Archive for the ‘Software Applications’ Category.

Expression Studio Training Videos – A check list of videos from Expression.Microsoft.com

There are a lot of free training videos at the Expression 4 web site. However, this web site has two problems:

  1. The videos aren’t necessarily in order.
  2. There is not defined method to track your learning progress as you watch them.

Well, now it is easy. Just copy and paste this page, or easier, download this Excel document:

Expression Training Videos.xls

You can now track you progress as you self-train and go through the Expression 4 training videos.

Training Subjects



Expression Studio

Introducing Expression 4 (eight videos)
Completed Introduction Videos
Introduction to Expression Studio Ultimate
Introduction to Expression Web
Introduction to Expression Blend
Introduction to SketchFlow, a feature of Expression Studio Ultimate
Introduction to Expression Encoder Pro
Expression Web Demo Overview
Expression Blend and SketchFlow Demo Overview
Expression Encoder Pro Demo Overview
Getting Started with Silverlight – For Designers (eleven video series)
Completed Beginner Videos
What is Silverlight? An Overview
Understanding and Working with XAML Code in Expression Blend
Creating Vector-Based Artwork with Expression Design
Applying Color and Effects to Projects using Expression Design
Organizing Your Project using Layout Containers in Expression Blend
Editing the Appearance of Your Project Items using Expression Blend
Exploring the Objects and Timeline Task Pane in Expression Blend
Customizing Silverlight Video Players using Expression Blend
Optimizing Video for Silverlight Playback using Expression Encoder
Adding Interactivity to Silverlight Projects using Expression Blend
Publishing Silverlight Projects to the Web using Expression Blend
Getting Started with Standards-Based Design (ten video series)
Completed Training
Understanding the Benefits of Standards-Based Design with Expression Web
Styling Text using CSS with Expression Web
Understanding CSS Pseudo Classes for Styling Links using CSS with Expression Web
Understanding CSS Margins and Padding with Expression Web
Using CSS Positioning for Layout with Expression Web
Adding Background Images Using CSS with Expression Web
Using CSS Floats to Create Flexible Page Layouts with Expression Web
Clearing CSS Floats with Expression Web
Adding JavaSript to Your Site with Expression Web
Using External CSS Stylesheets with Expression Web



Prototyping

Additional Expression Blend Training Videos
Download the assets, step-by-step guide, and video package (127MB)
Completed Training
Introducing SketchFlow with Expression Blend 3
Adding Navigation Screens in SketchFlow with Expression Blend 3
Building Basic Layout in SketchFlow with Expression Blend 3
Using SketchStyle Controls to Enhance a SketchFlow Layout with Expression Blend 3
Working with Components in a SketchFlow Project with Expression Blend 3
Adding Navigation to Buttons in SketchFlow with Expression Blend 3
Working with States in SketchFlow with Expression Blend 3
Working with the SketchFlow Animation Panel with Expression Blend 3
Working with Behaviors in SketchFlow with Expression Blend 3
Using Sample Data in SketchFlow with Expression Blend 3
Exporting your SketchFlow project with Expression Blend 3
Adding Feedback and Annotations in the SketchFlow Player with Expression Blend 3


Additional Videos


Additional Expression Blend Training Videos
Completed Training
Displaying Dynamic Content in Silverlight using Expression Blend
Understanding and Managing Silverlight Resources with Expression Blend
Making Silverlight Objects Appear Transparent over HTML using Expression Blend
Creating a Template for a ScrollBar with Expression Blend
Customizing an Expression Encoder Template using Expression Blend
Creating Animated XAML Overlays for Expression Encoder using Expression Blend and Design
Customizing a Silverlight Template with Expression Blend
Customizing the Look of a Radio Button in Expression Blend
Customizing the Look of a Listbox in Expression Blend
Creating a Calculator with Expression Blend
Using Runtime Storyboarding in Expression Blend
Creating User Controls in Expression Blend
Reusing and Customizing User Controls in Expression Blend
Making a Slider Control in Expression Blend
Exploring XAML Layout Controls in Expression Blend
Using the Breadcrumb Trail in Expression Blend
Using Vertex Animation with Expression Blend
Using the Border Control in Expression Blend
Using the GridLayout Panel in Expression Blend
Using the Layout Stack Panel in Expression Blend
Using the Binding Scrollbar in Expression Blend
Creating Visual Transitions in Expression Blend
Use an In-State Animation To Make a Silverlight 2 Button Pulse While Focused
Customize The Check Mark In a Silverlight 2 CheckBox
Add States to a UserControl for Silverlight 2
Create Custom Buttons for Silverlight 2
Create and Edit Clipping Paths in Blend
Use the Key Spline Editor in Blend
Create the Wet Floor Effect in Expression Blend
Customize Expression Media Silverlight Templates Using Blend
Working with 3D Cameras in Expression Blend
Working With 3D Materials in Expression Blend
Importing and Manipulating 3D Objects in Expression Blend
Create User Controls in Expression Blend
Working With Clipping Paths in Expression Blend
Using an ObjectDataSource in Expression Blend
Creating a Control Template in Expression Blend
Introduction to Styles
Using Expression Design to Generate XAML Resources for Expression Blend
Motion Paths
Sharing Styles Among Heterogeneous Elements
Basic Animation
Timeline Interpolation
Working with the Grid Panel
Adding Video
Creating and Using an XMLDataSource
Create Data Templates
Creating and Using Brush Resources in Expression Blend
Introducing Blend and Working with Control Editing
Using Databinding with External Data
3D Animation and Event Triggers
Databinding to Control Properties
Designer and Developer Collaboration and Additional Demos



Beehive Game

Additional Expression Blend Training Videos
Download the assets, step-by-step guide, and video package (104 MB)
Completed Training
Organizing and Importing Assets into Expression Blend 3
Creating the BeeHive Game Interface Using Expression Blend 3
Understanding Layout Containers with Expression Blend 3
Creating a User Control with Expression Blend 3
Adding and Applying Behaviors with Expression Blend 3
Adding Game Walls and Creating Animation with Expression Blend 3
Animating Controls with the Visual State Manager with Expression Blend 3
Working with Text and Embedding Fonts with Expression Blend 3
Adding Audio Resources to a Silverlight Game with Expression Blend 3
Publishing and Testing Your Silverlight Game with Expression Blend 3

Well, once you have gone through all these videos you can probably call yourself trained in Application Design using Expression Studio, SilverLight and WPF.

With these skills expect to make between 40k (0-1 years experience) and 80k (5+ years experience).

Russian Government going Open Source…and the future

Well, I have seen governments claim they are going to open source before, but not from Russia, and not with such a realistic plan to migrate over a few years.

Here is a link to the article via Google translate:

Putin ordered the transfer of power on Linux

The now

Business drives software development.  Open Source communities help, but even today much of the ongoing development for Linux is driven by businesses such as Red Hat and Novell and others.  If you think your Linux code is being written by unpaid developers in their spare time, you are somewhat correct but only partially.  Most changes are made by developers who are paid.

While communities are nice, they can’t match the hours or output of experienced developers working forty to sixty hours a week.

Looking Ahead…the Apps…and C# (Mono)

The more open source is used in business, the more development power it will have.  But it is not the open source Operatings Systems that prevent people from moving to Linux or BSD.  Ubuntu, SUSE, Fedora, CentOS, PC-BSD, and numerous others are all very usable desktops that are user friendly.  It is the software that runs on them that everyone is waiting for.

The market is already there to make millions extra if you application runs cross platform, one Windows, MAC, Linux, and BSD.

But most the applications written for Windows, the business desktop of today, are using .NET Framework. So naturally those companies are going to want to make their code cross platform.  And they are going to find it is easier than they thought to move their applications between platforms using C#.  I have recently decided that C# is the future of applications on all platforms.

Some MAC and Linux users don’t like Microsoft and will fight off the idea of a Microsoft provided development platform such as C# (Mono) on their systems.  But when a corporation decides that you must run software X, and software X requires .NET, and you have to either give up your MAC or Linux box for a Windows box, or use C# (Mono), then users will come around.

If you are a company writing software for Windows only today and using C#, you need to take a look at Mono. Even if the return on investment of developing a C# (Mono) based version of your product is a slight loss to break even, it is an investment in the future.  Once written, maintenance costs will be less than the original development costs and that slight loss to break even margin will turn to a small profit.  And with the experience, you next app will migrate to C# (Mono) that much easier and soon, all you apps will run anywhere that C# (Mono) can run.

This is going to take off in a way Java hasn’t because developers for windows prefer and will continue to prefer .NET over Java.  And when it comes to business apps, Java just isn’t the language of choice.  Business applications are written in C#.