Purpose
The Against The Clock series has been developed specifically for those involved in the field of computer arts and now animation, video and multimedia production. Many of our readers are already involved in the industry in advertising and printing, television production, multimedia and Web design. Others are just now preparing for a career within these professions.
This series will provide you with the necessary skills to work in these fast-paced, exciting and rapidly expanding fields. While many people feel that they can simply purchase a computer and the appropriate software and begin designing and producing quality presentations, the real world of high-quality printed and Web communications requires a far more serious commitment.
The Series
The applications presented in the Against The Clock series stand out as the programs of choice in professional computer arts environments.
We've used a modular design for the Against The Clock series, allowing you to mix and match the drawing, imaging, multimedia and page-layout applications that exactly suit your specific needs.
Titles available in the Against The Clock series include:
Macintosh: Basic Operations
Windows: Basic Operations
Adobe Illustrator: Introduction and Advanced Digital Illustration
Macromedia FreeHand: Digital Illustration
Adobe InDesign: Introduction and Advanced Electronic Mechanicals
Adobe PageMaker. Introduction and Advanced Electronic Mechanicals
QuarkXPress: Introduction and Advanced Electronic Mechanicals
Microsoft Publisher: Creating Electronic Mechanicals
Microsoft PowerPoint: Presentation Graphics with Impact
Microsoft FrontPage: Creating and Managing Web Sites
procreate Painter: A Digital Approach to Natural Art Media
Adobe Photoshop: Introduction and Advanced Digital Images
Adobe Premiere: Digital Video Editing
Macromedia Director: Creating Powerful Multimedia
Macromedia Flash: Animating for the Web
Macromedia Dreamweaver: Creating Web Pages
Preflight and File Preparation
TrapWise and PressWise: Digital Trapping and Imposition
Icons and Visuals
There are a number of standard icons that you will see in the sidebars. Each has a standard meaning. Pay close attention to the sidebar notes as you will find valuable comments that will help you throughout this book and in your everyday use of your computer. The standard icons are:
- The Pencil icon indicates a comment from an experienced operator or instructor. Whenever you see the pencil icon, you'll find corresponding sidebar text that augments or builds upon the subject being discussed at the time.
- The Bomb or Pitfalls icon indicates a potential problem or difficulty. For instance, a certain technique might lead to pages that prove difficult to output. In other cases, there might be something that a program cannot easily accomplish, so we might present a workaround.
- The Pointing Finger icon indicates a hands-on activitywhether a short exercise or a complete project. Note that sometimes this icon will direct you to the back of the book to complete a project.
- The Key icon is used to point out that there is a keyboard equivalent to a menu or dialog-box option. Key commands are often faster than using the mouse to select a menu option. Experienced operators often mix the use of keyboard equivalents and menu/dialog box selections to arrive at their optimum speed of execution.
Support Materials
For the Reader
A variety of resource files are included. These files, necessary to complete both the exercises and projects, may be found on the CD-ROM within the RF_FrontPage folder.
A glossary for this book is included in PDF format. It may also be found on the CD-ROM.
For the Instructor
The Instructor's CD-ROM includes various testing and presentation materials in addition to the files that are supplied with this book.
- Overhead Presentation Materials are provided and follow along with the book. These presentations are prepared using Microsoft PowerPoint, and are provided in both native PowerPoint format and Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF).
- Extra Projects are provided along with the data files required for completion. These projects may be used to extend the training session, or they may be used to test the reader's progress.
- Test Questions and Answers are included on the Instructor's CD-ROM. These questions may be modified and/or reorganized.
Book Walk-Through
- Chapter openers provide the reader with specific objectives.
- Free form projects allow you to use your imagination and your new skills to satisfy a client's needs.
- Sidebars and hands-on activities supplement concepts presented in the material.
- A Glossary, in PDF format, is included on the CD-Rom that accompanies this book.
The Projects You Will Create
In addition to explanatory text and illustrations, Against The Clock books have been constructed with two primary building blocks: exercises and projects. Projects always result in a finished piece of workdigital imagery built from the ground up, utilizing images and copy from the library supplied on your CD-ROM.
This book, Microsoft FrontPage 2002: Creating and Managing Web Sites, uses step-by-step projects on which you will work during your learning sessions. There are also free-form projects immediately preceding the two reviews. You will find images of the step-by-step projects you will complete displayed on the inside front and back covers of the book. Here's a brief overview of each:
Project A: Anglers' Bank
The first project is creating a basic Web site for a fisherman-friendly bank. After completing five chapters, you will be able to apply the skills you learned to create this Web site in an orderly and structured fashion. You will sketch a flow chart, use the Corporate Presence Wizard to develop the site, plan your tasks to build it, insert text, and format both headings and body copy. You will use shared borders, and customize pages. You will ensure that Anglers' Bank has a professional Web presence and can compete with the larger banks within its community.
Project B: Sunshine Photography
Once you have completed eight chapters and begun to work with graphics, you'll have an opportunity to work on a Web site for Joe Flash's Sunshine Photography. This site requires graphics to promote the photographer's specialties and rates. You will create the flow chart, define a navigation structure, set navigation bars, and use a style sheet to format the text you insert. You will place and edit images, including making thumbnail images linked to appropriate pages, and create a splash page to lead into the site. You will then publish the web and test it in the browsers you have available. Thanks to your creative efforts, Sunshine Photography will be able to show its work to prospective customers in a much broader market than it could reach before.
Project C: King of All He Surveys
Following your study of Web page-layout techniques, you and your daughter will be ready to tackle her class assignment of creating a Web site that celebrates the majestic Lion. You will modify a theme to provide a custom color scheme for the site. You will use tables, layers, and absolute positioning to arrange the graphic and text elements, and DHTML to animate the images. Your finely tuned design skills will most certainly earn a good grade for your daughter.
Project D: Against The Clock
Now you'll want to test your skills on a more intricate site, recreating the current Against The Clock (ATC) Web site. While creating this site, which will provide information about some of ATC's popular books, you will plan the layout, using tables and shared borders as layout tools, DHTML, and other specialized components. You will combine custom graphics to produce active rollovers for the navigation buttons, and create image maps to link pictures of the book covers to their respective pages.