5 replies to this topic

[Cameron Ellis]

I am a GIS mapper interested in learning Flash. Any advice for starting out??

I am very familiar with Illustrator / Photoshop etc, have used them for years. But a bit daunted by Flash for some reason.

Also, is this still the best dynamic mapping platform for someone interested in creative web-based maps/visualization? ... or Flex?

Thanks in advance,

Cameron

[dsl]

You might look at this thread, or search the forums for more suggestions.

Cheers,
David

[Jimbo]

Check out this thread: How to make a clean vector country map from a bitmap image

[MapMedia]

I am a GIS mapper interested in learning Flash. Any advice for starting out??

I am very familiar with Illustrator / Photoshop etc, have used them for years. But a bit daunted by Flash for some reason.

Also, is this still the best dynamic mapping platform for someone interested in creative web-based maps/visualization? ... or Flex?

Thanks in advance,

Cameron

If you want to make professional flash movies and apps, you should use the Illustrator to Flash workflow, with the ability to generalize shapes as appropriate.
Learning Flash is important - start with the ground rules (tools, functions, and basics) - there are some great magazines with Flash project files on CD (online as well).
Learn by doing. Just as with cartography, find a good example of the type of Flash map you want to create on your own, deconstruct it with a Flash decompiler and understand how it is put together.

Actionscript is also good to know. Flex is a great tool too- for fitting in flash map with data controls, forms, and multimedia in one app.

Good luck!

[flashusamap]

Flash is intimidating but I was able to teach myself a lot by diving into the code of a basic map and doing Google searches to fully understand the code. I sell a basic Flash map of the United States. I would be happy to give you the source code so you could get your feet wet. If you have experience with other languages, it isn't too hard to pick up. If you're interested, email me at [first name below] @flashusamap.com.

Best,

Chris

[Cameron Ellis]

Thanks everyone for your links.

Chris - sending you an email... thanks