Tag: DMS

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. … Continue reading “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 … Continue reading “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 … Continue reading “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.

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 … Continue reading “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 … Continue reading “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 … Continue reading “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 … Continue reading “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 … Continue reading “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, … Continue reading “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.