Today I fixed and messed around with my layers that the fine Gentlemen helped me out with. I was going to pull a Nathan and add some Layer masks, but I think I'll skip it. I know that they made me really flash literate, but I'm glad that I could create more simple layers. I learned a lot today about layer masks, but I don't think I'm going to experiment with them.

Today I was criticized by my fellow classmates on how my Portfolio had way to many layers. They INSISTED that I completely recreate my entire portfolio and start from Square One. I was helped, but I completed it just in time for the end of class. I did learn a lot more about layers. Since I'm sort of a Photoshop Fanatic, I was taught that you can never have to many layers! Apparently, that's not the case for the Masters of Flash. They said that I should clump my whole navigation bar into one layer, which I did. It looks a lot the same, but it is certainly a lot smoother. I thank them a lot for helping me, and teaching a Photoshoper about layers.

Today I played in flash with backgrounds, changed my background and the transparency of my Navigation bar. I'm thinking about changing the color of my text to black with the background -- But I doubt I will.|
I really like the classic black font color, so I think I'll stick with that. I'll even change my background if I need to. But today I learned a lot about layers, key frames  etc. I have to make for instance the button "Education" to go to frame 50. Which is pretty basic, I just need to make a lot of key frames on frames. (:

Today I messed around with ActionScript. I learned a lot with ActionScript 3.0, but I also figured out that it I'm going to be sticking with ActionScript 2.0. Even though I am a fan of the insanely user friendly ActionScript 3.0, it's really the new thing. I would get into 3.0 if I was new (Or a Web Design teacher), but since I already know how to use all the code I'm sticking with 3.0. I really like the friendlyness of 3.0, but 2.0 is just for me!

Today I tested my flash program in browser and made sure that everything looked right in chrome and in the Flash Preview. It looks alright, maybe not what I was expecting. I wish it would fit the monitor better. I'm not sure if I should resize the entire program to make it fit just these monitors dimensions, just for school, or if I should just keep it the same size. I will definitely think about it and come back on Tuesday and have a good idea of what I want to do.  

I messed with a lot of FLash today, and played around in it. I made a great portfolio that I'm alsmot done with, I just need to fill up the Favorites folder. I'm thinking inputting Music Players to play on the webpage, but I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about it. I learned a lot today, including Motion Tween action script, and Folders and Layers properties.

I continued to work on my electronic portfolio today. I really tried to make it a fun environment and a lot neater and nicer. I'm really going to simple with my portfolio. I'm really excited with the way it turned out, just the way I wanted it too. It really took a lot of ActionScript, and my Java class helped out with seeing what the ActionScript was all about, and what I needed for certain instances.

Why am I getting an error?

Today I worked on my ePholio more, more on the homepage. I'm really happy about my homepage. I'm also working for transitions to other slides, such as Education, which is on a separate frame. I'm trying to make an actionscript on a button that takes you to a different frame, skipping over the others in order. It's pretty hard and stubborn, so I've been having to look up how to do it in ActionScript. It's very similar to Java, and because I'm working a lot more in Java in my Computer Science I class, I am understanding ActionScript a lot easier, and I am learning a lot. For example, we're working on the If Statement in my java class, and I just wrote an if statement for a button in my Blog. An if Visible tag, since I fade in the Education button on the navigation bar.
I'm having a lot of fun in this class, and hope I can complete everything and up to my standards by the end of the school year.

Today I worked on my flash portfolio more. I was really fascinated with the new flash after the break, and refreshed my memory with a lot of actionscript. They moved a lot of stuff, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. Everything looks different, but I really like some changes. It's a different environment  but it's frustrating whenever a code doesn't work.

Today it's a short 20 minute day. For this block I am just going to customize my blog. I'm looking at backgrounds and different layouts, learning a lot of stuff that I didn't originally know about Blogger. It's a really cool website -- I really like the layouts. The only thing I dislike is the lack of backgrounds. There aren't that many, and less are really taken seriously. They should have a lot more backgrounds. I'm kind of into the current one, but maybe I'll browse for one. I really like my layout a lot, and it's customized. I learned how to customize my layouts, browse for backgrounds in blogger, and HTML code in Blogger

Today I looked around and browsed on more hosting websites. I also worked on my Efolio, and made it a lot more smooth and slick. It's getting to the point where there might be too much bling and buttons on it. I'm not sure, but I think I'm going to have Zach take a look at my EFolio. I am learning a lot in this class, but time flew by really fast!

Today was a short 42 minute day, so it was pretty short. I really just messed around in flash a little bit, fixed  some Action Script, and learned only a few things. I changed up the layers, being more specific. I separated a lot of them so there is only one object, and I renamed it. Also, I grouped a lot of items together so that Inside, they would be broken apart. CS6 is pretty similar to CS3. I don't really think there is that big of a learning curve at all, unlike my peers. There is a big similarity, only a slight difference.

Today I worked more on my Efolio! I have the home page almost completely done, with pictures of myself and all. I decided to change up the backgrounds, and make them change. I couldn't settle with one background, so I learned how to make the background fade as a new title was selected, which I am pretty proud of even though it was quite simple, it still looks really amazing! I like it a lot, since I couldn't settle with one background color anyway. Now my backgrounds all have the same color theme, all I have to do is figure out a color for the Contact Me page, since I've already picked 5 colors to change. Color is really important in Backgrounds, too light of a background is straining to read, and to dark of a background might blend in with the text. I don't want white because that's way to white and way to boring anyway. I'm not quite sure on what I want to do with the Contact Me Background page, but I'm sure I will figure it out on Thursday when it's a manic day in this class. I cannot believe the quarter is almost done! This class is half way through, even though I am going to take Web Design III for sure.

Today I started some more on my portfolio. I got some pictures from home that I have created in the past, and I worked a little bit on my website as well. I learned about PHP coding, and explored some more hosting websites. BlueHost, HostGator, iPage, there's a lot of cheap web hosting websites. I can't wait until the School Tech admin comes to talk to us so I can ask some questions about hosting, and how to import PHP coding through a web hosting website. Also, I want to ask how much money is spent on the website through Network Solutions, because a lot of websites say 5.99/mo, but that's with a whole bunch of ads with their names all over it, which I don't really want. What I'm going for on my website is clean, simple, to the point. No ads. Ads really ruin the cool factor of the website, and would be super annoying. Personally, I hate ads, and I definitely don't want any on my website. On the other hand, I don't really want to pay more money, but if that's what it takes then I might as well. I can't wait until the admin comes here, I have so many questions for him.

Today I collected a lot of Portfolio designs and such for my Efolio. I found some Photoshop documents from this year that I already put in my flash folio, but I couldn't the Photoshop CD from Graphic Design freshman year. I am going to look a little harder when I get home today, and put some designs that I have done at home on a flash drive and import them to the Library in my portfolio in flash. I'm super excited. I learned a lot today, and played around in Photoshop with a lot of healing brushes. I experimented with the new Patch tools in CS6, and the Spot healing brush and Healing brush tools, they have changed a lot!

Today I worked on my Portfolio, and I was setting up different pages. I got my Portfolio page completely set up, so tomorrow I really hope that I can start setting up different Photoshop designs and things that I have made in the past, maybe in Mrs. McNaneys Graphic Design I took in Freshman Year. I think I still might have the CD, but I'm not positive. I really hope I do, so I can expand my portfolio page even more than just the designs that I have made this year. I also set up a few more pages, including pages about my past jobs, credits, etc. All of them have the same theme as my home page, which I am really proud of. I just cant wait to start filling in the pages. I learned a lot of stuff, and I'm still expanding on ActionScript and it's variables. It's really fun!

Today I really learned some fascinating new stuff! I really experimented with the new flash. We have a Flash CS6 book in the classroom that is really helpful when you want to have a physical book at your side and reading it, rather than dual screening it up on your monitor. I really like the book, but this Flash CS6 has a huge learning curve compared to CS3. I like CS6, it's just that it is a lot more different and a lot more complicated than what they could have made it. I am a huge fan of Adobe, but it's really complicated and frustrating sometimes!

Today is day 15! I have really worked mostly on my website today. Figuring out CSS, and refreshing my memory from a year ago has been such a blast. I'm really liking the book that was bought from Amazon, and I'm raelly getting into itl. It has really nice examples and is a good stair step teaching skill. It's a really nice book, and a lot of thought was gone into writing about HTML5. It's pretty simple, when you get down to it. I'm really liking everything, and CS6 is helping me so much with Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Flash. CS3 was holding me back, but now this CS6 software is really helping.

Today I perfected animations in my Portfolio, and I decided to have my navigation bars sort of float in, not a quick slide in. I'm still a little concerned about the rest of it. I'm not sure exactly how to make the entire navigation bar enter, or if I should just have it all come in at the same time. I'm not exactly sure what I want to do with it, but I'm going to visit some other Flash websites to try to get a grasp on the whole Navigation entrance. I think it's a very important aspect of a website, so I'm going to work really hard on it.

Day 13

Today has been a very productive day! But hard to keep on track. I always have a plan when I come into this class, expand portfolio, have a better website, whatever the case may be. Always about 10 minutes in, I find out something new with an Adobe program, or html, or something, and I always side track and do a lot of it. I mean, I still get the goal done. Expand Portfolio, but I go above and beyond on something else. I guess it's a positive, but I have just really noticed that I do it. Today I'm checking out NetworkSolutions, because GoDaddy has failed me. I just trust NetworkSolutions more, because GoDaddy hackings happen a lot. I just want a Site with no ads, and complete HTML control editing. Apparently my expectations are too high!