Released On: 9/16/2011

In this course, author Dan Ablan walks through the process of understanding the modo workflow while learning to create 3D models and animations. The course teaches fundamental tasks, such as modeling polygons and applying materials with the Shader Tree, while exploring scene building in depth through advanced lighting, camera, and animation techniques. The course also covers modo's schematic tools and shows how to render animations for various playback media. Exercise files accompany the course.

Released On: 9/16/2011

In C# Essential Training, author Joe Marini offers a tour of the foundational programming language at the heart of several Microsoft platforms, including Windows, ASP.NET, Silverlight, SharePoint, and Windows Phone. Joe walks through the basic syntax and structure of the language, introduces object-oriented concepts, and shows how to define custom classes. The course also demonstrates using C# language features, compiling and running code, handling exceptions, reading and writing files, and addressing common compilation issues through debugging. Exercise files accompany the course.

Released On: 9/16/2011

In the Shooting with Wireless Flash series, award-winning photographer Jim Sugar demonstrates his approach to using off-camera flash in a variety of lighting scenarios, sharing practical tips along the way.

In this installment, Jim shows how to shoot outdoors during twilight, what photographers refer to as the magic hour. He goes on location to create an exterior photo of a busy pizzeria, employing five wireless strobes strategically placed both inside the building and on its exterior.

His approach to lighting the scene involves balancing all of the scene’s light sources—the twilight from the sky, the interior light of the pizzeria, the existing lights on the outside of the building, and the output of his strobes—in such a way that the final photo doesn’t appear to have any special lighting at all. He demonstrates a variety of inexpensive lighting tools—clamps, gels, and other light modifiers—to accomplish this goal.

Also discussed is the importance of planning and setting up ahead of time to maximize shooting time when the light is waning. The course wraps up with tips on planning for gear, estimating the amount of time available to shoot, shooting in manual mode, and using a camera's histogram to judge exposure.

Released On: 9/15/2011

Game Character Creation in Maya is a thorough overview of techniques for creating characters for video games or real-time rendered applications. Chris Reilly’s course covers low-poly modeling, texturing and animation, using 3D model and texture assets created in Maya and Adobe Photoshop. The course also includes an overview of Unity 3, including importing characters and making interactive animations with the Script Editor. Exercise files accompany the course.

Released On: 9/13/2011

In this course, Macworld senior editor Christopher Breen provides a comprehensive overview of Mac OS X Lion, complete with insider tips for getting the most out of the operating system. The course shows how to configure system preferences, personalize the interface, and master gestures, as well as achieve fluency with applications such as Mail, iCal, and Preview. The course also includes tutorials on browsing the web with Safari, automating complex tasks with Automator, sharing over a network, and performing maintenance operations using the disk utility, along with timesaving techniques for using the Mac efficiently. Exercise files accompany the course.

Released On: 2/24/2011

In Adobe Connect Essential Training, author Tim Plumer, Jr. explains how to deliver and host interactive web meetings, webinars, and e-learning tutorials using Adobe Connect. The course covers the software's many tools for streamlining communication and engaging participants, such as the screen sharing, full-screen, and whiteboard features. Also included are tutorials on recording presentations, video conferencing, and using Connect with an iPhone or Android-based smartphone. Exercise files accompany the course.

Released On: 3/3/2011

In Google Calendar Essential Training, Google Apps trainer Susan Cline demonstrates how to use this web-based application to manage both personal and professional schedules. The course shows how to invite attendees and assign resources for any event with the Scheduling tool, and how to monitor attendee responses from within the application. Tutorials on setting up tasks and troubleshooting errors are also included.

Released On: 12/22/2010

This installment in the lynda.com Creative Inspirations documentary series features Richard "Koci" Hernandez, a national Emmy® award-winning video and multimedia producer who is at the forefront of the next generation of journalism. Retracing his steps, Koci shares how he began his obsession with photography and his love of visual storytelling with a trip to the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite. Thirty years and three newspapers later, he finds himself teaching multimedia storytelling at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Koci is known for inventing techniques on the fly, often teaching himself new software just moments before a completing a project and incorporating fresh ideas with stunning results. Koci readily learns as much from his students and blog readers as he teaches them, and openly shares with us his constant journey of discovery.

In Bonus Features, Koci is interviewed by Graduate School of Journalism colleague Jeremy Rue at the Pacific Film Archive Theatre, University of California, Berkeley.

Released On: 9/8/2011

In this course George Maestri introduces the tools needed to create and animate highly controllable characters using After Effects. The course covers how to design the characters in Photoshop or Illustrator, as well as draw them straight from After Effects; how to assemble characters with hierarchies; make realistic deformations with the Puppet tool; automate rigs with expressions; create realistic head turns; and show advanced techniques such as using null objects as bones. Finally, the course shows how to perform a basic animation with the character and ensure the rig works correctly. Exercise files are included with the course.

Released On: 9/8/2011

In this course, photographer and graphics professional Taz Tally shows home and business users how to get the best results from their scanners. The course begins with a look at scanning essentials, including how to clean and care for a scanner, choose scanning software, and understanding concepts such as resolution and file format. Next, Taz uses the basic mode that most scanning software provides to show how to perform an array of common scanning jobs, from scanning photos and artwork to capturing text using optical character recognition. Three real-world projects are also included, which show the process of scanning something and then editing and sharing the results.

Released On: 9/7/2011

Creating Urban Game Environments in 3ds Max is a practical guide to building 3D cityscapes for games. In this course, author Adam Crespi constructs a city block in 3ds Max utilizing low-polygon modeling and advanced texturing techniques. The course shows how to model common city elements such as buildings, intersections, curbs, and roofs and explains how to expand a city quickly and easily by reusing existing geometry in a modular way. The course also sheds light on simulating real-world detail with baking, lighting, and ambient occlusion techniques and offers a series of best practices for exporting to the Unity gaming engine. Exercise files accompany the course.

Released On: 9/6/2011

In this course, author Nigel French shows how to use textures to create visual interest, heighten realism, and add dimension to Photoshop artwork. The course demonstrates how to apply multiple filters and paint in effects with layer masks, combine textures with images using layer blending modes, use brushes to paint in and accentuate texture, and create brush presets by sampling textures from photographs. The course also shows how to automate the application of textures with actions. Exercise files accompany the course.

Released On: 9/2/2011

In this course, business coach Dave Crenshaw teaches a fundamental professional skill: how to conduct group and one-on-one meetings that are successful for participants and ultimately for your business. The course demonstrates a simple, usable framework to get the most from meetings, and provides insight into how to effectively schedule, conduct, and follow up on meetings. Exercise files are included with the course.

Released On: 1/29/2010

Mexopolis is the husband and wife team whose animated television series El Tigre has defied all the rules and won eight Emmys. Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua personify the successful integration of personal creative vision and commercial success. Born and raised in Mexico, this dynamic couple has managed to blend their passion for over-the-top Mexican popular culture with digital animation techniques to create characters and stories that dazzle the eye and strike universal truths in the heart. This installment of Creative Inspirations takes viewers into the personal worlds and methods of this inspiring young couple.

In Bonus Features, we follow Jorge to an emotional reunion with his childhood idol, legendary Mad Magazine cartoonist Sergio Aragones.

Released On: 7/22/2011

In JavaScript Essential Training, Simon Allardice shows how to use JavaScript to add new features and a richer, more compelling user interface on web pages. This course keeps current best practices and practical uses for JavaScript in mind, while covering syntax, working with the DOM, and developing and debugging across multiple platforms, devices, and browsers. It also shows how to progressively enhance and gracefully degrade web pages, and take advantage of the world of JavaScript libraries now available. Exercise files are included with the course.

Released On: 7/22/2011

In this course, photographer Ben Long describes the concepts and techniques behind high dynamic range (HDR) photography, a technique used to create images that have a wider range between the lightest and darkest areas of a scene than a digital camera can typically capture. The course begins with some background on dynamic range, on how camera sensors detect shadows, and on the kinds of subjects that benefit from HDR. Ben then describes and demonstrates several methods of generating HDR images, starting with single-shot HDR, which relies on masking to subtly enhance the dynamic range of a shot. Next, the course covers multi-exposure HDR, which involves shooting several photos of a scene, each at a different exposure, and then combining them using software tools. Ben demonstrates how to use Photoshop and the popular Photomatix software to process HDR images whose appearance ranges from subtle to surreal. Exercise files are included with the course.

Released On: 7/21/2011

Up and Running with Adobe Digital Publishing Suite shows designers how to create interactive publications for tablet devices using Adobe InDesign and the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite. Introducing this emerging publishing platform, author James Lockman discusses the DPS workflow, comparing it with existing EPUB and print workflows, and highlights key layout and design considerations when designing for DPS. The course explains how to incorporate hyperlinks, slideshows, panoramas, audio and video, and pan and zoom capabilities as a means of adding value to a publication. Lastly, the course sheds light on compiling interactive folios and testing and publishing finished projects. Exercise files accompany the course.

Released On: 7/21/2011

In RoboHelp 9 HTML Essential Training, author David Rivers demonstrates the core features of RoboHelp 9, the industry-standard authoring tool for creating help systems for desktop or web-based applications. The course shows how to work with RoboHelp pods, save custom workspaces, create new projects, and leverage existing content in other formats, such as Word and PDF documents. It also includes tutorials on merging projects, topic formatting, using graphics and multimedia, and using forms and frames. Exercise files are included with the course.

Released On: 7/20/2011

Illustrator Insider Training: Coloring Artwork shows an expert's approach to color choice and control in Illustrator. Mordy Golding guides experienced designers and artists through what he sees are the three stages of applying color to artwork: creation, inspiration, and editing. The course also shows how to build art in a way that allows artists to make changes quickly and how to take advantage of the newer features that have been added to Illustrator over the recent versions. Exercise files are included with the course.

Released On: 7/20/2011

Mobile Web Design & Development Fundamentals surveys the core principles and techniques essential to building web sites for mobile devices. Author Joe Marini introduces the mobile context, sheds light on its unique coding requirements, and discusses interface design techniques that enhance existing sites for mobile viewing. The course shows how to approach designing for mobile form factors such as smaller screens and finger-based interaction, along with how to incorporate CSS3 and HTML5 capabilities, such as geolocation, local storage, and media queries. Exercise files accompany the course.