Another week is wrapping up here at DDA and we have a number of projects that are wrapping up as well. The interactive educational sexual health web tool is in its final stages as I render out the flash versions of the videos. The tool is essentially a series of online magazines that educates the user about sexual health. There is also a video of a guide to accompany the magazine to further explain the details. With this combination of video, sound, images, pictures and interactivity the user stays immersed in the content and thus retains it.

Another project includes a financial assistance website complete with interactive calculator. We also are integrating a video companion into this site for the same reasons I had mentioned previously. Having an actual human being on screen really helps the user feel comfortable and digest the content.

And finally, I will be working on the flash animations for the medical device manufacturer training CD-ROM, as I have been all week. While I am still struggling a bit with Flash, it definitely is getting easier. And having Rob around yesterday really came in handy when I had a million questions.

Well, I have a lot of stuff to get started on so I will bid you adieu. Until next time…

Yesterday I got to try my hand at some flash animation and let me tell you, it is no easy task! We are currently working on a training CD-ROM for a medical device manufacturer and have about 15 minutes of voiceover that needs to be synced with flash animation.

Rob and Laurence have been working on the bulk of it, but I had some free time yesterday so I figured I would help them out. Flash is a great program, but its similarities to other Adobe programs such as Premiere and After Effects are few and far between.

It took some time to adjust, but before I knew it I was cranking out some basic animation (using a previous project as a template of course). I took some screen shots of the equipment’s software and did some zooming and panning to give them motion. Since the product is medical in nature, it is especially important that the user has a firm understanding on how to use the machine properly. I definitely think this CD-ROM will do just that. The whole tutorial is looking great and is coming along quite swimmingly.

So, I broke my ankle this weekend. Well, I didn’t really break it, but part of the bone is chipped so technically they called it a break at the hospital.  So I’m in a splint, hobbling around the office on crutches, trying to keep weight off my foot. Honestly, I don’t think it was totally necessary to splint it but they said it is not weight-bearing at all, and it won’t heal right if I walk on it, so I figure I won’t take any chances.

Being inside with my foot elevated most of the weekend gave me a chance to work on some Flash stuff I had been meaning to look into for a while now. I worked on a little bit of animation for a website I frequent, nothing serious, just a little bit of fun. I am also getting a rig ready for my friend’s 3D Iron Giant model that he’s been working on; once it’s done, it will be my job to sit down and animate it. I haven’t touched Max in a while — I’ve been working mainly in Lightwave 3D here at DDA for the past year and a half — so I’m curious to see how my rigging and animation skills hold up. They say it’s like riding a bike, although you don’t have to remember 100-plus keybindings on your ten speed!

Anyway, I should have plenty of indoor time in the coming weekend or so to work on this stuff because of my leg. Take my advice — the next time you’re in the woods and decide to jump off a log, keep an eye on the degree of the incline you’re landing on!