Anyone still think that Adobe Photoshop Elements is a toy version of the real thing? As the most popular photo-editing program on the market, Photoshop Elements not only has Photoshop's marvelous powers, but also has capabilities the mothership lacks. Each new version includes more tools designed specifically for today's consumer digital photo enthusiasts. The latest edition, Photoshop Elements 5, solidifies the reputation of this superb and inexpensive product with new scrapbook features, a link to online photo services, and many other improvements.
In fact, there's so much to Photoshop Elements that it can be quite confusing at times. That's precisely why our Missing Manuals are the bestselling books on the topic. Adobe provides a pamphlet and some help files; our book, now in its fifth edition, carefully explains every feature the program has to offer (something no other book has done) by putting each one into a clear, easy-to-understand context. Photoshop Elements 5: The Missing Manual covers the Windows version of Adobe's workhorse and gives you the low down on a host of new features:
??” Learn to create multiple page documents, custom photo layouts with frames, and highly customized layouts for scrapbook projects ??” Master the new editor for Layer Styles, which lets you customize individual layers in a photo ??” "Attach" your photos to areas of a Yahoo! Map so your friends and family can see the pictures you took in specific places
Author Barbara Brundage also introduces you to a new sophisticated tool called "Curves" to adjust the color and contrast in your photos, and shows you how to burn multi-session CDs and DVDs. As always, she lets you know which features work well, which don't, and why -- all with a bit of wit and good humor. Although the book progresses from simple to complex tasks, you can easily jump around to learn specific techniques, such as creating photomontages (composites), restoring old photos, preparing images for the Web, and archiving. More than a dozen downloadable images let you practice using the editing tools right away!

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) (formerly known by its code name "Avalon") is a brand-new presentation framework for Windows XP and Windows Vista, the next version of the Windows client operating system. For developers, WPF is a cornucopia of new technologies, including a new graphics engine that supports 3-D graphics, animation, and more; an XML-based markup language (XAML) for declaring the structure of your Windows UI; and a radical new model for controls.
Programming Windows Presentation Foundation, authored by Microsoft Software Legend Chris Sells and WPF guru Ian Griffiths, is the book you need to get up to speed on WPF. By page two, you'll have written your first WPF application, and by the end of Chapter 1, "Hello WPF," you'll have completed a rapid tour of the framework and its major elements. These include the XAML markup language and the mapping of XAML markup to WinFX code; the WPF content model; layout; controls, styles, and templates; graphics and animation; and, finally, deployment.
Programming Windows Presentation Foundation features:
??” Scores of C# and XAML examples that show you what it takes to get a WPF application up and running, from a simple "Hello, Avalon" program to a tic-tac-toe game ??” Insightful discussions of the powerful new programming styles that WPF brings to Windows development, especially its new model for controls ??” A color insert to better illustrate WPF support for 3-D, color, and other graphics effects ??” A tutorial on XAML, the new HTML-like markup language for declaring Windows UI ??” An explanation and comparison of the features that support interoperability with Windows Forms and other Windows legacy applications
The next generation of Windows applications is going to blaze a trail into the unknown. WPF represents the best of the control-based Windows world and the content-based web world; it's an engine just itching to be taken for a spin. Inside, you'll find the keys to the ignition.

Updated samples and change notes for the move from the February CTP to Beta 2 are now available from the example site: http://www.sellsbrothers.com/writing/avbook/

Macromedia Flash is fast becoming the Web's most widely used platform for creating rich media with animation and motion graphics, but mastering Flash isn't easy. Most entry-level books teach through simple examples that concentrate on either animation or scripting, but rarely both together. To get the most from Flash 8, you not only need to be proficient in programming/interface design, you need the creativity for story telling and the artistic insights to design fluid animation.

Flash 8: Projects for Learning Animation and Interactivity teaches Flash design rather than simply Flash itself. With a standalone series of walkthroughs and tutorials for Flash beginners coming from a graphics field, this book teaches Flash in the context of real-world projects. Rather than learn a Flash tool for the sake of it, you learn which areas of Flash are important, and which are less used, simply by seeing how typical content is actually created. And rather than a text-heavy approach, this graphically rich book leads you through hands-on examples by illustration.

Each project in the book starts with goals and broad sketches before moving to design and scripting. This helps you understand design intent-the why of the process-rather than just learning the interfaces and the how of it all. Along the way, you'll create Flash content that includes traditional animation techniques (as seen in full-length animated features), and ActionScript-based interactive animation, such as custom web site interface designs. You also learn how to combine both traditional animation techniques and ActionScript to create feature-rich Flash assets from the ground up.

Co-authored by educational developers with years of experience creating compelling content, interfaces, and applications, Flash 8: Projects for Learning Animation and Interactivity offers a content-driven approach that is also inspiration-driven. You learn because you're accomplishing something tangible, not because you think you need to know how a tool works.

If you want to understand how various features of Flash come together to create a final end design, this book provides you with both the insight and the know-how.

Bill Fleming's bestselling 3D Photorealism Toolkit got you up and running with the basics of creating photorealistic 3D images. This book takes you to the next level with advanced techniques for re-creating all the chaotic diversity found in nature. Thanks to the book's modular, learn-by-doing format, you'll quickly master proven, quality-enhancing, time-saving techniques for modeling, mapping, morphing, and surfacing that work for virtually all major 3D graphics programs and operating systems.

You'll learn how to:
* Identify the elements that make an image photorealistic using the 10 principles of photorealism.
* Create extremely realistic details using image map models.
* Add depth to your scenes with tileable image maps.
* Surface complex organic structures with morph targets.
* Use common tools to create water effects without high render time.
* Re-create chaos in natural and industrial settings.

Over 750 detailed, high-quality illustrations from rare 19th-century sources: suits of armor, chain mail, swords, helmets, knives, crossbows and other implements, along with scenes of battle, soldiers, horses, artillery and more. Especially suitable for projects requiring a medieval or old-fashioned flavor, these illustrations will fill a myriad of needs for battle-related graphic art.

World-famous, award-winning professional photographer and writer Rick Sammon, author of 25 books and host of 2 television programs, shares his favorite creative enhancements for turning "straight" digital pictures into more creative and imaginative images. With this book you will become not only a well-rounded photographer but also a self-motivated artist in the powerful age of digital imaging.

Rick begins the book with advice on seeing creatively and outlines his winning artistic process to help you learn to visualize the end-result before taking a picture. He then turns to the technical aspects of taking photographs, including his philosophy of using features like Camera Raw in Photoshop and how it is a must to obtain the best possible images. Step-by-step lessons follow, each showing how Rick transforms his digital photographs into compelling images. Detailed screenshots of the process accompany Rick's stunning photography and amusing anecdotes of photo shoots from around the world.

The compression schemes applied for the storage and transmission of digital video data leave content sensitive to transmission errors, information loss and quality degradation. Recent developments in error resilience techniques allow improved quality of service of video communication over a range of network platforms.
Digital video communications, supported by the Internet, ATM networks and Broadband ISDN, have undergone significant development over the past few years. Emerging applications include videoconferencing, tele-medicine and distance learning. This leading edge text addresses the problems associated with the delivery and design of video communication services.
??” Presents a comprehensive overview of the principles and techniques employed in the improvement of the performance of video codecs in error prone environments ??” Provides a performance evaluation and comparison of video coding standards, MPEG-4, H.261 and H.263 ??” Outlines methods of video communication over mobile networks ??” Provides guidance on quality enhancement and the meeting Quality of Service (QoS) requirements for digital video communications ??”

This best-selling reference's visual format and step-by-step, task-based instructions will have you up and running with Adobe's popular consumer image editing software in no time. In this completely; updated edition of our best-selling guide to Adobe Elements, leading graphic designer and Photoshop expert Craig Hoeschen uses crystal-clear instructions and friendly prose to introduce you to everything that's new in Adobe Photoshop Elements 4. Filled with step-by-step, task-based instructions and loads of visual aids, this book explains how to capture photos from traditional or digital cameras, reduce red eye, correct color, work with layers, erase backgrounds, create photo-illustrations and Web graphics, simulate painting and drawing techniques, apply artistic effects, and more. Along the way, you'll find extensive coverage of all the program's new features: the Magic Selection Brush, which offers a quick way to make accurate selections in your photos; Magic Extractor, which lets you select an image and instantly remove the background; Auto Red Eye and Auto Skin tone tools; cool slideshow effects (text, graphics, narration, pans and zooms, and more); online sharing service; and more!

Need to learn iPhoto 6 fast? Try a Visual QuickStart!
This best-selling reference's visual format and step-by-step, task-based instructions will have you up and running with this great iLife 06 application in no time. Best-selling author and instructor Adam Engst uses crystal-clear instructions, full-color illustrations, and friendly prose to introduce you to everything from importing, tagging, editing, and perfecting images to creating slideshows and photo albums to easy online Web publishing. You'll also learn about everything new in iPhoto 6, including enhanced editing and special effects, calendars and cards, photocasting, and more!

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If you're looking for an easy way to find photos on your PC, make a few editing fixes, and then share your images with others, look no further. Picasa, available as a free download from Google.com, makes it easy to instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC. Every time you open Picasa, it automatically locates all your pictures in seconds and sorts them into albums. From there, you can apply basic edits to your photos, burn them to CD, post them on your blog, or email them to friends. In this colorful, compact guide, author Steve Schwartz starts at the beginning, walking readers through the Picasa interface and showing readers how to set preferences. From there, he launches into the heart of this book, offering project-based instruction for organizing, viewing, and editing your photos, and then shows you how to use Picasa's built-in tools to print, email, or order professional prints of your images. In addition, readers will learn how to share their photos instantly with Hello, Picasa's free instant messaging software. Throughout the book, full-page, full-color screen shots and simple, step-by-step instructions lead readers through several projects, such as saving an image to the Windows desktop, creating a screensaver, making movies, generating photo-based Web pages, running a slideshow, and creating posters, collages, and contact sheets.