUGE discounts on common software to university students. The downside is that your university has to be enrolled in their program. But, for those of you who are AU students, not to worry. AU IS enrolled.

You can save up to 75% on Adobe applications, the Microsoft suite and a large variety of other software used in coursework.

The only catch to the site is that you'll have to prove that you're a student at a participating university which involves little more than entering your student ID.

Check it out and save BIG!

Interactive Media: Flash, pt 2 - Get Flash

In order to do some work on Flash you'll actually need Flash. Unfortunately it's a very expensive program. However, I have a few ways around that for you.

All 8 computers in the DMS have Flash installed on them. So you can, of course, come here and use Flash. Not only that, I'm a bit of a Flash guru and I can offer you expert assistance.

You can download a trial version of Flash on your Mac or PC from Adobe's website. The trial lasts for 30 days. The downside to this is the fact that Adobe is wise to folks downloading the trial over and over. Unless you know how to change your IP address you can only do this once. Oh, did I say that out loud...?

Your last option is to buy Flash. It normally retails for $700. But, if you are an AU student (or a student at many other universities) you can buy Flash from JourneyEd for $178. Not a bad price reduction.

Once you've got some Flash, come back and learn how to use it.

Interactive Media: Flash, pt. 1 - Introduction

If you've been on the internet at all in the past five years, you've used flash. Most of the time it manifests itself as the Flash Player, a plugin for your browser which allows you to view Flash content online.

But what if you're not just interested in viewing Flash content, what if you're interested in creating it? If that's the case you're in the right place.

For starters it's important to understand what Flash is and what it can do.

Flash is a development environment acquired by Adobe when they bought Macromedia. It allows users to do two distinct things: animate and create interactive media (usually games). Flash is also the basis for many popular websites, YouTube, most notably.

But there are a lot of other websites out there that feature Flash content. For animation it's worth looking at Newgrounds. There is a HUGE amount of Flash animation on this site and most of it is fairly well done.

As for games the best place to see a lot of excellent Flash games is Addicting Games.

Stay tuned to learn how you can start churning out some animation or Flash games.

DMS Help: Media Services Gets an Infusion of Video Production Gear

The merger of many parts of the CTRL with the library has been a huge boon for Media Services.

Beginning on Friday, June 17th, Media Services will be circulating a widely increased array of multimedia production equipment:

FlipCam Camcorders

Flip ultraHD Camcorders

Kodak Zi-8 Camcorders

Cannon Vixia HD Camcroders

Tascam Audio Recorders

Microtrack II Audio Recorders

Cannon Power Shot Digital Still Cameras

All this as well as several different models of mini-DV camcorders and tripods will be available for 3 day loan in the Media Services department. Come check them out.

DMS Help: The DMS Welcomes the iGrabber

Geniatech's iGrabber is one of the more revolutionary gadgets to come to the DMS in a while.

The iGrabber is a video capture device which allows users to capture video from camcorders, VHS tapes, DVD titles and TV. Simple to use, it will make class clip-mash up projects simpler than they ever have been.

These excellent little devices have been, along with their easy to use software package, installed on all 8 DMS macs.

Stop by and try one out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Also, for those of you who are less familiar with video capture technology in general, here's a handy video tutorial which will show you exactly how to use it.

DMS Help: Need to edit and image? Don't have photoshop?

Not a problem. Just hop on over to Aviary and use their online image editing software, Phoenix.

No, really. Basic Photoshop functions in a Flash app. And the quality is outstanding.

All you need to do is upload a photo and get right to work. Obviously it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of photoshop, but if you're in a pinch or just need to make some minor adjustments I highly recommend it.

There are also a couple of other neat online editing products they offer:

Talon - for screen capturing

Raven - for vector editing

Toucan - for color palette editing

Todd's Tips: Best Place for Free Stock Images

Google the term "stock exchange" and the first response that comes up is the New York Stock Exchange. However, the second is NOT the NASDAQ, nor the Nikkei, nor even the London Stock Exchange. It's a website called stock.xchng, the largest free stock photo site on the web. Seriously.

And it really is free. All you need to do is create an account and you're in.

There are nearly 400,000 images available on the site, most of them taken by experienced Pro-Am photographers. The only thing you need to pay attention to the various rights the different artists attach to the images. Most of the time all they want is credit. Not a bad deal for access to a ton of VERY HIGH QUALITY images. Check them out.

Todd's Tips: Stock Footage for Free!

Sometimes there's footage you need that you just can't get.

Suppose you're making a PSA and need a shot of a woman rollerblading near the beach. Or maybe and airplane taking off. Or a horse and buggy riding by.

Well, I have a solution for you: Stock Footage for Free.

Stock Footage for Free is an awesome online repository of stock footage. Their catalog boasts 1,000's of clips and you can download as much as you want for NO COST. None at all.

The only hitch is that you have to register an account. That's free too. So there really is no hitch. Check them out and get the footage you need now.