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Jeff
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Joined: 23 Jan, 07:17
Posts: 765
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 Posted: 27 Jun, 05:44 Post subject: A Modular Flash Site
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Here is another nugget l found while digging through my goodies. This fully modular flash template features externally loaded CSS, text, images and sound to optimize and make updating easy.
I had initially created this template for a photographer that had contacted me to have a site built. Ultimately she went for something a little "less" flashy ... heh.
I got the inspiration for this layout when my girlfriend's bean vines overtook our entire back porch in a couple weeks flat. (long story)
The template also includes a very unique "gimmick" but that's a surprise l won't spoil until you check it out:
[link] |
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Murdernickle
Mod
Joined: 14 May, 06:02
Posts: 337
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
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| Posted: 27 Jun, 06:43 Post subject:
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| lol very cool layout... i wish i could figure crap like that out...i'm NOOOO good with flash and websites together... i just can't get the hang of it... |
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PeterV
PSForce TopDog
Joined: 03 Jun, 06:37
Posts: 146
Location: Lowell, MA
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| Posted: 27 Jun, 07:25 Post subject:
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That's very nice and I suspect the surprise was "hi there"..is that correct?
Jeff, are the rollovers created in Flash? I need to teach myself that app.. X gave me a nice link to get my feet wet and will have to put some time into it.
I just went back to the link and I could hear something coming out of my headphones and realized that the sounds were from the roolovers and they sounded like camera clicks, very nice touch.
Pete |
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BluI
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Joined: 21 May, 09:33
Posts: 62
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| Posted: 27 Jun, 08:15 Post subject:
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| Great site I so need to learn css and how to load txt and images /sounds externally Im killer with flash and I have to admit site I do are pretty easy on band with but Id love to even reduce them down more. Any info on combining the elements you did on that site? |
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Jeff
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Joined: 23 Jan, 07:17
Posts: 765
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Jeff
Mod
Joined: 23 Jan, 07:17
Posts: 765
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| Posted: 27 Jun, 11:15 Post subject:
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| PeterV wrote: | That's very nice and I suspect the surprise was "hi there"..is that correct?
Jeff, are the rollovers created in Flash? I need to teach myself that app.. X gave me a nice link to get my feet wet and will have to put some time into it.
I just went back to the link and I could hear something coming out of my headphones and realized that the sounds were from the roolovers and they sounded like camera clicks, very nice touch.
Pete |
Hey there Pete, thanks for the feedback. Yes the little mouseover effects and sound effects are all created in flash mx 2004. My best advice for getting started on flash... don't give up. It's a very robust and complex system to learn if you haven't done anything similar. It took me over a year to feel comfortable enough to consider myself "ready" to take the jump to actionscript (flash's built in programming language)... |
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Jeff
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Joined: 23 Jan, 07:17
Posts: 765
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| Posted: 27 Jun, 11:29 Post subject:
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| BluI wrote: | | Any info on combining the elements you did on that site? |
Hey thanks for the kind words...
and yes l do infact.
the loading external txt and css is all over the net, just do a search on loadvars() and you should get a ton of that.. also buy:
Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Magic (Magic (New Riders)) (Paperback)
[link] (10 bucks on amazon)
They've got a great chapter on loading external text and css and images. (NOTE this book is for flash mx 2004, and won't work with flash mx).
If you've got flash mx (and not mx 2004) you won't have the ability to load the external css, but you can still load the external txt (from a .txt file) - again search google for "loadvars() actionscript" and you should find some info on that.
---
As far as making your flash sites "modular" here's the technique l use.
create the shell of your layout as a flash movie, in the center (or where ever your content is to be loaded on the various pages) create a "place holder" movie clip.
Next create separate swf's for each of your "content pages" that are sized exactly the same size as your "place holder" movie clip.
Now back inside of your "shell" mc, use actionscript loadmovie() function to load the external swf file into your "place holder" movie clip and bang... you've got a modular set up that is extremely versatile, and a lot easier to maintain and update.
For instance, usually l make a single "content.fla" that serves as a template for each of my other pages... Works great, quickly and easily.
The benefit of this is that when a user looks at the site, they don't have to download *everything*, they only need to download the pages that they request. (hence the "now loading" bar that appears every time you click on one of the buttons in my example)
Saves on bandwidth, saves on download time. |
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EnergyPulse
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Joined: 24 Jun, 09:10
Posts: 37
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hazeaccord
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Joined: 11 May, 07:50
Posts: 92
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| Posted: 28 Jun, 09:07 Post subject:
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Nice Job on this Jeff!
First off, i like how smooth everything comes together. I really like how fast the load is, which is done through external documents right? I also like the fact that the vines grow into the page like they do in real life. This is a great modular flash site. I just started learning flash about a week ago, but soon enough i will be up to scale with you.
Nice Job again Jeff!
P.S- The book i have is calls "Flash 8 Training from the Source" by James English. I love this book and recomend it to anyone that is tryin to learn the basics of flash 8 and actionscript.
Jeff one question.
Where do you get your sounds from? Like the ones used for the rollover buttons. |
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Draconis
Mod
Joined: 28 May, 12:06
Posts: 201
Location: USA
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| Posted: 28 Jun, 09:50 Post subject:
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| Wow.... Im taking Flash websites during the National tech conference this year. I hope I learn to make a site half as good as that..... |
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Jeff
Mod
Joined: 23 Jan, 07:17
Posts: 765
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| Posted: 28 Jun, 02:56 Post subject:
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| Quote: | Jeff one question.
Where do you get your sounds from? Like the ones used for the rollover buttons. |
Thanks for the kind words hazeaccord; The sound effects have come from 2 places.. 1.) l build flash ads for a living so l've got a lot of fun sounds to mess with and 2.) l've been collecting them over the past couple years... |
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Jeff
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Joined: 23 Jan, 07:17
Posts: 765
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Jeff
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Joined: 23 Jan, 07:17
Posts: 765
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| Posted: 28 Jun, 03:00 Post subject:
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| Draconis wrote: | | Wow.... Im taking Flash websites during the National tech conference this year. I hope I learn to make a site half as good as that..... |
Heh, that's cool you should have a lot of fun. Flash is one of the more fun applications to play with and there are so many different possiblities.
Good luck, and be sure to post your work when you get started, we'd love to see your progression! |
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Draconis
Mod
Joined: 28 May, 12:06
Posts: 201
Location: USA
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| Posted: 28 Jun, 08:28 Post subject:
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Will do as soon as I make it. Im hoping its a real course......it would suck if I got there and it was just a "get your feet wet thing"
Well, that site has givin me new inspiration....I can't wait. |
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