Flash Site Design - Flash navigation...

Author

Flash navigation...

jlucchesi

2007-11-24, 6:17 am

Hi -
I made this block of buttons to act as navigation on a website. Using
Dreamweaver, I embedded the swf in each html page. I used getURL on the Flash
buttons to load pages of the site, using "_self" for the target.

The problem is that when the buttons are used, the transition to the new page
is ugly! The block of btns disappears for a second completely. The entire web
page seems to go blank and then the new one blink into existence. It's very
jerky and ugly.

Is there a way to fix this? Have I implemented Flash navigation into HTML
correctly? Is there a way I could load the swf once for the entire site
without using Frames?

TIA your experience and input,
jl

Flash-Tastic

2007-11-24, 6:17 am

Hi jlucchesi

From what you've explained on how you done your site, this is normal.
You are opening a new HTML page with every click of your navigation buttons.
This means tht the current HTML you are viewing is replaced by the one
corresponding to the button pressed ( since you are using _self )

I havent used CSS for my Flash content yet, but i think if you were to have a
CSS sheet for your layout, including your navigation swf embedded into it.
Then asign that CSS to all your other HTML files, it should only load the HTML
files and not re-load your swf too.

again, I havent tried this yet, but it might work for you.

Another thing you can do, is to have 2 frames in you index.html. 1 frame
contains your navigation swf. and in the other frame you can load all other
HTML files.

Hope this helps you.

jlucchesi

2007-11-24, 6:15 pm

Flash-Tastic -
Thanks for the suggestions...so I tried them both.
Yes, my entire layout is done with CSS. No tables. I experimented with your
very interesting idea of embedding a swf using CSS, with 'background-image'. I
don't think there is a way - but if we invented one it would be worth $$$!

I had tried the frames way before I posted...and it 'kinda' works except that
I can get the damn top frame (the one with the swf) to line up with the bottom
frame. That's because the bottom one always NEEDS a scroll bar and the top one
never does. Naturally the layout calls for the 2 parts - top and bottom - to
line up pixel perfect....as if it were one piece...so that makes it extra
challenging.

This is bizarre! Doesn't everyone use Flash menus for html websites???

Does anyone have any experience with this?

jl:confused;