Refine Design 2007 sessions:
(click session name to open or close the description)
Photoshop CS3 One-on-One, with Deke McClelland
Photoshop CS3 is the first update to Adobe’s flagship image-editing application in more than two years, the longest gap between significant upgrades in the history of the program. Good products take time, which might explain why CS3 is the most momentous update to Photoshop in more than a decade.
Join Deke McClelland—author of the very first training series on the newest edition of Photoshop CS3 (the lynda.com video series Photoshop CS3 One-on-One)—for an exciting look at every one of the new features. From the revamped interface to the enhanced Bridge, from Smart Filters to Auto-Align, from Black & White to Camera Raw 4.1, this is your chance to learn everything you need to know about Photoshop CS3 in record time. Don’t come expecting a trade-show product demo. Deke calls them as he sees them. Why is Brightness/Contrast suddenly a useful command? Why does the new Quick Selection tool mostly suck? Why is the maligned interface one of the best features of the program? Why will Smart Filters expand your power as they drive you nuts? Deke will let you know.
David Blatner InDesign CS3 Intensive
Join internationally renowed author and trainer David Blatner for a fast-paced InDesign tips extravaganza focusing on the hottest new features in InDesign CS3 -- including variables, advanced find/change techniques, supercool transparency effects, and using InDesign documents as smart objects. Even if you are still using CS2, you'll learn a bunch and be prepared for the future.
Roadtrip: AJAX. Destination: The Yahoo YUI.
The Web is going through the second wave of its evolution and AJAX technologies are at the heart of it. We'll start by looking at some popular sites using AJAX to deliver next-generation user experiences. We'll then do a quick review the key enabling technologies of AJAX including Javascript, CSS, the DOM, and XMLHttpRequest. From there we'll move on to a brief tour of some popular AJAX frameworks including Prototype, Script.aculo.us, DOJO and the Google Web Toolkit. We'll finish by taking a more in-depth look at one popular and easy to use AJAX toolkit, the Yahoo! YUI.
Illustrator CS3: Vector Powerhouse
Everyone's got Illustrator questions or they see something and wonder, "how'd they do that?" This session dives into the most commonly asked questions and explores some of the coolest (and most useful) features of Illustrator CS3.
If your new to Illustrator or a seasoned pro, you'l walk away with applicable knowledge including: realistic shading using the gradient mesh, how to best work with layers (shortcuts and best practices), drawing tips and shortcuts, working with transparency (blending modes, alpha transparency and masking), optimizing Illustrator files, lots of shortcuts and time for lots of questions.
The Designer's Web Technology Decoder Ring
You're at a party with other Designers. You start talking shop. One says:
"We're going to be rolling out a new web-site, our company is building a SQL database using PHP and Cold Fusion, it's got to closely adhere to the Servlet and XML standards so we've given the project to our .Net guys, they're the Java experts." You might be inclined to think: "Wow, those guys really know what they're doing".
After this seminar you'll realize that the statement is so impossible and/or improbable that it could be used for fuel in a Douglas Adams spaceship. Modern web sites are a veritable witches brew of technologies: HTML, XHTML, CSS, Flash, Applets, Java, Servlets, JDBC, Hibernate, Spring, Struts, .Net, C#, ODBC, OLE-DB, SQL, PHP, Ruby, SQL, FTP, SSH, TCP, IP, HTTP...
Understanding where those technologies fit into the bigger picture, where they compete with each other, where they compliment each other, and who is often responsible for them is terribly handy knowledge to have.
You see, there's a forest, and there are trees. As web technology users we spend most our time staring at one or two trees. Come take a short hike to a our favorite scenic lookout and revel in the the beauty and the power of a wider point of view. No need to bring a camera, souvenir photos will be provided.
CSS intro to layout
Making the switch from pure tables to CSS layout? This session will give you an eagle-eye view of what it takes to create a fully compliant, CSS-based site. Using Dreamweaver CS3, you'll explore all of the tools built into the program that make it a snap to jump feet first into your first CSS site! We will explore creating styles, linking style sheets, creating rollover nav bars without images, layout using IDs and more.
CSS layout tips and tricks
If you’ve worked in CSS layout, and are looking to deepen your skills and gain a better understanding of how CSS works, this session is for you. You’ll know how to create special design effects (rounded-corners, PNG transparency), balanced multi-column layouts, work with lists (ul, ol, dl) for layout, create non-JavaScript rollovers, css shortcuts and more.
Photoshop like the pros
For those of us that have been in Photoshop and need to learn some new tricks, this is the session for you. We will cover how to make quick, accurate selections including a variety of selection techniques for various situations. This will include channel selections, quick masks and layer masks. You'll also learn how to work with non-destructive editing using Smart Filters and masking as well as applying adjustment layers you never thought of. These selection techniques will lead to some interesting experimentation and visual effects.
Working faster and smarter in InDesign CS3
InDesign is a powerful program. Learn to harness that power to your advantage.
Come learn tons of essential keyboard shortcuts for navigation and formatting, sharing content between documents for re–use (including placing InDesign files in othe InDesign files, libraries, and more), setting default colors and fonts, getting master pages to work for you, and more.
Mastering styles in InDesign
Save time and greatly increase your control over documents using InDesign's powerful collection of styles options. Come learn about character, paragraph, object, table and cell styles, as well as the secret power of nested styles. Learn to create style groups and take advantage of Quick Apply for fast styling. Discover how, with a little advanced setup, documents can literally style themselves. Find out why we love InDesign's styles.
Automating Acrobat
Do you perform the same redundant tasks every day; need to perform the same operations on hundreds of PDFs; tired of having to show your co-workers where the same Menu items are time and time again? There's a solution. Solve these problems and more with Acrobat Automation. Acrobat provides methods for operating on multiple documents, creating custom toolbar buttons, compressing multi-step operations, and controlling Acrobat from external applications. Methods vary in difficulty and ease of use. This session will introduce a range of automation methods and cover the advantages, uses, and issues for each. Live examples are provided in the presentation document for attendees to take away with them.
Spry in the Sky Web Design: Using the new Dreamweaver CS3
Want all the cool features you see on other web sites but just can't afford a programmer? Think again! You can do it yourself. The new Dreamweaver CS3 incorporates Adobe's Spry framework for Ajax, essentially a huge library of powerful, cross-platform tested, drag and drop components, all designed to make your web site sing and dance without server-side scripts or programming a single line of code. Add tabbed interfaces, validated form elements, collapsible panels, animated transitions, drop down/hover menus, and XML-driven lists and tables.
Note: This sessions page incorporates the Collapsible Panel Spry feature in the new Dreamweaver CS3!
Color Management: Producing Predictable, Repeatable Color in Photoshop
Producing predictable, repeatable color is, at least, one of the goals surrounding color management. This session focuses on the who, what, where, when, how and why of color management to deepen your color management knowledge and vocabulary.
We’ll use analogy to help you understand and connect the different issues, goals, components and strategies of color management. Setting-up and using a color management system is much easier to do when you are better able to connect all the dots and understand how and why they work together.
Advertising with Flash: how to design ad banners that work
With the decline of readership of print media—especially newspapers—more and more companies are putting their advertising dollars online. Using Flash to create ad banners gives companies the opportunity to make a splash visually, and still track exactly how many people are clicking through to their site—something not possible in print advertising. This session will discuss how to create effective ad banners that get the message across, while still meeting all the stringent specs for size, looping and CPU usage the advertisers require. Get tips and tricks on planning and testing your ad so it works perfectly the first time out.
Designing for Mobile Devices: Getting Started with Device Central CS3
As cell phones, PDAs and other mobile devices evolve, their interfaces and features are becoming more and more sophisticated. Adobe’s Device Central allows you to design, preview, and test engaging mobile content—whether you’re creating games, applications or just a simple wallpaper. Come see how you can use your skills in Flash, Photoshop and Illustrator to create content for the mobile device industry.
Digital Audio: Basic Theory and Application
(Marc Hoffman, Poison Dart Frog Media)
The latest audio software makes it easier than ever to add sound to your multimedia projects. But even with the most user-friendly software, audio concepts can be mystifying.
A basic grounding in the principles and applications of digital audio can eliminate confusion and will make you the resident audio expert in most multimedia production environments. This session will give you that grounding.
Marc Hoffman, who specializes in digital audio and Flash, will provide answers to perennial questions about this topic, including:
- What IS digital audio? How is it created, and how is it similar to other digital media?
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- How do I go about recording a narration for my Flash or PowerPoint presentation?
- What determines audio file size, and how can I reduce the size of an audio file to make it stream better?
- What is MP3? Wav? Aif? What’s the right format for a given project?
- How can I eliminate noise, excessive brightness, boominess, and other unpleasantries in my audio?
- What are the keys to creating effective, good-sounding audio loops?
Additionally, we’ll examine several Flash sound applications, learning how to embed and control sound in Flash using Flash’s built-in Sound Object. Sound editing will be demonstrated using Adobe Audition, a popular and powerful tool for recording and editing digital audio, but will be equally applicable to other audio software.
