Archive for the ‘Web Dev and Tech’ Category

jQuery Tutorials and Web Dev/Tech Books

Monday, July 13th, 2009

After talking to one of the MTVNI developers, I’ve decided to focus on jQuery learning next.  I need to really advance my JS skills to a much higher level to be updated and be competitive.

Resources:

———————————————–

So I ask a ton of developers out there… what do you do to learn, enrich your knowledge, further your skills?  What books do you read? What feeds? What websites? What technologies do you focus on?  What I am realizing (which should have been obvious to me from the start) is that each developer is unique.

Each developer is like a Katamari ball, rolling around the technological virtual world within the capabilities of computers, collecting/sponging up all the information/skills/experience they can depending on the direction they are interested in taking and what data is available to be collected/sponged up.  There is no clear path.  There are endless possibilities.  It just depends on what the individual developer feels like doing.  The only way to win is to make the biggest ball you can make and just keep going.  Don’t stop.  Never stop learning.

huó dào lăo, xué dào lăo; xué dào lăo, xué bù liăo.

活到老,学到老;学到老,学不了。

———————————————–

So I’m ADD and can’t focus on studying one thing at a time.  I figured maybe I should keep myself accountable by posting the stuff I learn.

So (yeah I start my sentences with “so” a lot, dont know why) I went through one of the tutorials today for jQuery.

How jQuery Works

  • Google’s CDN to load the jQuery core file:
    • http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.3/jquery.min.js
  • jQuery’s ready event replaces window.onload:
    • $(document).ready(function(){ function_to_run(); });
  • Adding and removing a CSS class (to a sample “a” element):
    • $(“a”).addClass(“class_name”);
    • $(“a”).removeClass(“class_name”);
  • Special Effects
    • $(this).hide(“slow”);
  • Callback functions – passed as arg to another func and executed after parent func has completed.
    • $.get(‘myhtmlpage.html’, myCallBack);
    • $.get(‘myhtmlpage.html’, function(){
      myCallBack(param1, param2);
      });

Flash Basics Review c/o AdobeTV – Tweens

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Shape Tween: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1590v1816

  • Start with shape or drawing object.
  • Select frame to be end of tween.
  • F6 to create new keyframe that is copy of last keyframe.
  • TWEEN: Right click on frames in between and select “Create Shape Tween”.
  • MODIFY: Go to starting key frame and change shape of object.

Motion Tweens: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1590v1815

  • Have symbol to add motion tween to. Best if movie clip.
  • Have empty frames between beginning and end within timeline.
  • Right click on frame between beginning and end.
  • TWEEN: Select Create Motion Tween.
  • MODIFY: At frame where you want motion to occur. Click and drag/move/modify symbol.

Using Motion Editor: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1590v1812

  • Start with motion tween.
  • Select tween in timeline.
  • Window -> Motion Editor.
  • Scrub values.

Working with Motion Presets: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1590v1813

  • Select tween.
  • Right click -> Save as Motion Preset
  • Window -> Motion Presets
  • Apply to other movie clip symbol
  • Shift click motion preset to have current keyframe be end position of motion

Animating Bones: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1590v1811

  • Start with movie clips.
  • Use bone tool in toolbar clicking from hinge of one movie clip hinge to another movie clip hinge.
  • Test how bone system hinges by clicking and dragging elements.
  • Bone system elements go into the Armature layer. Can delete emptied out frames.
  • F5 to add frames and extend timeline for both Armature and background.
  • Move to any frame and move bone system by clicking and dragging while on Armature layer.