Dreamweaver CS4 ACE Objectives

Creating a web site today requires some expertise in a variety of different technologies: xhtml, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), javascript, application servers, ajax...

Adobe Dreamweaver is the leading software product on the market which allows you to meld all or some of these technologies together to create a static or dyanmic web site. (See our blog post on "Dreamweaver Training Tips" to learn the difference between static and dynamic web sites.)

Becoming an Adobe Certified Expert in Dreamweaver is a powerful credential to have and a great way to synthesize and process the essential information you need to create web sites using an industry-leading product.

To the best of our knowledge, these are the ACE (Adobe Certified Expert) Objectives for Dreamweaver CS4. Use them as a guide to study for the test. Our Dreamweaver class ()http://www.multigroup.com) covers these objectives during the course of the class. Call us (408-315-8720) in regard to taking the class and receive a discount by telling us you read about it here.

1.0 Understanding Web technologies

1.1 List and describe the infrastructure required to implement and deploy Web sites.

1.2 Given a scenario, explain the requirements for supporting video, PDF documents,

and SWF.

1.3 Explain how to mitigate page weight.

1.4 Given a scenario, describe the infrastructure required to support application servers.

(Scenarios include: ColdFusion, ASP, JSP)

1.5 List and describe the difference between client-side and server-side scripting.

1.6 Describe techniques for making pages accessible.

2.0 Managing sites

2.1 Given a scenario, create a site. (Scenarios include: using the Site menu bar and Files

panel)

2.2 Locate files associated with a Dreamweaver site.

2.3 Manage files associated with a Dreamweaver site. (Including: moving, deleting,

renaming, copying, associating)

3.0 Remote connectivity

3.1 List and describe the methods available for connecting to a remote server. (Methods

include: ftp, sftp, WebDAV, and network file share)

3.2 Synchronize files. (Methods include: Using the Files panel, Site menu, cloaking)

3.3 Use get, put, check-in, and check-out to transfer files.

3.4 Configure local, testing, and remote servers.

4.0 Working in Design view

4.1 Describe options available for positioning objects. (Options include: AP DIV, CSS

and tables)

4.2 Design a page by using a tracing image.

4.3 Given a visual aid, explain the purpose of and/or when that visual aid. (Visual aids

include: Layers, tables, CSS, invisible elements)

4.4 Work with the Properties panel and Tag bar.

4.5 Explain the benefits of using Live View and Live Data.

5.0 Working in Code view

5.1 Configure preferences for Code view.

5.2 Manage code by using Code view. (Options include: Collapsing, word wrap, highlighting

invalid code, and formatting)

5.3 Explain how to get information about tags. (Options include: Properties Inspector

and Tag Editor)

5.4 Find and replace code in Code view. (Options include: entire site and current page)

5.5 Explain how to select blocks of code in Code view.

6.0 Working with templates

6.1 Create editable areas in templates.

6.2 Apply a template to a page.

6.3 Create and use template variables.

6.4 Create and use editable attributes.

6.5 Explain the process of and issues associated with distributing template changes to pages.

6.6 Create and use library items.

7.0 Working with assets

7.1 Manage assets by using the Assets panel.

7.2 Given a media type, insert and deploy that media type into a page. (Media types

include: SWF, FLV, Flash Paper, images)

8.0 Designing pages with CSS

8.1 Create and work with AP elements.

8.2 Create styles for typography and positioning by using the CSS and properties panels.

8.3 Describe the Box model.

8.4 Create and attach style sheets to pages.

8.5 Explain the behavior of inheritance with respect to styles and style sheets.

9.0 Testing Web pages and sites

9.1 Validate that pages and sites conform to accessibility standards.

9.2 Describe the HTML reports that are available for testing.

9.3 Identify and fix broken links.

10.0 Application development

10.1 Create forms and use data sets by using Spry.

10.2 Describe the functionality provided by the Behaviors panel and the Server Behaviors panel.

10.3 Describe the role of an application server.

Adobe Product Glossary


As the principal of the Multimedia Resource Group (http://www.multigroup.com) an Adobe Authorized Training provider in Silicon consequently, we often get questions from people about which product they should buy and use.

We put together this Adobe Product Directory and Glossary together to give people
a simple overview of Adobe Products.

This list is still a work in progress. Note this glossary is not complete but it does list most major Adobe products; all definitions are our interpretation of the major features and purpose of each product.
Adob

Adobe Flash

Adobe Flash is a program for creating animations, presentations and interactive productions for the web.It can be used for everything from animated banners, to online training, to interactive games, to creating entire web sites and more. Flash files (.swf) can contain graphics, sounds, videos, interactivity (buttons that do something when clicked using Actionscript, the scripting language built in Flash.). A very popular technology on the web today. Flash files are played back though the "Flash Player" a browser plug in that most people already have.

Flash can also be used to encode and playback video files. All "YouTube" videos are encoded as Flash video files.

Adobe Flex

An application or framework that allows you to output swf files that are played back using the Flash Player. Flex is available as an application from Adobe: Flex Builder, or an open source application Flex 3 SDK. Much of the functionality of Flex is typically implemented using componenents (pre-build "widgets" that come with Flex). Actionscript 3.0 is also used in Flex as its scripting language (as it is in Flash). Flex also uses mxml, a custom mark-up language similiar to xml.

Flex files are used to create web applications that playback using the Flash Player, as does Flash. Flex has no animation capability but swf files created in Flash can be used in Flex. Typicallly, Flex files tend to be highly interactive web applications. Both Flash and Flex can be used to create web applications, though some applications may be more expediantly created in Flex.

Adobe AIR

Adobe Integrated Run time (AIR): desktop applications (doesn't play on the web) created in either Flex or Flash. Twitter Deck and Thwirl are AIR applications.

Adobe Dreamweaver

Adobe Dreamweaver is the industry-leading professional product for creating, maintaining and deploying web sites.

Adobe InDesign

InDesign is the industry leading product for producing page layouts for print: everything from a one page flyer, newsletter, magazine or book. InDesign files can be displayed on the web when output as .pdf files.

Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop is the industry leading product for creating and working with bitmap graphics for print or web.

Adobe Illustrator

Illustrator is the industry leading product for creating and editing graphics using vector shapes for output to print or web.

Adobe Fireworks

A product Adobe acquired from Macromedia created specifically to create graphics and related resources for the web.

Adobe Captivate

Captivate is an eLearning tool allowing you to create online present ions, as well as software demonstrations and simulations with or without interactivity.

Adobe Contribute

A product that allows people with no knowledge of the tools and techniques needed to create web pages to manage and update web sites.

Adobe Acrobat

An application that allows you to create pdf files from various sources for print or web. The resulting files may include forms, interactivivity and a variety of different media.

Adobe FrameMaker

An application typically used to create and mange long documents such as books.

Adobe Cold Fusion

A server technology and scripting language (Cold Fusion Markup Language; cfml) used for the creation and support of dynamic web sites.


Training, Consulting and Development

The Multimedia Resource Group offers training, consulting and development services using all of these products, call or email us for more information: training@multigroup.com; 408-315-8720.

If there is an Adobe product that you need more information about, whether it's on this list or not, feel free to email us with your question: training@multigroup.com

Flash CS4 Top New Features

If you're still deciding whether to upgrade or not, or just perversely curious: A list of major new features in Flash CS4. Keep in mind the Flash CS4 is the first version of Flash to be retooled under the Adobe umbrealla. (Flash CS3 was released as an Adobe product but was designed at Macromedia.) In my opinion it represents the most significant change in Flash since it was released. For many people the first three features listed below will be reason enough to upgrade.

Inverse kinematics with the Bones tool
Perhaps the coolest new feature in Flash: Create chain-like animation effects with a series of linked objects, or quickly link a single vector shape into interconnected "bones" that swivel and move using the new Bones tool. This is a boon for creating all kinds of animations from "character" animations (think cartoons) to scientific simulations. Here's an example: http://www.onemotion.com/flash/spider/ Be sure to click on the spider and drag him around.

Motion editor
Allows you to precisely control numerous parameters of an animated object including rotation, size, scale, position, filters, and more. Refine easing control with graphical displays. Again another major improvement for designer and animators as Flash begins to add some sophisticated animated controls a la After Effects.

Motion presets
Allow you to jump-start tart your project with sophisticated prebuilt animations that can be applied to any object. Essentially Motion Presets are a a library of various animated effects you can apply to an object (symbol) to animate it. Even if you don't use it on a regular basis it can safely stimulate your own creative animation juices. Select from dozens of presets or create and save your own animated effects that you may have created or tweaked with the Motion Editor as presets. These are easy to use and you can also share presets with others.

Object-based animation
This is the new way to tween (animate various properties of an object): applies tweens directly to objects (symbols) instead of to keyframes. Automatically generates an animation path and allows you to modify the path. This is the new look of “tweening” in Flash, quicker then the previous version; automatically changes the object into a Movie Clip symbol and extends the timeline 24 frames; it also automatically produces the second keyframe for you. Cool new feature, and if you want to revert to the "classic style" of tweening, you can.

3D transformation
Animate 2D objects through 3D space with new 3D translation and rotation tools, which allow you to animate along the x, y, and z axes. Apply local or global transformation to any object.

Authoring for Adobe AIR (Adobe Integrated RunTime)
Deliver interactive experiences to the desktop with new integrated capability to publish to the Adobe® AIR™ runtime. http://www.adobe.com/products/air/
If you use Twitter, you probably know TweetDeck, and TweetDeck is an Adobe Air application. Flash CS4 allows you to create AIR applications as does Adobe Flex. More on Tweetdeck: http://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/

XFL support
No, Flash is not supporting some renegade offshoot of the National Football League. XFL support however is aiding and abetting incestuous relations among the Adobe clan (gasp!) allowing you to take content from Adobe InDesign, or After Effects, save it as an .xfl file and import it in Flash and retain "file integrity". Will try to come up with some examples of this and will post more info...later. In the meantime: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/InDesign/6.0/WS2DECDF40-B6DA-40b6-804F-2703D6C6A460.html


Procedural modeling with Deco and Spray Brush new
Turn symbols into instant design tools. Apply symbols in a variety of ways: Quickly create kaleidoscope-like effects and apply fills using the Deco tool, or randomly spray symbols across any defined area using the Spray Brush. This is beefs up the designer tool chest in Flash, similar in functionality to the symbol sprayer tool in Adobe Illustrator.

Metadata (XMP) support
Add metadata to SWF files using the new XMP panel. Quickly assign tags for enhanced collaboration and better mobile experiences. (XMP is an RDF-based framework of Adobe Systems Incorporated that supports the embedding of metadata in application files.
More information on XMP is available here: http://www.adobe.com/products/xmp/overview.html

H.264 support
Flash now allows you to create and playback High Definition video, in addition to the other video formats previously supported.This is a big deal if you're a video geek, and with the cost of HD camcorders dropping we'll all soon be video geeks.

Flash CS4 ACE Objectives

These days, becoming an ACE (Adobe Certified Expert) can give you a leg up in landing a job, not to mention honing your skills to a finely burnished edge.

To become an ACE you need to pass a closed-book, multiple choice test: you sit in front of a computer screen and answer the questions. The test is administered by Pearson VUE or Thomson Prometric at their testing facilities world-wide.

Pearson VUE: check for locations online at www.pearsonvue.com

Thomson Prometric: check for locations online at www.2test.com


Below the Adobe Flash CS4 ACE Objectives, all the Flash topics that will come up on the ACE test.

To prepare for the test you may be interested in taking our Flash Level 1 class and our Flash Level 2 class (Actionscript). We make sure to go over the ACE Objectives in the class, and we provide resources and sample tests after the class. The classes are described on our web site Multimedia Resource Group http://www.multigroup.com

Self-employed and unemployed people may qualify for a discount for these classes.


Flash CS4ACE Exam Objectives

1.0 Planning and designing Flash applications
1.1 Given a scenario, choose the appropriate type of image asset and explain when and
why you would use that asset type. (Image asset types include: vector, bitmap, SVG)
1.2 Given a requirement based on your audience, determine the appropriate Flash features and options used to meet the needs of your audience. (Audience requirements
include: publishing to AIR, accessibility, player version)

2.0 Creating and managing assets
2.1 Given an option in the Library panel, explain the purpose of and how to use that
option.
2.2 Given a tool, create a shape by using that tool. (Tools include: Deco, Spray Brush, Rectangle Primitive)
2.3 Given a tool, work with an existing asset by using that tool. (Tools include: Transform, 3D Rotation, Bone)
2.4 Given an asset, modify individual properties to achieve specific design requirements. (Design requirements include: advanced text controls including anti-aliasing,stroke control and styling)
2.5 Import external assets into Flash. (External assets include: XFL from InDesign or
After Effects, Photoshop files, Illustrator files, and images)
2.6 Create and manage text fields by using the Text tool.
2.7 Given an asset, convert that asset to a symbol.
2.8 Given a component, explain the purpose of or how to use that component.
2.9 Edit the skin of a component.

3.0 Creating Flash movies
3.1 Create animations by using the Timeline.
3.2 Edit animations by using the Motion Editor.
3.3 Reuse animations by using Motion Presets.
3.4 Incorporate and manage audio and video in your movie.
3.5 Apply filters and effects to Movie Clips and text.
3.6 Manage performance by utilizing bitmap techniques.
3.7 Apply inverse kinematics to objectives by using the Bone tool.

4.0 Programming with ActionScript 3.0
4.1 Given an ActionScript class, create an instance from and work with the properties of that class.
4.2 Given an object-oriented concept, explain the definition of or purpose associated
with that concept. (Object-oriented concepts include: Classes, Interfaces, Inheritance, Polymorphism, and Packages)
4.3 Create custom classes. (Options include: Extending, Subclassing)
4.4 Explain how to use the Document class.
4.5 Load content and data from external sources. (Sources include: XML, SWF, and
remote objects)

5.0 Testing, publishing, and deploying Flash movies
5.1 Recognize effective optimization considerations when testing and debugging Flash
applications.
5.2 Test an application by using the Debugger.
5.3 Given a code snippet, find the error in that code snippet.
5.4 Given a scenario, select the appropriate Publish settings to deploy a Flash movie. (Scenarios include: Web delivery and AIR)

Overview of the Debugger in Flash CS4

Using the Debugger Overview

Ok, this is not the sexiest Flash topic out there, but I've found very little on this topic when I did a search so I thought I'd make this contribution for the collective benefit of Flashinistas world-wide.

The Debugger in Flash CS4 is a window and set of related tools to help you “debug” or troubleshoot Actionscript code that is not executing properly. Typically to make full use of the Debugger you’ll need to set a breakpoint in your code that tells the Flash player to stop executing your Actionscript at the particular line in your code where the breakpoint is set. Think of it as a tool that allows you to freeze time, or at least the time during which your Actionscript code is executing.
Then using tools in the Debug Window you can very deliberately choose to execute the specific line of code in which the breakpoint is set and then observe what happens. This ability, to step through your code (among other related tools which will be described in greater detail below) line by line can be extremely useful when trying to find the fly in the ointment (or the bug in your code).

Try this simple example:

Create a new file.
Select the keyframe in frame one , open the Actions panel and add the three trace statements, one on each line:

trace(“first”);|
trace(“second ”);
trace(“third ”);

Add a breakpoint by only after before the first trace, clicking to the left of the number 1 (the line numbers that should automatically be generated as you write Actionscript code. A red circle indicating the break point should appear.

Select Debug Movie from the Debug menu to enter the debugging window.
You’ll notice a set of interrelated panels: in the upper left the Debug Console; lower left Variable Panel; The area at the top center display a line (or lines if more than one) where Actionscript was encountered in the file, below that the code for the currently selected frame or a selected external Actionscript file; and the Output panel at the bottom .
You will notice that the string “First” being evaluated from the first trace function has not yet appeared in the Output panel, the reason is the break point stopped the execution of the code just before that line was executed.

In the Debug Console panel in the upper left hand side click on the green “Continue” button which will execute all the code till another break point is encountered. . Note that the evaluation of the trace function now appears in the output panel and all three trace statements appear: “first”, “second”, “third”.

Close the Debug window by either clicking on the large red X in the Debug Console or clicking on the close button for the swf file that was generated when you first choose Debug movie.
Go back to the Flash file and execute Debug Movie again.
This time click on the Step Over button which will cause the debugger to jump to the next line of code and stop. Continue clicking on the Step Over button to step through your code line by line. If there were any variables and properties in your code you can seethem and check their values changing in the Variables panel in the lower left corner.

Note the other two buttons:
Step In will jump to any function or method reference on the current breakpoint line and then step through the code of that function or method a line at a time.
Step Out moves the debugger to the exit point of the current function or method, typically to where the function or method returns a value (if it returns a value.

Mastering the debugger just takes a little knowledge and a bit of practice, and it's on the ACE test!

Top 10 Adobe Creative Suite Keyboard Shortcuts

By popular request, the top 10 Adobe Creative Suite Keyboard (and other) shortcuts allowing you to boost your productivity and impress your friends.

Note: these shortcuts are guaranteed to work with Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign 24/7, 365 days a year, Christmas and holidays included, unless otherwise noted.

10: Copying a graphic or object: select the graphic/object, hold down the alt key (option key on a Mac) and drag;

9: Zooming Out with the Zoom Tool (Magnifiying Glass Tool): hold down the alt key (option key on Mac) and click with the Zoom Tool selected.

8: Displaying a page or document at 100%: A: Hold down the Control Key and the "1" key; or, my favorite, double click on the Zoom Tool (Magnifiying Glass) in the Tool box.

7: Displaying a document within the existing monitor screen (Fit in Window): Hold down the Control Key and the "0" (zero) key on the keyboard or double click on the Hand Tool in the Tool box.

6. Temporarily displaying the hand tool to scroll around the page: hold down the spacebar and click and drag the mouse; let go of the spacebar to return to the previous tool you were using.

5. Hide all panels and toolbars: hold down the Tab key.

4: Hide only the panels on the right hand side of the screen: hold down the Tab and Shift keys.

3: Cycle through the screen modes (Photoshop and Illustrator only) : hold down the F key on the keyboard. (Note: this single-key keyboard short cut is also a "gotcha" one that you can very easily accidentally implement in the normal course of working in Photoshop and Illustrator.) The various screen modes in Photoshop and Illustrator are also accessible by clicking and holding down the mouse on the icon at the bottom of Tool Box. (Gotcha Alert: all the tools in the Tool Box in both Photoshop and Illustrator have single-letter keyboard shortcuts, so if you're not careful you can easily and accidentally trigger one of these shortcuts.)

2: Draw a perfect circle or square (depending on what tool you use) hold down the Shift key and keep it held down while drawing.

And the number one Creative Suite Keyboard Shortcut:

1: To draw a shape or selection from the center out (instead of the default upper left corner): select the desired drawing tool (rectangle, ellipse, etc, or rectangular or elliptical selection tools) hold down the alt key and click and drag the mouse.

Bonus Keyboard Shortcut: Control - Z (Windows; Command -Z on the Macintosh) is Un-Do.
Photoshop has only one level of Un-Do, that is you hit Control Z you go back on step. Illustrator has multiple levels of Un-Do, every time you hit Control Z you go back another step, same with InDesign. However Photoshop has another feature: Step Backward, keyboard shortcut is Alt-Control-Z. Every time you use it you go back another step. This feature ties in with the History Panel in Photoshop (which is sort of a super Un-Do). More on the History Panel in Photoshop later.

Next month: silly (but interesting) Photoshop tricks.

Dreamweaver Training Tips

Below we've listed some of the basic considerations you should be aware of when creating or managing a web site. Keep in mind that it's not absolutely necessary to use Dreamwever but the alternative is essentially hand coding...that is knowing all the technologies involved so well you can write the code yourself.

Static or Dynamic?

Web sites come in two basic "flavors": static or dynamic.

A static web site is one where the content you put on the pages: text, graphics, etc., doesn't change until you change it and update the web site.

A dynamic web site is one where the content changes "dynamically" typically based on user input. Think of Amazon.com, say you're interested in a book but you forgot the title but remember the author's name. You go to Amazon and you type in the author's name and hit "enter". After a second or two a list of all the books by that author appears on the page. That information is typically being pulled onto the page from a database or some other external data file, such as an XML file. (An upcoming post will have more information about how XML files may be used in web sites.)

Dynamic web sites are cool but the techniques and technologies used in them represent a leap above the technologies used in static web sites. If you're interested in dynamic websites you still need to master the techniques and technologies needed to create static web sites. (We hope to post an article soon here on dynamic web site technologies.)

When creating a Dynamic Website typically you also need to pick an application server and scripting language. The reason for this is that pages in dynamic web sites typically have code in it that executes on the server, unlike html pages on static websites. Because the pages are doing more on a dynamic website, you need an application server that knows how to interpret the code that's on the page.

Below a quick reference to other techniques and technologies you will use in creating any web site, whether static or dynamic but don't be intimidated by that, in almost every case Dreamweaver will create the code you need for you and please note that all of them (except creating graphics, which is a separate class) are covered in our Dreamweaver Web Design class: http://www.multigroup.com

Graphics

Dreamweaver (or any other product that allows you to create or manage web sites) does not create graphics. You'll need some other application to create graphics for the web. Again, we're some what biased but Adobe does produce the industry-leading products in this regard, too.
Photoshop, Illustrator and Fireworks can all be used to create graphics for the web. (See our post on Fireworks but keep in mind Photoshop and Illustrator are also great products for creating graphics for the web though if I had to pick one product it would be Fireworks, then Illustrator and then Photoshop.. in my opinion and given my proclivities. (We hope to devout an upcoming post on the differences between Photoshop and Illustrator.)

Both Photoshop and Illustrator have their strengths and weaknesses and in the best of all possible worlds if you're serious about designing for the web and print you would use both.

Graphics formats that are supported on the web are: gif files, jpeg files and png files.

All of the above listed products can output these files.


HTML and XHTML

Web pages are basically html files, each html file is another page. Dreamweaver writes the html for you, strictly speaking no knowledge of html requited but in practice a little knowledge of html helps. (We provide html basics in our Dreamweaver class.)

Keep in mind that html is not a programming language, it's a mark up language and relatively simple to understand and use. Years ago I worked in a publishing company and I would watch the typesetters sitting in front of dedicated computers used only to set type for a magazine.

If they wanted to indicate to the computer that a word should be bold they would put the word inside of a bold tag. When printed by the computer those words would appear bold. Well that's exactly how html works, except it's the browser that makes the words bold when it sees the appropriate html tags around the word.

Note that html was not what was used way back when I worked for the publishing company with the dedicated typesetting machine. However that language was one of the sister languages to html created from SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language).

For More information SGML and how it relates to HTML see the Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SGML#Original_uses

XHTML is html's younger brother. For all intents and purposes you can simply think of it as the latest version of html and it is recommended that you use it. (The latest version of Dreamweaver will write xhtml for you by default and there is no practical reason that I can think of why you shouldn't.

For more informaton on XHTML see the Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XHTML

Cascading Style Sheets

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are a required supplemental technology in creating and maintaining web sites these days. (See our blog entry on using CSS to format text.)

We provide substantial information about using CSS both to format web pages and to create layouts with div tags, and you're in luck again because Dreamweaver will write the CSS code for you too, and CSS while not exactly a mark up language is also fairly simple. Here's a sample of CSS code designed to format paragraphs (note the reference to "p") with the Aral font, but keep in mind that Dreamweaver will write the CSS code for you.

p {
font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
}

Javascript

Javascript is another supplemental technology that may or may not be used on web sites today.
One common example of using Javascript on a web page would be to create a rollover effect: the user moves their cursor over a button and it changes (color, size or shape). That's typically done with Javascript. (Note Javascript is not the same as the programming language Java though it is a scripting/programming language... but have no fear-

Dreamweaver comes to the rescue again: it will write and create some of the more frequently used Javascripts for you without you having to write the code yourself, but keep in mind the Javascript that Dreamweaver writes for you is typically created by using the Behavior panel in Dreamweaver and it represents a subset of some of the more frequently used Javascript functions, not the entire universe of Javascript functions.

You can hand code it all if you're proficient with xhtml, CSS and Javascript, (for a static web site, dynamic web sites also require server-side scripting) or you can use Dreamweaver, the swiss army knife of web design.

Any questions about any of the issues raised here please email me at: kdurso@nmultigroup.com