Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A quick, practical introduction to Director X, a multimedia authoring application. With Director you can create sophisticated animations, using digital video, Shockwave sound and Real audio. This text provides an easy, visual approach to learning Director.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction (p. ix)
• Chapter 1 Director Basics (p. 1)
• How Does Director Fit in the Mix? (p. 2)
• About the Stage and Toolbar (p. 4)
• About Cast, Score, and Stage Interaction (p. 5)
• About Sprites and Cast Members (p. 6)
• About Director Windows (p. 7)
• About Director Inspectors (p. 8)
• Getting Started (p. 10)
• Creating a Movie (p. 13)
• Director's Help System (p. 24)
• Working Faster (p. 26)
• General Preferences (p. 27)
• Movie Properties (p. 28)
• Updating Movies (p. 29)
• Chapter 2 Assembling Casts (p. 31)
• Creating Casts (p. 33)
• Importing Cast Members (p. 39)
• Working in List View (p. 48)
• Working in Thumbnail View (p. 53)
• Managing Cast and Cast Member Properties (p. 57)
• Chapter 3 Building a Score (p. 63)
• Using Frames and Channels (p. 64)
• Working with Sprites (p. 67)
• Changing Sprite Properties (p. 78)
• Locking Sprites (p. 91)
• Changing the Score View (p. 92)
• Setting Markers (p. 97)
• Chapter 4 Animating Sprites (p. 99)
• Tweening (p. 100)
• Adjusting Motion (p. 105)
• Step Recording (p. 109)
• Real-Time Recording (p. 111)
• Building Animated Sequences (p. 113)
• Making Film Loops (p. 118)
• Animating Color Cursors (p. 121)
• Incorporating Flash Movies (p. 123)
• Chapter 5 Playing and Refining Movies (p. 129)
• Using the Control Panel (p. 130)
• Setting Movie Tempo (p. 134)
• Comparing Target Tempo with Actual Tempo (p. 136)
• Locking Playback Speed (p. 138)
• Setting Pauses in a Movie (p. 139)
• Using Scene Transitions (p. 140)
• Chapter 6 Using Paint Tools (p. 143)
• Getting Started (p. 145)
• Selecting and Moving Images (p. 148)
• Painting (p. 153)
• Using Ink Effects (p. 159)
• Ink Effect Choices (p. 160)
• Using Color and Pattern (p. 161)
• Painting with Gradient Inks (p. 168)
• Adding Text (p. 173)
• Applying Effects (p. 175)
• Using Ink Masks (p. 180)
• Onion Skinning (p. 182)
• Applying Image Filters (p. 184)
• Chapter 7 Drawing Vector Shapes (p. 185)
• Creating Vector Shapes (p. 186)
• Editing Vector Shapes (p. 194)
• Chapter 8 Working on the Stage (p. 201)
• Setting Stage Properties (p. 202)
• Zooming and Scrolling the Stage (p. 204)
• Using Grids and Guides (p. 206)
• Creating Shapes on the Stage (p. 208)
• Creating Buttons on the Stage (p. 211)
• Creating Text on the Stage (p. 212)
• Chapter 9 Managing Color (p. 213)
• Color Depth (p. 214)
• Color Mode (p. 219)
• Color Choices (p. 221)
• Color Palettes (p. 224)
• Custom Color Palettes (p. 226)
• Tactics for Limited Color Displays (p. 233)
• Chapter 10 Adding Digital Video (p. 249)
• Importing Digital Video (p. 250)
• Previewing a Digital Video (p. 252)
• Incorporating Video (p. 254)
• Setting Digital Video Properties (p. 256)
• Editing Video (p. 260)
• Importing Animated GIFs (p. 262)
• Chapter 11 Adding Text (p. 263)
• Creating and Editing Regular Text (p. 266)
• Importing Text (p. 278)
• Embedding Fonts (p. 280)
• Creating Field Text (p. 282)
• Setting Text for Users to Change (p. 284)
• Setting Text for Hyperlinks (p. 286)
• Chapter 12 Adding Sound (p. 287)
• Importing Sounds (p. 288)
• Placing Sounds in the Score (p. 290)
• Synchronizing Sound to Actions (p. 293)
• Compressing Sounds (p. 297)
• Streaming Linked Shockwave Audio or MPEG 3 Sound Files (p. 300)
• Recording Sounds in Director (Mac) (p. 302)
• Chapter 13 Creating a Projector (p. 303)
• Setting Projector Options (p. 304)
• Making a Projector (p. 308)
• Protecting Movie Files (p. 312)
• Chapter 14 Making Movies for the Web (p. 315)
• Working with Shockwave (p. 316)
• Creating a Shockwave Movie (p. 317)
• Playing a Shockwave Movie (p. 320)
• Making Stretchable Shockwave Movies (p. 323)
• Working with Publish Settings (p. 326)
• Making Streaming Shockwave Movies (p. 335)
• Converting Multiple Movies (p. 338)
• Chapter 15 Using Xtras (p. 341)
• Understanding Xtra Types (p. 342)
• Installing Xtras (p. 343)
• Using Xtras (p. 344)
• Including Xtras in Distributed Movies (p. 348)
• Including Xtras with Projectors (p. 351)
• Using Xtras for Shockwave Movies (p. 353)
• Active X Controls (Windows) (p. 355)
• Chapter 16 Adding Behaviors (p. 357)
• Assigning Behaviors (p. 358)
• Using the Behavior Inspector (p. 361)
• Creating Behaviors (p. 362)
• Modifying Behaviors (p. 365)
• Chapter 17 Scripting Lingo (p. 371)
• Understanding Scripts (p. 373)
• Writing Scripts (p. 377)
• Understanding Handlers, Messages, and Events (p. 384)
• Understanding Lingo Elements (p. 387)
• Scripting Navigation (p. 389)
• Using the Message Window (p. 396)
• Using Variables (p. 398)
• Making Sprites Interactive (p. 400)
• Using Lingo for Animated Cursors (p. 404)
• Setting Up Primary Event Handlers (p. 405)
• Chapter 18 Shockmachine (p. 407)
• Understanding Shockmachine Basics (p. 408)
• Preparing Shockwave Movies for Playback in Shockmachine (p. 412)
• Glossary (p. 415)
• Index (p. 419)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Andre Persidsky wrote three previous editions of the Director QuickStart Guide , and co-authored Ray Dream Studio 5: Visual QuickStart Guide for Windows and Macintosh . A writer and product designer, he contributes articles to several computer magazines.