For you gift-giving types out there, Christmas is next month - and if you aren't shopping already, you're a bit behind the curve. If you know any animators or artists, you might be a bit stumped about what to get them, especially if you're anything like me: disgustingly practical and determined to choose gifts that are appealing and useful. My grandmother used to try to do that, and I'd get socks and ugly sweater-vests. My partner's trying to do it this year, and instead I'm getting a new computer to replace the one that's started crashing any time I try to do something with high-end graphics (like animate). Granny, partner, parent, or friend, though...you might find these suggestions useful when picking out a gift that your animator will love.

Also, don't forget to go vote in last week's poll. Right now the AS2ers are leading with 46%, with the AS3ers in a distinct minority. Chime in with your opinion!

Wondering how the snow was done in the Christmas tree ornament animation? It's pretty easy, just a matter of using random motion and symbol-duplication scripts in Flash to create a mild flurry, a blizzard, a pleasant evening snow - only you'll never have to shovel this snow from your sidewalk, or scrape it off your windshield.

I love seeing a Christmas tree strewn in lights, tinsel, and glittering ornaments.

I hate seeing a Christmas tree dripping needles all over my carpet. Not to mention the Christmas tree toppling when the cat decides those pretty baubles are lunch, or the Christmas tree still sitting there at the end of January growing a fine coating of mildew, or...

Well, you get the idea. One solution for that is a plastic tree. Another? A virtual tree, one you can make yourself in Flash and decorate with any ornaments you can think up and create.

It's a little ironic (or more like coincidental, Alanis) that on the weekend my partner and I went haring off on a spontaneous trip to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, the National Film Board of Canada contacted me asking if I'd like to review Animation Express, a veritable kaleidoscope of Canadian animation talent compiled into a single collection. I can't say I enjoyed all of the 26 shorts on the 2-disc DVD set, but it's impossible for everything to appeal with such a broad gamut of styles and stories portrayed. Talent was the universal factor across each animation, though, and many were not only unique and beautiful, but also deeply enjoyable.

Flash CS3 and CS4 allow you to choose if you're going to work with ActionScript 2.0 or ActionScript 3.0. ActionScript 2.0 is familiar, easy to use...but all the bells and whistles and shiny new functions come with 3.0, and it's growing every day. I'm curious to know how many people have learned the new format for 3.0, and how many have stuck to what they know.

What I'd really like to know is why, whether you've stuck with AS2 or moved on to AS3 - and that's why this blog comes with a nifty comments section. Join in and add your opinion!

These days, it's almost a given that when you start a website, you're looking to make some money from it - whether you're starting your own business or just trying to nab some pocket change from ad revenue. Google Adsense is one of the most common and easy ways to generate a little incremental revenue from your web pages...but if you want to use Flash, you might find yourself running into some problems with incorporating the Google Adsense code into your page. Luckily there are workarounds for that - but better still, those workarounds are pretty darned easy.

When I hear the word "markers" I automatically cringe - likely because I remembe the trials of long ago, when my baby brother first discovered that pristinely painted white walls made a wonderful canvas for his Sharpie art. Flash markers, thankfully, won't require a new coat of ecru gloss after use - but they will make onion-skinning your animation much easier by allowing a greater degree of control over the range of visible frames.

You might wonder why you'd even want to open the document properties window from the timeline; what does the timeline have to do with the document's size, background color, etc.? Well, the document properties also control the frame rate...and what is the timeline made up of? Frames. Makes sense why they'd hide a nifty little shortcut in there now, doesn't it?

I'm not sure what nine yards has to do with Flash (nine yards of what? Keyframes?), but you can view the whole nine yards of Flash tips and tricks available on the site. From shortcuts to tips on using various tools to nifty little effects (and a few workarounds for people slow to adopt the CS# versiions), you'll find an overload of little helpful notes on various aspects of Flash right here.

It's trick or treat time - and the tricks offered by the latest version of Reallusion's iClone are a definite treat. Version 4.0 marks an entirely new incarnation for the 3D animation program, one that makes studio-quality animation accessible to a wide range of users at an affordable price. The visual effects available at the click of a button are amazing, and applicable to a broad extent of both custom and pre-made models and environments. Overall it's a beautifully-made animation program with a great working environment that I'd love to see more of.