Help with Flash component please!!!

[enm]

I am a VodaHost customer (domain: traumatoday.org)
I am trying to put a flash component on my index page. I am using the Mediator 8.0
(Matchware) to create a flash project. My problem is that it does not create one .swf file (as shown in the related Blue Voda flash tutorial) but a list of different files (htm, vbs, gif, js). Apparently this whole list of files together is the flash application but how do I choose a list of files in the Blue voda Flash dialog box?

[Karen Mac]

Re: Help with Flash component please!!!

You embed the swf as normal.. but you also ftp those other files to the server. You shouldnt need the .htm as thats just the coding for the webpage and you would be doing that in bv.

Karen

[enm]

Re: Help with Flash component please!!!


Hi Karen,
thanks for your reply. I am really confused though!
I created a Flash slideshow with 4 images with Mediator 8Pro. After I created the distribution files as a Flash the following files were created. Please tell me how I embed these in my Blue Voda index.html page for the slideshow to show. Also note that an index.html is also created amongst the flash files. If if FTP this as well won’t it confuse the browser looking for my index.html page to display?
What is created:
Files:
Myfilename.bak
Myfilename.IPJ

Folder named: Flash containing the following 18 files:
Default (hlml document) 1KB
detectFlash (Shockwave Flash Object) 1KB
Dispatcher (Jscript Script File) 17 KB
Dispatcher (VBScript Script File) 2KB
Flash_get (GIF Image) 1KB
Index (html document) 1KB
installFlash (html document) 7KB
main (html document) 2KB
main (Shockwave Flash Object) 1KB
upgradeFlash (html document) 7KB
MyFirstImage_gif_ (Shockwave Flash Object) 41 KB
MySecondImage_gif_ (Shockwave Flash Object) 65 KB
MyThirtdImage_gif_ (Shockwave Flash Object) 20 KB
MyFourthImage_gif_ (Shockwave Flash Object) 38 KB
Page1 (Shockwave Flash Object) 8KB
Page2 (Shockwave Flash Object) 8KB
Page3 (Shockwave Flash Object) 8KB
Page4 (Shockwave Flash Object) 8KB
Thanks in advance for your help

[Vasili]

Re: Help with Flash component please!!!

When you create a Flash object (slideshow, header, display, etc.) it draws upon whatever resources you submit (images, graphic objects, etc.) and neatly organizes those resources into separate Files after creating the associations to each item so it can be recalled in the proper "order" to complete the "whole" of the Flash object (slideshow, header, etc.). Since Flash must be 'converted' into code for the web to present it, an HTML file is automatically generated, which for all intents and purposes is the Flash "script" that actually makes the Flash object work.

Think of the .FLA file as being the 'workpage' or format of Flash, and the .SWF file being the operating file that makes things work ..... all of your images, graphic objects, and other items used to 'build' the Flash file are incompatible with Flash, and that is why you see folders for all your GIF, JPG, etc. objects: it is the Flash code itself that will "recall" these 'associated' items according to the automatically generated Flash code, but it needs to keep them "outside" Flash, and thus the different folder organization.

In order to embed a Flash object onto your web page using Blue Voda, you must use the Flash icon within Blue Voda > double-click the "flash box" you see Blue Voda create for you on your work page, and "browse" for the .SWF file you created and this will insert a link for this box (this is creating the link, or "association" BV needs to know which Flash file to present in this "box" on your page. However this is just the first step: you now have a "local association" established, so using Preview you can move the Flash Box to the right position, as well as size it properly before publishing --- and this is still proof that on your Local System (using the files and BV software on your "local" computer+HD) you have established the proper file association.

To make the server present the proper file, you must upload a copy of that same .SWF file to your account's public_html directory for that domain --- this provides the server the resources to "associate" the same file to the 'Flash Box' you configiured on your BV Workpage.

Tutorial on Embedding Flash Onto Your Blue Voda Web Page HERE

.SWF = "Shockwave Flash" object/file
You will see the differences in file formats if you view them in your My Documents section by rolling your cursor over the file icons .... locate the proper .SWF file for each page's specific Flash Box and upload to the server a copy of these files. (This is why it is less confusing to name each file with unique names when creating/saving them --- so you know which page they are intended).

After some time well-spent on following the steps slowly and precisely (and some trial-and-error), you will "see the light" and be speedily on your way soon enough!