Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with web and flash

Need recommendation on FLASH program

hellodonna — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:42:23 -0800

I am looking for a program that will easily allow me to create a Flash banner. All I want is to create a banner that has about 4 images fading in and out and some animated text over top. I should think this would be super easy but I am trying to find a software program to do it and I am coming up with either stuff that's way too complex or software that can't do it. Do you know of any program that would help me? (It doesn't need to be free, I can spend up to 100 USD on it).

Need money now thankyou.

drjimmy11 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:50:15 -0800

What are some good tech-centric temp agencies in L.A.? Hi! Yet another in my long series of job-trauma questions.

I'm currently between jobs- I'm a web/software developer, specializing in flex/AS3 but with years and years of doing html/js/ajax/php type stuff too. I have a pretty strong resume, I like to think, going back about 10 years.

I'm currently getting contacted by a lot of recruiters and going on a lot of interviews, but it's a very drawn-out process. Basically I need a gig to bring in some money now- cutting up PSDs or whatever is fine, I'm not proud at this point. I'm curious if anyone knows any decently reputable agencies who could get me something like this soon. Specific names of agencies are appreciated, referrals to specific people are even more appreciated. (meMail me if you like).

(I'd also be interested in where I can advertise myself as a flex freelancer, but I'm more inclined towards W2 right now for a few reasons.)

Thanks!

How do I find a flash gallery for my website that pulls from my Flickr account?

jnnla — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:46:52 -0800

Is there a fully customizable flash image gallery for my website that will pull photos from my Flickr sets? I need something like PictoBrowser but more customizable and without the "pictobrowser" link embedded in there. It is perfect in that it loads from Flickr sets, so I can have one particular set feed my website gallery and just worry about uploading my photos to Flickr and sorting there.

I have looked at dfgallery and it looks very close to what I need, but I am not knowledgeable enough to install it on my site. Also it doesn't look like it supports specific sets - and I need that capability.

I realize there are others that pull from flickr, but they tend to be gimmicky "postcard" galleries. I want the streamlined, simple "main image with thumbnails along the bottom" look.

Is there anything similar to Pictobrowser, free or not...that will pull from Flickr sets and create a Flash gallery that is completely customizable (in terms of colors, links etc)? I know this is a tall order, but any help would be appreciated.

If I give a GIF will I get flash or java?

Drasher — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:50:43 -0800

[Website development filter] I have developed a site for a client. He wanted something that shows a picture with text that changes every few seconds so I created a GIF that does this. Now he says that he wants it to pause on mouseover or a click. How do I do this? The site in question is VERY simple. (it is 6 small pages written as one file in PHP with a switch statement)
The GIF is in the sidebar and shows 5 different pictures, each with some associated text. It flips to new picture and text every 10 seconds.
He wants to be able to pause it with the mouse.

I am a real newbie web developer (but a C programmer by profession).
I think that this could be done in FLASH, but I sure don't know enough.
Maybe it could be done in javascript, but I sure don't know enough.

I would need a solid enough example that I could just "plug in" the pictures and text to achieve the desires result and upload it.

[I have not posted a link to the site because I don't want to be banned or have my question deleted.]

Free app to create Flash slideshow - is it possible?

nomad73 — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:12:25 -0800

How can I create an extremely simple flash slideshow of still photographs that I can embed on my web site ... for free? I'd like to have a looping slideshow of still images that dissolve into each other on my home page. I don't want there to be any navigation buttons over the image, no thumbnails, etc. I've tried Slideshowzilla but I'd rather not drop $50 for a robust app when i just need one single simple bit of it. I know nothing about Flash and next to nothing about HTML. Are there any free/open source apps out there that fit this bill?

Flex your brain!

scrumtralescent — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:26:27 -0800

What's the best way to learn Flash/Flex? Books? Certificate program? Online tutorials? My goal is to make fun games/rich apps and websites.

Search me that flash mr google

Smegoid — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:06:26 -0800

What's the latest wisdoms on flash and search engines (aside from "don't use flash")? Looking for tips geared towards new media sites (collectives, art galleries etc.) Being the most net savy of my group, I got tasked with designing our online portfolio and a site for the art space we co-manage. Did it all in flash as it seemed the thing to do. Despite filling out all the meta content in the html file, we're still pretty blind to search engines (been up since 2005). In particular people are complaining that none of their work shows up when searching for their name. I've poked around to see what the current deal is, and short of not using flash, it seems there's no good way to make yourself visible to the search engines. Anyhow we got out of the gallery business awhile ago, but we'd still like to maintain the site as a sort of memorial.

So anyone with more experience have some tips? I was thinking a text based splash page, or maybe cutting down the site into text based html with flash navigation and movies, etc.

Here's the site www.nestmontreal.ca

As you can see, it made sense to use flash for the look we were going after. But being invisible to search engines really sucks!

Many thanks!

Is Web Development about to change?

mountainfrog — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:13:44 -0800

Question for web developers: Is Web Development about to change? Is the web browser still the best solution for rich Internet applications? I write this question as someone who is truly looking to get some input and feedback from fellow web/software developers. I have my opinion but I would like to shape that opinion based upon the experience of others facing the same challenges.

I am, by profession a web developer. Most of my work involves the Microsoft .NET framework, ASP.NET, and C#. I am not a Microsoft "fanboy", in fact I rather enjoy working with other development technologies such as MySQL, PHP, Java, and others. Microsoft development just happens to be where I got started and where I have found the most opportunities to pay the bills.

For the last two years I have been working more and more on the client and GUI side of things. Currently I write a lot of ASP.NET server controls that make use of extensive Javascript function along with AJAX to give a "desktop-application" look and feel to a number of web applications. I find myself becoming more and more frustrated with the number of hoops that are required to obtain the "Web 2.0" look and feel within web applications. Often times I find myself trying to figure out the best way to get "server side" information over to the "client side" while working within the confines of a load balanced server farm. It seems to me that so much emphasis (at least im my organization) is being placed on achieving a look and feel so similar to a desktop application that the web browser is showing it's limitations more and more. It was good for what it was designed to do, but not for what it is being asked to do currently.

With so much of a demand for rich "GUI" applications within the web browser I can't help but wonder if current browser based applications will be replaced by other frameworks such as Adobe/Macromedia "Flash" and Microsoft "Silverlight". In my experience it is so much easier and faster to develop for Flash and Silverlight. Granted the user must use a plug-in for both these environments, but I don't see this as much of an obstacle as it was in prior years. In my workplace we require that clients who subscribe to our product use Internet Explorer. This allows us to sidestep many cross browser Javascript and DOM compatibility issues. However, we still have to deal with the difference between IE v6 and IE v7. We still have to deal with the issue of application/session state. It seems to me that we could be developing better applications that are more consistent and easier to develop if we moved towards technologies such as Flash and/or Silverlight.

I have seen some pretty great applications written in Flash, from GUIs for MySql database management to genomic sequence viewers that make use of web services to obtain, update, and visualize data. The same can be said for Silverlight. With version 2 of the DotNet framework embedded in the Silverlight plug-in the possibility to port, relatively easily, many windows application over to the Silverlight environment becomes viable.

My intention is not to start a flame war on which web development technology is best or more viable for the future, but rather to get insight from other web developers on where they think the future of distributed development is headed. Is server-side code with Javascript handling the client side going to continue as a dominant force or do you see other "plug-in" technologies such as Flash and Silverlight edging out a lead in the future? Thanks for your consideration.

How to get a Flash file to overlay on a URL submitted by form.

davebush — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:14:31 -0800

I'm looking for the simplest way to accomplish what happens here. User enters a URL and a Flash file plays on top of that website. I tried tracking down the script they use in the demo with no luck. Just to clarify - I'm only interested in the process of getting the Flash file overlaid on the submitted website, not the process of creating the swf.

Flash navigation/loadbar

Raff — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:46:44 -0800

How to preload images dynamically in flash so that the image navigation doubles as the load bar. Like http://big.dk/projects/lim/lim.html If someone could point me in the right direction would be great, since i am a bit rusty with flash and am not quite sure which way to look.

Help me forward to new page at end of Flash video

aaronetc — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 08:42:28 -0800

How do I get Flash to play a FLV and then go to particular URL when it's done? I'm working on a project where people view a Flash video (just an FLV file with no skin or anything else) and then get forwarded to another page when it's done. I need them to see the whole video, so I can't just put a text link for the next page. I don't know Flash especially well, and the code that I've found online keeps giving me demands for an onClipEvent handler. Ideas?

Flash Video Homepage

andrewyakovlev — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 11:55:07 -0800

Looking for commercial/business/corporate sites where a flash video clip starts playing upon loading the home page - and it works, looks good, isn't annoying. All suggestions welcome. Thanks!

Questions about creating a humorous flash survey

ISeemToBeAVerb — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:48:51 -0800

I have an idea for a humorous flash survey designed to place the user into a certain profile (similar to the "What kind of hipster are you?" survey). I'm sure many of you have used or seen such surveys (or their results) on sites like Myspace or CollegeHumor. The idea I have would lend itself to the same kind of usage; I can envision people placing the results onto their friends Myspace pages and so forth, or perhaps embedding the application into the page itself. I understand Flash and Actionscript, but I've never created anything like this before, so I have a few questions. 1. Is there ANY profit potential in this? I'm not expecting much, as I am perfectly comfortable financially, but I am curious to know if anyone makes money off of these things. I would (naively) assume that with a dedicated site one could make money through traffic and advertising.

2. How do you deploy a little application like this? Do you create a website around it (possibly profiting off of advertising)? Do you license the application to other humor sites for a fee?

3. How do you market something like this? Is it a matter of submitting links to various sites and hoping it becomes viral?

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanx.

What am I worth?

kaseijin — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 09:52:06 -0800

Designer/Flash developer salaries in Austin, Tx? I need help to *not* lowball myself when looking for a new job! Looking at relocating to Austin from Dallas, and was curious what a given skillset is worth in Austin. I know about all the online salary calculators, and I know they're all clueless. I want to hear from people who have recently worked or are currently working in Austin.

I've been designing web pages for 8 years, now. I started as an art director, doing conceptual design, and then moved into Flash around release 3. I code object-oriented AS 2.0 well, dynamic content, Flash video, all that... Sure, there are better out there, but at the last two agencies I have worked for, I've been in the top 3 - if I sit down and play with something, I can usually make it work.

My work has all been at larger advertising agencies... my client list and portfolio is competitive, including work for NationWide, Exxon/Mobil, MAX Factor, Old Spice, Prilosec OTC, etc...

I consistently lowball myself when starting new jobs, because I am afraid to not take the first offer. This has led twice now to starting a new job only to find out that there are entry-level people with half the skillset making more than me at the same company.

Help me not do that! What am I *really* worth in Austin?

Small Virtual Transportations

Miko — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 09:40:32 -0800

Inspired by this thread, I'd like to build a virtual collection of atmospheric web-based art sites like this one. Do you know of any? Even if these things aren't the most brilliant creations of Western art, I love the way they function in daily life. I'd like to gather a list of these that I can send people links to, as an unusual 'hello', or a pleasant distraction from reality on a boring day.

If it helps, some of the things I like about this:

-it's non-commercial
-it's atmospheric
-it incorporates motion, images, and music
-it's interactive
-it takes a few minutes to fully experience
-it's stand-alone; you don't need to make a project of registering, paging through a number of choices or thumbnails or lists, you just direct link to it
-it's beautiful.

If you know of other sites like this, please list them here. Searching hasn't been helpful, because I can't find terms specific enough not to return web design firms, art exhibits, flash games, and commercial sites. Thanks in advance.

Help me make my Flash button-inside-a-movie-clip work.

bradn — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 19:32:03 -0800

Can someone look at my .fla file and tell me why my button inside a movie clip doesn't work? Please don't laugh at my Flash-fu.
The only button that should work right now is the "features" button, but it doesn't. (It should gotoandplay frame 41 of the current scene.) The rollover works but not the goto.
The only other way I can think to do this is to group the three buttons and "frame" so I can motion tween them in together, but that seems like a dumb way and I don't see why this doesn't work. Thanks in advance.

Beginner Webdesign Filter: Big Pictures with Linking Parts

BigBrownBear — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 05:33:10 -0800

When designing webpages, what's the easier way to makes big pictures that open-up new information when different parts are clicked? I don't any experience with flash, but would flash be the easiest way to do this? (I'm not a huge fan either). I'm making a website that will contain maps of land plots under development, and I want it so that when certain "houses" are clicked, more info pops up on the property including pics, etc.

I'm not very experience webdesigner but I am accustomed to Joomla, HTML/CSS, and some basic javascripting.

Help understand a Flash site

bright77blue — Wed, 03 May 2006 12:12:16 -0800

How does one make a site like this one ... ? http://www.playgroundsfestival.nl/playgrounds.asp What I mean is how does one make the huge background, and add the elements onto it? Point to a tutorial helpful. Thank you,

Looking for really big flash-based websites.

cusack — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 09:39:55 -0800

I am looking for some really big flash-based websites... any come to mind? like flash interfaces that take up the whole screen... sites that might take a while to load because of how much data they contain (not just because of poor hosting) I need some examples of really enormous new, cool websites / playgrounds... thanks!

arg

delmoi — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 13:07:50 -0800

Anyone know how to use an XMLSocket in flash (using actionscript) I've been trying for days to get XMLSocket.connect to work. And it just
won't. It always returns false. The code I'm using is:

var net:XMLSocket = new XMLScoket();

net.onConnect = function(success:Boolean){
if(!success){
XMLResult.text = "connection failed on onconnect";
}
else{
XMLResult.text = "succeeded!";
}

}

var b:Boolean = net.connect("localhost",4482);
if(!b){
XMLResult.text = "----failed to connect";
}

else{
XMLResult.text = "---connected";

}

b is *always* false, no matter what I try. I put the swf file on the
hard drive, I've had it downloaded from localhost over HTTP, I put up a
polcy file, My windows firewall is turned off. I've tried everything,
and it won't even get to the 'onConnect' part! WTF is going on?

The crazy thing is, if I call the following code

System.security.loadPolicyFile("xmlsocket://localhost:4482");

The Flash player makes a network connection, sends the correct XML, and
downloads the result just fine! But when I call XMLsocket.connect() it
just returns false and won't even try to connect to my server!

The flash movie has no problem doing an XML.load() from the same server
(using the HTTP protocol).

This is driving me crazy. I've been going over the security and policy
stuff like crazy, and I still have no idea what's going on. It's driving me totaly nuts.

(I hate flash)

Help Me Teach Programming

grumblebee — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 11:35:57 -0800

Help me teach people how to program: I need simple examples of functions, classes, etc. When I teach programming, I always try to boil language constructs down to their essences. On the other hand, if I get too abstract, students start shifting in their seats because they can't understand how the constructs can be applied in the read world.

So when teaching, say, functions, I give a brief definition and show them the syntax (in whatever language I happen to be teaching); then I show them a practical example. Which is where things get difficult.

Most texts use math for the real-world examples. They show how to make a really simple function that takes in a number and outputs its cube root, or something like that. And I see the appeal, because math examples are often simple, and (the idea is) that one can focus more on how functions work (while still seeing a real-life, useful example) more than on what some specific function does.

But I want to stay away from math, because most of my students are designers who have been forced (kicking and screaming) into programming. Mathamatical aspects of programming are the LAST things I show them -- after they get comfortable with other aspects. (Yes, I know that on a root level, all programming in mathamatical. But I'm trying to avoid sytax that reminds them of high school algebra class, except where it's totally unavoidable, like with variables.)

So I'm looking for simple examples I can use to teach object oriented techniques, functions and the like. Please minimize the math. But, if possible, give examples that DO solve real-world problems. (Example: a function that takes in a word and searches for a smaller word within it).

The idea (and the tough trick) is to come up with examples that can stand on their own as much as possible. In other words, the student shouldn't have to focus on arrays, string methods and for loops while trying to understand functions. It's impossible to teach each language construct in TOTAL isolation (a string method or two might HAVE to be used), but I want to keep this at its minimum.

To summarize:

1) avoid math
2) make practical
3) isolate language constructs

If it helps, I mostly teach Javascript (Flash & Browser versions), but I occassionally teach other languages.

Alpha Channels for Flash

silusGROK — Fri, 08 Jul 2005 07:54:35 -0800

FlashFilter: I would like to lay a flash movie _over_ a web page and have web content show through the movie (in defined areas). Is there a way to specify an alpha channel (or other masking option) for a flash file? I'm certain there is, but my flash programmer is a neophyte and doesn't believe me.

Data from Flash interface

noahv — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 20:37:37 -0800

How can I get data from a Flash interface-based web page? e.g. When I click on an item in the interface, is there anyway to get info on what was selected, etc? For example, on http://homestarrunner.com/sbemail.html, how can I get the data on which selection was made from the list? I'd like to take that data into a PHP app and do something with it elsewhere.

How to acquire clients for a new web design business focusing on Flash design?

banished — Tue, 16 Mar 2004 21:29:17 -0800

I want to start a web design business focusing primarily on Flash design, but I need some tips on how to acquire clients. [More Inside] It has always been a dream of mine to start my own web development firm, and I am finally going for it. I have tried freelance web sites such as rentacoder.com with little luck in the past. The few projects where my bid actually won were completed at hardly any profit, and did little more than to improve my résumé. My new strategy has been to seek partnerships with successful design firms, offering them 25% of the cost of any project I complete, simply for the referral (I will extend this offer to anyone, including the MeFi community, by the way). Although I have e-mailed a few dozen firms, I have received little response so far. One advantage I think I have is that I am willing to take on small projects that wouldn't be worthwhile for a larger firm. Projects in the $500.00 range are ideal, but I will take less just to get the work. Is all of this a waste of time? Are all of these jobs being shipped out to India and other places, or are there still ways to find work? How does one go about getting big name clients?