Flash Site Design - Please Adopt a Newbie

Author

Please Adopt a Newbie

Mirrasi

2006-09-04, 10:27 pm

I am a newbie in serious need of love. Okay...I want to learn to make Web
sites. I have both Dreamweaver adn Macromedioa MX 2004 (If I can figure this
stuff out then I will get the newest version). I have a dummies book for each
and apparently I am in need of a dummy book for those to dumb to understand the
dummy books, lol.

I want to make 2 different web sites. One for my family (a personal fun one)
that I am thinking of just make as a 100% flash site. Also, I want to make one
for my photography business that I am starting at the end of the year. I am
thinking that one might be better ifit were html with just some flash
components added?? (Opinions welcome) I would love any tips on starting off
that could help me beyond these books that are confusing me quite abit, plus I
have some specific questions.....

As a photographer, I understand photoshop fairly well and I have no problems
working with layers and such (thank God both flash and dreamweaver can be
worked on layers!! At least I get THAT much! lol). But when it comes to saving
images for the Web, I am lost. Generally, if I want to show a picture to a
friend, I just save it at 4-7 inches big and at 72 dpi and upload it to
photobucket and link it. So I am so confused on what size to make web graphics!

1. If I make the entire site made from flash....I assume the stage is the size
of the whole site. What size should I make it??

2. If I just make flash components to go on an html site....sor example, a
logo or a name that I want to animate.....what size do I make these things? I
would prefer to make them in photoshop first since I know that program and then
import it.

3. I am aparanoid of starting this, getting halfway through and the size being
wrong or just everythign being wrong. Is tehre any other starting tips I should
know?

Sorry for the dumb questions, but I've got to start somewhere. Thanks!!

David Stiller

2006-09-04, 10:27 pm

Mirrasi,

> Generally, if I want to show a picture to a friend, I just save it at
> 4-7 inches big and at 72 dpi and upload it to photobucket and
> link it. So I am so confused on what size to make web graphics!

I have no idea what photobucket is. Never heard of it. ;) But I can
tell you that inches go out the window when you're saving images for the
web. There are many configurations of actual monitor sizes and screen
resolutions, so there's really no saying what size "one inch" will be on any
given montor. On screen, your images are measured in pixels only. If the
monitor is set for 800 x 600 resolution, then an image 100 pixels wide would
be 1/8th the width of that monitor. On the web, it's not so important how
big an image is as how much it "weighs"; that is, how many kilobytes the
image takes up. The "heavier" the image in that regard, the longer it takes
to download.

> 1. If I make the entire site made from flash....I assume the stage
> is the size of the whole site. What size should I make it??

Yes, the Stage represents the size of the published Flash file (the
SWF) -- by default. You can override the actual size of the SWF by
specifying alternate width and height values in the HTML that embeds your
SWF. The size of your SWF is totally up to you. If you like, you may set
the width and height at 100% apiece and make your SWF the same dimensions as
the browser.

> 2. If I just make flash components to go on an html site....sor example,
> a logo or a name that I want to animate.....what size do I make these
> things?

Heh, presumably smaller than the Stage; otherwise, it wouldn't all be
visible. ;) Again, the size is up to you. Many people design their HTML
sites to fit within an 800 x 600 resolution. (Many don't, either! There
are no rules.) You may want your site to resize along with the browser, you
may not. You haven't stated any of your preferences. :)

> I would prefer to make them in photoshop first since I know that program
> and then import it.

You'll have to. Flash's drawing tools are vector only (like
Illustrator).

> 3. I am aparanoid of starting this, getting halfway through and the size
> being wrong or just everythign being wrong. Is tehre any other starting
> tips I should know?

Don't jump into the deep end first. Start with a single "page," not a
whole site. Start with one, single SWF file, import one image, and embed it
in an HTML document. See how that flies. See what you like and don't like.
You shouldn't be starting on a website until you've run through all the
basics -- and that includes deciding on all the preferences you're after.

> Sorry for the dumb questions, but I've got to start somewhere. Thanks!!

They're not dumb questions. :) You'll have to provide a bit more
detail, though. If you're only asking for other opinions -- such as size
(how big should I make my topiary?) -- you'll get a site that likely isn't
what you're after.

David Stiller
Adobe Community Expert
Dev blog, http://www.quip.net/blog/
"Luck is the residue of good design."

David Stiller

2006-09-04, 10:27 pm

Mirrasi,

> Thank you so much, that helps a lot. I should have wrote
> more but didn't want to bombard you with a novel.

Heh, 's okay. This is the place to do it -- but I think small steps
work best. :)

> I had a feeling inches went out thw window so it's time for
> me to learn, lol.

Flash development -- heck, web development of any kind -- isn't easy,
but you'll get there with elbow grease, like any other endeavor. ;)

> This site is a great example of what I would love to have in
> a photography site.
>
> http://www.alwphotography.com/index3.php

Looks nice. That's a fairly complex example, I should mention. There's
custom programming going on there. That's more than just learning Flash --
that's learning to program ActionScript.

> Is this fully flash I assume?

You can tell what's Flash by right-clicking / Command-clicking on the
screen. This is non-resizing Flash embedded in an HTML document. You'll
see "view source" on the edges and Flash info nearer the middle.

> What size is that as it looks pretty good to me.
> Thanks again!

Have fun with it!

David Stiller
Adobe Community Expert
Dev blog, http://www.quip.net/blog/
"Luck is the residue of good design."

Mirrasi

2006-09-04, 10:27 pm

Thanks :) Of COURSE I have to pick something complicated ~sigh~. lol
I have seen some cheap programs for diplaying photos...like slideshow pro that
I was considering getting to use with it. I just figure out how to get it in
there, lol.

One last question...what size would you say her web site is (i.e. the stage)?
That would probably be a good size for me to start and then play on that until
I leanr what I am doing. Thanks so much!

David Stiller

2006-09-04, 10:27 pm

Mirrasi,

> Thanks :) Of COURSE I have to pick something complicated
> ~sigh~. lol

You're not the only one. How many people do you know who think it's
easy to take good photos? ;)

> One last question...what size would you say her web site is (i.e.
> the stage)?

Looks like approximately 850 by 600.

> That would probably be a good size for me to start and then play
> on that until I leanr what I am doing. Thanks so much!

Enjoy. :) I definitely think you should do some studying. Start with
the documentation that ships with Flash. You said you had a few "dummies"
books, too. Just remember to keep your goals reasonable and build on small
steps.

David Stiller
Adobe Community Expert
Dev blog, http://www.quip.net/blog/
"Luck is the residue of good design."