How to Publish Flash Animation
Format Types
Flash
HTML
Formats
Here is where you choose what you want to publish your Flash to. Do you want
to convert it into a:
_________: This is the compressed format that most Flash is converted into for
Internet viewing. If you use this, then it is required to also use the option for
HTML.
Generator Template: This is an option for more advanced Macromedia use, you
will not use it.
_________: This is if you want Flash to automatically generate the web-page for
you. This is highly recommended because then all you have to do is set the
settings and then copy the code to your web-page.
_________: Very much similar to GIF. Only a JPEG is higher quality and better
visuals, but remember that JPEGs are also larger in size and takes longer to
download.
PNG: Again, this is an image file like both the GIF and JPEG, but is a newer style
designed for detail with more efficient use. I however still recommend that either
the GIF or JPEG file be used.
Windows Projector, Mac Projector, QuickTime & Real Player: All of these are
used for things such as program demo’s or animation not used on the website.
As before, Flash is more than just a web design program.
Every item you choose, with the exceptions of the two projector items, will have a
tab that is added at the top. By default, the Flash (swf) option and that HTML
option are both checked so they both have tabs up at the top.
These are the items that we will be going through in this class.
Flash
When clicking on this tab, you get several new options. The first is Load Order.
Options inside of load order are as follows:
Version: Leave this at Flash 6. Doing any of the other options will change
some of the functionality of your Flash file, so leave it at Flash 6.
1. _________: Loads the bottom layer to the top layer.
2. _________: Loads the top layer to the bottom layer.
Now on to the Check boxes.
1. _________: This tells Flash to create a text file that contains the size of
each individual file. This helps if your Flash takes a while to download
and you need to find where it is lagging.
2. _________: When you protect from import, your SWF file cannot be
imported into Flash. This keeps other from stealing your movies. Keep
in mind that this is for SWF files only, it is under the FLASH tab!
3. Omit Trace Actions: Has to do with debugging, allows the Flash
person to test the movie without seeing any windows coming up with
errors in the code. Don’t worry about this option for now.
4. _________: Allow this option if you want to remotely allow someone to
debug your Flash (i.e. allow someone from another state to test it.)
Password protecting it is used when this option is selected. Don’t worry
about this option for now.
5. Compress Movie: This option just makes sure that the movie is as
small as it can be.
6. _________: This allows you to manually choose the quality of any
raster graphics that you may have added into your Flash program.
7. Audio Stream/Audio Event: Leave this at default. This is an
advanced option for the use of overriding the sound qualities of the
sound in your movie. Checkbox deals with overriding sound settings as
well.
HTML
Template:
There are many different template options that allow you to do anything from
outputting a basic web page, to allowing you to output pages with code such as
checking for certain browser version and etc… For beginning Flash, we will
choose just the default and concentrate our time on other options of HTML.
Dimensions:
There are several different options that you can choose; They are listed below
with the definitions with them:
_________: This will automatically have the movie the exact same size as
what you created and have it stay exactly the same size.
_________: You can manually specify the pixels of the movie.
_________: This allows you to choose the percentage of the movie size
relative to the browser.
Playback
These options allow you to choose special options for the actual movie. The
options are as follows:
_________: Obvious. It allows that when they load the web page that it
doesn’t do anything until an option is input to make the movie play.
_________: This option allows you to either have the movie played only
once, or have it run through several times.
_________:This option allows you to either have the “right click” menu
work or disabled.
_________: For Windows only, select Device Font to substitute anti-
aliased (smooth-edged) system fonts for fonts not installed on the user’s
system. Using device fonts increases the legibility of type at small sizes
and can decrease the movie’s file size. This option only affects movies
containing static text (text that you created when authoring a movie and
that does not change when the movie is displayed) set to display with
device fonts.
Quality:
This option is to choose quality vs. speed… the lower the quality, the faster it will
load and Visa Versa.
Window Mode:
At this stage in the game, don’t even worry about this option. Leave it at default.
Wait until you are more experienced to play with this option.
Scale:
Again, this option is common sense. Just tells the browser where to align the
movie.
Flash Alignment:
Again, this option is common sense. Just tells the browser where to align the
movie.
Show Warning Messages:
Again, this option is common sense. Just tells the browser where to align the
movie.