David Stiller’s blog

I just finished the last of my eleven chapters for a new O’Reilly title, ActionScript 3.0:  The Quick Answer Guide for Flash Professionals, last Wednesday.  This was shortly after lunch, 12:30 on the dot, and a neat thing happened almost as I lifted my hands from the keyboard (more on that in a sec).  The rest of the book is still being written, and it’s shaping up nicely.  I’m pretty excited about this project already!    The aim of this reference is to help developers, even keyframe coders, get up to speed with AS3, so keep your eyes peeled in June!

I took a wild tumble off the grid while I was researching and writing for the past five or six weeks, so I apologize for my late replies to blog comments and email.  I’ve been catching up on my inbox since last Wednesday and plan to reply to everyone as soon as I can.  Thanks, so much, to my friends for all the encouragement!  (Go, FlashGods.org!)

I’ll be going over author reviews in the coming weeks, but the heavy lifting is behind me.  The neat thing that happened, on day I finished, is this:  I went downstairs to gaze out the window for a few moments, and right as I did, UPS brought a package to the door.  I opened the box, and inside was a huge tin of Turkish coffee (over a pound!), imported from Turkey, sent by reader Çağatay.  What a way to commemorate the milestone!  Thanks, Çağatay!  This coffee is a real treat!

Note:  This contest has now ended, with results posted here.  Thanks for the post cards, everybody!

I’m an admirer of the clarity, thoroughness, and encouraging tone of Colin Moock’s books.  To that end, I pre-ordered his Essential ActionScript 3.0 (O’Reilly) long before it was available and was delighted when it arrived on my doorstep several months later.  Flash forward (pun) from that moment to just over a month ago, when I arrived in Boston for a terrific Flashforward conference.  Kevin Lynch, Adobe Chief Software Architect and keynote speaker, arranged to have a copy of Essential ActionScript 3.0 for every attendee, which was a fantastic and generous gift.  What that means is that I have a mint condition extra copy of Moock’s latest, and I’m happy to give it away.  I’ll pay shipping to anywhere in the world.

If you send me a post card and it gets here between now and November 15, 2007, I’ll have my three-year-old daughter, Meridian, choose randomly from the pile on that date.  I’m hoping three weeks gives everyone a fair chance, whether or not you’re in the US.  I’d love to hear about how this blog has helped you, if it has, but most importantly, I will of course need your return address, email address, or some other handy way to get your shipping address.

Send post cards to:

David Stiller
1700 Gray Slate Court
Virginia Beach, VA  23456

Only three months after release, Foundation Flash CS3 for Designers has gone to the printer for a second print run.  Cool!  The publisher approached Tom and me for corrections, so the new batch should have the current handful of issues resolved.  Of course, copies from the first print are still in stores, so we’ll continue to leave up the Corrections page.  Response has been great on Amazon so far — thanks, reviewers!

Satori Canton, of Satori Interactive and part of the ActionScript.com crew, recently wrote a wonderfully supportive review of Foundation Flash CS3 for Designers, in which he describes Tom’s and my book as “required reading for anyone considering getting into Flash development,” and a “Rosetta Stone” in guiding newcomers through the often overwhelming sense of where to begin.  This is rewarding praise from someone like Satori, who’s been playing with Flash since the early days (thanks, man!).

My aim in the Adobe forums, here on this blog, and in my other writing outlets, is to be as helpful and encouraging as I can.  I remember what it was like being new to Flash, and it always meant a lot to me when someone took the time to go into detail when replying to my questions.  I’m always pleased to hear when my own writing returns the favor.

Here’s the fourth of my Notes on Design guest blog entries.

http://blog.sessions.edu/design-industry-career-watch/suit-the-action- to-the-word/

Quick FYI:  Foundation Flash CS3 for Designers sample files are now available on the book’s friends of ED website page.  The downloads were just a tad late, so Tom and I have been fielding a few emails.  Hope you enjoy ’em!

What a cool invitation!    I was asked, not long ago, to be on the judge panel for the Flashforward2007 Film Festival.  I’ve seen over 100 entries, many of which were truly what I’d call “cream of the crop” examples of what Flash is all about.

I’m looking forward to the conference itself in September!  I’m always happy to meet people I’ve come to know online.

On Thursday, July 12, 2007, a hefty box arrived at my doorstop.  Inside?  My author’s copies of Foundation Flash CS3 for Designers, written by Tom Green and me.  What a way to perk up the afternoon! 

Right away, I flipped to the XML chapter to show Meridian the picture of herself (she’s in one of the XML sample files, which includes a number of JPGs).  Keep reading »

A couple months ago, a writer for BoDo (Business of Design Online), asked to interview me after happening upon this blog.  I was happy to oblige, and what followed was a bit of pleasant correspondence that culminated in the article linked here (thanks, cat!):

http://www.businessofdesignonline.com/interviewing-david-stiller/

Drawing by Chris Flick,
www.csfgraphics.com

Truth be told, I was home last Friday already, but have only gotten around to posting today.  TODCon was a whole lot of fun, really.  Actually, that’s not putting it strongly enough.  TODCon was truly a great time!  I finally got to meet a bunch of Community MX pals, including Tom Green, with whom I co-authored Foundation Flash CS3 for Designers (check stores in July!).  I even met a client and a few people I’d helped on various forums, which are the kind of connections I always like to make.

There are times when you have a preconceived notion about someone that doesn’t turn out, face to face, to hold true.  Well, that wasn’t the case here at all.  I was expecting to have a good time, and that expectation was rewarded in spades.  I really “clicked” with these folks, and I imagine any onlookers would have assumed we’d all been friends for a decade at least, as you can see in these photos by Jim Babbage.  Keep reading »