I wasn't going to buy CS5 – now I want to.
McMurry Town Center
Event DetailsAlmost 80 attendees packed the house at McMurry for the CS5 launch meeting. Director of Content, Rick Burress, was the presenting sponsor for this meeting. He began with a brief introduction to Artistec Summer Training Workshops and immediately transitioned into some trivia questions for extra raffle tickets.
Director of Operations Mary Winters filled in for President Tami Rodgers, to cover some club business. Mary introduced a new feature on the IDUG website. The job posting feature is free to all members. Anyone who is interested in posting a job should contact phoenix@indesignusergroup.com. Mary also mentioned that we are closing out our first year for IDUG and we will be providing more information about leadership elections at the next meeting. Don't miss the next meeting! Phoenix IDUG will be celebrating its first birthday and presenting sponsor Arizona Office Technology (AOT) will be hosting the meeting at their facilities in Phoenix.
Next, Peggy Deal from Deal in Design kicked off the Member Minute presentation. Peggy introduced us to the Adobe ConnectNow feature which can be accessed directly from applications such as InDesign. ConnectNow is a web conferencing solution that operates from within your browser so there is no need to download additional software. This cross-platform solution supports the use of webcams, microphones, and instant messaging. The meeting organizer signs up for an account and then a meeting URL is emailed to invite participants to join. One of the fascinating features of ConnectNow is the ability to share your screen with the meeting attendees. They can see what you see in real-time and collaborate with you directly by chatting through instant messaging, talking through the microphone or taking control of the screen with your permission. For more information, check out these articles from Adobe and Productivity501.
Rick Burress presented us with the newest features of Adobe InDesign CS5. Rick reminded us that the main focus of this release was to increase productivity. Adobe has integrated many features into this release that allows you to switch between tools seamlessly, eliminating multiple trips to the toolbars. Rick went to great lengths to discover all the hidden features packed into this release and incorporated them into a handy tip sheet (Download available below). Most of the features he discovered were not heavily publicized in the Adobe launch. Although he wasn't able to cover all the features in this meeting, here are the highlights.
We were very fortunate to have Artistec™ as our presenting sponsor for the meeting.
Artistec is "Software for your Mind." The "Chief Listener" at Artistec™ Inc., Rick Burress teaches, trains, and leads workshops in computer graphics programs in a way that makes information fun and makes it stick. He's been working as an Apple Consultant since 1989, as the company's first "Desktop Publishing Vertical Market Consultant". He regularly consults Arizona Highways Magazine, US Airways, and is an Adjunct Professor at Scottsdale Community College.
A special thanks to our other sponsors: Adobe, Arizona Office Technology, SEP Studios Retouching, Shutterstock, Total Training, InDesign magazine, Peachpit, and McMurry.
Our raffle winners for this meeting include:
"Rick is an incredible presenter. His extensive knowledge and humorous presentation style makes it a complete joy to attend. Many thanks! It was well worth the time."
"Outstanding overview of ID5!! Rick is a great presenter. Cinco Estrellas (5 stars)"
"BIG WOWS! I wasn't going to buy CS5, now I want to, if only for ID."
Come celebrate our first birthday! Our July meeting marks the first anniversary for the Phoenix chapter. Information about leadership elections will be announced, so please stay tuned for more details.
Sonia Washington, Tami Rodgers, and Julie Chan
Chapter Representatives
Phoenix InDesign User Group
phoenix@indesignusergroup.com
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