Description:
Director 8.5 Shockwave Studio is an essential and exciting upgrade for Web authors who need the latest 3-D capabilities, Flash, and RealMedia support. Version 8.5 of Macromedia's Director has strengthened the product's position as a flagship multimedia tool. The sheer depth and power of Director 8.5 does not hinder beginners, who will find that the streamlined interface and library of drag-and-drop behaviors allow them to produce impressive results quickly. The more experienced user will find that--with more than 800 new commands covered in well-written documentation--Director's Lingo scripting language provides good detail and control over interaction and delivery. Director's new 3-D capabilities are based on Intel technology, and are geared toward delivering the goods regardless of the user's connection speed. It does this by employing technology that automatically changes the detail of 3-D objects depending on the user's bandwidth and the speed of his or her computer. Although Director doesn't really help you create 3-D models--you must import these from other third-party applications using the new W3D format--once in place, key frame and bones-based animation are employed to bring these models to life. In addition, there are a number of presupplied 3-D behaviors, particle effects, and an option to render with a flat, cartoon-style look. All these factors combine to give Director some powerful new moves that will undoubtedly be of enormous interest to 3-D developers. Director 8.5 supports two other important Web technologies that further add to its versatility. RealMedia is now supported, allowing the author to rotate, scale, and skew clips while they are playing. Flash support has been updated to version 5, and, with its improved integration, you can now control Flash media within Director by using Lingo. Other new and extremely useful features of Director 8.5 Shockwave Studio include support for XML data and better multiuser server support. This includes new server-side scripting and an increase in the number of concurrent users to 2,000, which will enable rich and immersive multiuser experiences. Game developers and specialists in Web-based interaction will undoubtedly benefit from these new features, which now make Director an essential choice for multiuser, interactive, and online experiences. --John Bloor
| 
