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May 14th, 2008 by Paul

Creating an XML Gallery with ActionScript 3.0

For any dynamic Flash project, XML will be a powerful tool. One of the most common examples (and one of the simplest) is a picture gallery like the one I have here:


Images came from http://www.stockvault.net/

I will be talking about how to use Flash and XML to make a simple, yet superfly, gallery.
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May 9th, 2008 by VQ

Free Vector: Platypus Swimmer

I coach a YMCA swim team during the winter, so that’s why you’re getting this particular vector. This little platypus’ all ready for the Olympics this summer. Have fun.

Download the Platypus (.ai and .eps)

GodBless:VQ

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May 6th, 2008 by VQ

Turning the Default Wordpress Theme into Something Wonderful: Structure


I have to get this out of the way, I am a huge fan of Wordpress. Both our blogs use Wordpress. Whenever I get a web design project, my first thought is, “How can I best utilize Wordpress for this project.” Granted, my second thought is frequently, “Maybe Wordpress isn’t the best solution for this [flash, static, e-commerce] site.” Be that as it may, Wordpress is still by far my favorite blogging platform. And it’s not just for blogging. With a few minor changes WP can become a truly powerful CMS as well. So if you’re looking for a free, powerful, and open platform with an insane developer community, look no further than your new best friend Wordpress.

This is the first in a series on turning the Default WP Theme into something wonderful. Today we’re going to go over the basic structure of a Wordpress Theme. I’m not going to go over the WP installation process, so check out the Wordpress 5 Minute Install if you need some help with that (if you are having any issues with the install, feel free to ask me).

By the way, we’ll be using Wordpress 2.5.1, the shiny new version of this beautiful platform.

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May 2nd, 2008 by VQ

Free Vectors: Messy Swirls

Here are some messy vector swirls. They’re great on headers, borders, footers, pretty much any -er’s you need to spice up. Enjoy, dear friends.

Download the Messy Swirls vector pack (.ai and .eps)

GodBless:VQ

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April 30th, 2008 by Weese

A Painting Collaborating.

So the boss-man VQ and I decided to have some fun painting today. Check it out!

This canvas was made possible by: some old spray paint given to us, and VQ digging into his deep, deep, very deep character repertoire!

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April 30th, 2008 by VQ

Photoshop Watercolor Paint Smudges

Here’s a neat effect that I happened upon by accident. It’s a really simple Photoshop trick that results in a cool little watercolory smudge. Now you may be thinking, “You fool! Why bother with this? What could you even use this for?” The answer, my friend, is anything your heart desires. They make great ambient backgrounds, nice accents, and are just a fun thing to throw into your composition when you need a bit of subtle color.

Step 1:

The first step is creating a new layer with a transparent background and dragging a small radial gradient onto it. Make sure you don’t bring the gradient to the edge of your canvas, as you’ll have to stretch it in the next step.

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