ActionScript courses???

[Romulus]

I'm wondering where everyone picked up all of their experience and knowhow in ActionScripting and if there are some places online that offer courses in ActionScript??
I would like to become very good in this field but after going through tutorials, my skills seem very limited. I would like to find a way to get much better....

WILL

[tg]

don't know about everyone else but here is how i learned/am learning...

tutorials/testing in flash
books/testing in flash
forum questions/testing in flash
downloadable source code/testing in flash
and last, testing in flash


my guess is i'm not the only one learning this way. but lets see who sounds off.

[Jesse]

Many local TAFEs offer courses in Flash but fe concerntrate on ActionScript. It's one of those things you learn best from communities and tutorials I believe, simply because there's a lack of other means (oh and books of course).
I've been thinking about running a course here in Melbourne but it would be along way for you to come :)

[Ricod]

Maybe u can give an online class when the chat ap's done, Jesse :) !

Jesse : "Now students, if you'll all open the library u will see that the mc we just created has been added to it and now ... Hey where r u people think you're going ?" Student123 : "Well, the bell ..." Jesse : "The bell doesn't dismiss u young apprentice ... I dismiss u !" ;) (now that I read it, may be more of squirrel thing)

[JRBT]

As one who is just learning myself, I can tell you what has really worked for me so far:

1.) As everyone else has said, tutorials and forums, without any doubt.

2.) I can recommend the following books, I'm reading them now.

-the Friends of Ed book - Foundation Actionscript-
A very good book for the non-programmer - moves nice and slow. However, I am now able to grasp larger concepts and I need something that moves faster and more technical so I bought:

-Colin Moock's Actionscript: the Definitive Guide-
Excellent, in two days all the questions left over from "foundation" were answered, and I am moving along very quickly. I think that more than just learning actionscript, you will learn object oriented programming concepts in general, and if you are patient, soon you will be right up with the rest of the flashers and scripters.

I've only been using Flash for a few months, just bear with the steep initial learning curve - it's really not that hard once you understand the basics. I can now look at almost any piece of code (excluding the really crazy physics style code) and completely understand what it says.

As a coincidence perhaps, I can now also dissect and Javascript and understand it! They are almost indentical in syntax!

You will too - hang in there for just a little longer =)

[Billy T]

I used flash for a long time and played around with other peoples scripts but had no idea what I was doing and found it pretty frustrating...

The turning point for me was when I went along to see a flash seminar by a guy called David Emberton. I started to see how actionscript worked and how all the little bits interacted with each other (simple little thing but was a real eye opener). Then I just went back to looking at other peoples scripts and it slowly started to make more sense...

If you are going to go to a seminar I suggest you go to the ones where you pay a bit - that way you actually learn something rather than just get macromedia products shoved down your throat...

Hope that helps

[Jesse]

Hehe Billy, Dave will be happy to hear he influenced you so. Where do you see one of his seminars?

[Billy T]

is he a friend of yours Jesse? I went to the seminar in Melbourne about 7 months ago. Was part of a big macromedia promotion thing...cant even remember the name of the building....down near the casino...

cheers

[Jesse]

Yeah I met him at a conference. It's always nice to find more (relatively) local talent.

[Billy T]

where is he from?

[Jesse]

WA

[thede]

Wlandymore, I think I know what you mean!

I've been using Flash for about 6 months now and not being a programmer I still find ActionScript quite daunting. I have Colin Moock's book and the Flash 5 Bible, and do pretty much what 'tg' does.. tutorials, playing with .fla scripts.. test, test, test....

I read every night.. I work on it hours every day... I keep banging away. It's a steep curve for me.

Sometimes it's the simplest things that should work that don't. And it takes some real newbie talk for me to 'get it' sometimes.

Well, if I win that $200 M lotto tonite, I'll be able to afford an ActionScript / Flash god for some in-depth private tutoring for 6 months... that should do it. lol