56 Types of geeks

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Adobe Releases Flash Update Incorporating H.264

Today Adobe released an update to the Flash player. This release (named update 3) finally incorporates H.264. This may eventually lead to flash support for the iphone and other apple devices that currently do not support flash.

Here is a link to the actual file and press release.

QuickLook Plugins

My favorite feature of Apples new operating system Leopard is Quicklook. From the finder I can preview just about any file without opening it. Simply pressing the spacebar will open a preview of the file for review. Unfortunately the default installation doesn't work with Illustrator, InDesign, or eps files. I have found a few solutions.

The first is called SneakPeek Pro. The product does cost $15, but it lets you use quickview to open Illustrator, InDesign, and eps files.

If spending money is not your thing. Here are a few links for free plugins to quicklook.

To install them put the files in User/Library/QuickLook (you may have to create a folder called "QuickLook".

IF $15 is too rich for your blood, here are some links to free QuickLook Plugins.

Free EPS plugin

Free AI plugin

Free Zip file plugin

Bringing Illustrator gradients into InDesign.

There has been an easy way to share swatches between the adobe apps for awhile now (.ase files. Select the swatches you want, and then panel menu save swatches). Unfortunately you were not able to share gradient swatches between Illustrator and InDesign. Ase files will not let you include tints or gradients. There is a work around however.

Inside Illustrator, create your gradient as usual. Next simply copy and paste your object into InDesign. Inside InDesign you will see in your swatches panel the swatch that you had created inside Illustrator.

Windows Vista and CS3

By now you've probably heard enough about Mac OS X Leopard, so I thought I'd break away and talk about Windows Vista and Adobe CS3.

We all know that Windows Vista has its own plethera of issues with its operating system. Bu there are several things you can do to ensure that Adobe CS3 is not the cause of any headaches or (eek!) crashes.

Many different factors can cause system errors, including conflicts among device drivers, applications, operating system settings, hardware, and corrupt elements in specific files. Although a system error may occur only when you work with CS3, the application may not necessarily be the cause -- it may be the only application that uses enough memory or processor cycles to expose the problem.

Here are some guidelines from Adobe. Please not that you must be logged on as an administrator to perform some of the procedures.

Some of these procedures require you to locate hidden files and hidden folders. Some procedures require you to locate files by their full file names, which include extensions (for example, example_filename.ini). By default, Windows Explorer doesn’t show hidden files, hidden folders, and file name extensions that it recognizes.

To show hidden files, hidden folders, and all filename extensions in Windows Explorer:
In Windows Explorer, choose Tools > Folder Options.
Click the View tab in the Folder Options dialog box.
In Advanced Settings, select Show Hidden Files And Folders.
Deselect Hide File Extensions For Known File Types.
Click OK.

Make sure you meet the minimum system requirements for Adobe CS3.
Seems simple enough but there are people out there that like to cheat and try to get by.
It doesn’t work. Pony up and buy more RAM.

Here are the requirements:
Intel Pentium 4 or Pentium 5, Centrino or equivalent processor
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Enterprise Ultimate (certified support for 32-bit editions only)
1GB recommended; 512 MB minimum
2GB of available hard-disk space
1024 x 768 minimum screen resolution 16-bit video card (24-bit screen display recommended)
Internet or phone connection required for product activation
DVD-ROM drive

Install current Windows service packs and other updates.
Updates to the Windows operating system improve its performance and compatibility with applications. You can obtain Windows service packs and other updates from the Microsoft website at www.windowsupdate.com. For assistance installing service packs and other updates, contact Microsoft technical support.

Reinstall and run Adobe CS3 with no other applications running.
After you install, be sure to run the Adobe Updater for the latest patches and updates. Then run your applications with no other software running. If the problem persists, contact Adobe.

If you still experience fatal errors or your application lags, contact us or go to the Adobe Support Center at http://www.adobe.com/support/ for more information. Be sure to make notes on what application you were in, the file size, what command it crashed on, etc. The more information you can throw at them, the more accurate and helpful they will be.

Good Luck!

OS X Leopard COOOLLLLLNESSSS

I'm sitting in our 100% Fresh event learning about Mac OSX Leopard. It was presented by Robert Hammen, Apple Certified System Administrator, from Sells Printing. I'm FLOORED by all the cool stuff Leopard does. I'm not a power user, I spend most of my time using email, working with MS Office and playing on the internet. I found 2 sexy pieces of functionality that I thought I'd share. (in my own words...and clearer ones from the help menus)

1. Widget creation for Dashboard: So fun! Perhaps you frequent a web site that refreshes often. Intellicast for weather or perhaps your favorite sports team. Instead of launching a browser and navigating to the site to see the latest, you can create a dashboard widget! In Apple's words:
You can make your favorite webpage into a Web Clip widget. When the webpage’s content is updated, your Web Clip widget is also updated. And when you click a Web Clip widget in the dashboard, the webpage you used to create it opens.

To create a Web Clip widget:
1. Open Safari and go to the webpage you want to make into a widget.
2. In the Safari toolbar, click the Open in Dashboard button, shown here.
3. Move the mouse around to select a portion of the webpage. When the portion you want is highlighted, click the mouse button.
4. If you like, reposition the highlighted portion by dragging it. To resize it, drag the circular handles on the edges of the box.
5. When you’re done adjusting the widget outline, click Add.
6. Dashboard appears, with the web clip displayed.

To customize the widget, move the mouse pointer over the its lower-right corner. Click the “i” button when it appears, and then select any of these options:

Edges: Choose an edge style by clicking the small pictures of the widget.

Only play audio in Dashboard: If your widget is a sound clip, select this checkbox if you want the sound to stop playing when you dismiss Dashboard.

Edit: To resize the widget or reposition the content, click Edit. Drag the content around to reposition it, and drag the Web Clip’s lower-right corner to resize it.

2. Cover Flow: This feature is sheer genius for those of us who are organizationally impaired. Example: I have a head shot that I use for press releases and use with any of my online profiles (LinkedIn, FaceBook...) but I can't ever find it right away. I end up in the finder opening folders and then individual files. NOW, I still have to use the finder, but it's a bit faster and a whole lot sexier! The finder used to have 3 options: show files as icons, in a list or in columns. Now there's a 4th option...COVER FLOW. Snagged directly from iTunes, you can page through folders using this visual reference, and can find things much more easily (or I could just use spotlight, but that's NOT a new Leopard feature, although it does seem faster).

Bug in Photoshop CS3 and Leopard

There is a transform bug with Photoshop CS3(10.0.0) and Leopard(10.5.0). If you transform (cmd T) and type in any numbers it will work the first few times, but after multiple times transforming the control bar goes crazy and you can't type in any numbers.
If you restart Photoshop it will be fine for the next new transformations until it goes crazy again. The workaround is to either use the sliders or just use the mouse to apply your transformations. Adobe is aware of the problem, and hopefully a patch will be coming soon.

Final Cut Studio: Apple ProRes 422

So you have opened up your new Final Cut Studio 2 Box and you have been playing with Final Cut. Sure, the open format timeline and the motion templates are really cool. But what the heck is ProRes 422, and why is it a big deal?

Originally on this post I had put a link to the Apple White Page which talked about the codec, but within an hour, the link had gone down. Interesting...

Anyway, check out this long article by Creative Cow member, Tim Wilson: Click here

Well now the site for the white paper is back up, so you can see it here: Click here

November Happenings with C2

November is not a light month in the industry! Don't forget to check out our UserGroup Pipeline for all the different happenings and make sure you get your spot for all C2's very own upcoming events ...

Our next $5.00 Friday on November 9 from 12pm-4pm!

What is $5.00 Fridays? It's a new monthly program where C2 Graphics Productivity Solutions partners with a local business to showcase great marketing and design techniques to you in a seminar-based style for only $5.00. The best part? It always includes lunch.

This month we've teamed with Metagraphix to talk about the Next Generation of Variable - the use of PURLs (personalized URLs). The afternoon starts off with Jim Conway showing you great tricks on how to turn your materials from print to web, then goes into how PURLs work. Learn about how the relevance of information helps your return on investment and then find out how to get that relevant information. Registration ends on November 5 at 11:00am and seating is limited. Registration is required. Get your spot by visiting www.nexgenvd.com today!


Did you miss last month's presentation on Variable Data in print?
James Fritz, C2's own InDesign & Quark certified instructor, showcased some great tools on how to create variable images as well as content, then First/Edge took it away with showing us how they get printed. We had a sell-out crowd and are doing another one of the same presentations on February 22, 2008. Get more details at http://5fridays-wow2.eventbrite.com.


Curious about Leopard, the new Mac OS system?
Visit C2 on November 13 (Milwaukee) & 20 (Madison) to see a presentation on all the newest features & get a recap of the Adobe Conference from 4pm-6pm. Get your spot by registering at www.100fresh-leopardlaunch.eventbrite.com. Can't make those? Join James Wamser on November 6 for a presentation at WCTC starting at 4pm (for more information: wamser@sells.com).

Great video!

One of my favorite C2 Talents, Brad Krause, sent me a link to a hilarious video, created by our friends in Utah, Agency Fusion. Brad Derricott, Agency Fusion's owner/ambassador spent a bit of time in WI this year, presenting to the Milwaukee Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA) and Madison Advertising Federation. His presentations, and overall goal at Agency Fusion, demystifies web design/development by focusing on usability, accessibility and search engine optimization. It's great to see smart companies going the extra mile to relate to their target market. Kinda like C2. We've developed our User Group Pipeline to serve our clients, our talent and other creative professionals. It's one-stop-shopping for professional development opportunities. Check it out. Oh, and check out that video from Agency Fusion: http://makemylogobiggercream.com/

Happy Halloween

Don't Forget! Our next 100% Fresh event is coming up soon! Click the movie below for a fun halloween trailer.

Be sure to register at:

http://100fresh-leopardlaunch.eventbrite.com/

Happy Halloween!

Final Cut Pro - Quick Tip #1

You know how useful markers are in the timeline - giving you the ability to jump between areas of a sequence like chapters in a DVD (and also useful for making those DVD chapters)? This is only one application of the marker.

Especially when working with a long clip of voiceover, using markers can be helpful for making quick subclips...without specifically making subclips. As well as creating the markers, they can be quickly renamed or simply numbered to match the block numbers in scripts.

You can use the markers in the browser just like subclips, moving them directly down into the timeline as a pretrimmed clip. Each marker's length is equal to the input of that marker to the in point of the next marker.

Next time you are working with long clips think about using markers. It will organize your work and is very quick!

Quark 7 Leopard Update Coming

I just got back from the Quark symposium in Chicago today and here is what I learned about Quark and Leopard Compatibility.

Quark 6 is not supported on Leopard, and never will be. Use it at your own risk. I will be playing with it to find out if I can run into any problems. Stay tuned for updates.

Quark 7 (current version 7.3) works under Leopard, but there is an apparent issue relating to exporting PDF's. There is a patch in the works (7.3.1) that should under way in the next few weeks.

Quark Interactive design will not let you export to swf, which basically renders it useless until it gets patched. If this program is vital to your livelihood, please hold off updating.

Leopard Quick Look zoom trick

Paging all new Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard users:

A great new trick when using the "Quick Look" technology in Leopard: When you are looking at a PDF (and so far I've found it only works on PDF's) use the Command + and Command - keyboard shortcuts to zoom in and out of your PDF. Just like in Photoshop - slick.

End of the Year...Events and Specials!

Author: Tiffany Ann Weber, C2 staff

With the end of 2007 already in sight and your training budget still in the bank, C2 is once again offering our end-of-the-year special - book your classes for first quarter 2008 (January, February or March) and keep the 2007 pricing when you register by December 15. That's right - whether it's InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark, Dreamweaver, Flash or any of our other classes - book now at 2007 rates, and take the classes at your leisure in first quarter '08.

Speaking of the new year, C2 resolves to continue our efforts to be THE resource for Madison and Milwaukee's creative communities. Watch for an Adobe Illustrator Masters class, compelling $5.00 Fridays and our new 100% Fresh events,. Also, in response to your feedback, C2 plans to pop the cork on brand new classes in 2008.

And before this year ends, don't forget to check out the following events:

October 31st at C2 Milwaukee - The Milwaukee Adobe Users Group will discuss frightening tips & tricks. More information here.

November 1st at the Eisner Museum - Taking 2D to 3D with Planet Propaganda. More information here.

November 6th at WCTC - The InDesign User Group meets up and talks about Leopard! More information here.

November 9th at C2 Milwaukee - $5.00 Fridays: The Next Generation of Variable Data. Click here for more information.

November 13th at C2 Milwaukee - 100% Fresh, Check out the Leopard Launch here!

November 20th at C2 Madison - 100% Fresh, Madison's Leopard Launch is here!

November 20th at C2 Milwaukee - The Milwaukee Graphic Design Meet Up does a dessert exchange, more information here!

November 27 at Country Springs Hotel - WPPC's Technology Day, more information here!