1. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 1 by Michael Kay The Web Wizard’s Guide to Flash

2. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 2 CHAPTER 6 Optimizing and Publishing

3. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 3 Chapter Objectives Optimize Flash files that download faster and display more quickly. Use the Bandwidth Profiler to find bottlenecks and simulate how a Flash movie will load in the real world. Build a loading sequence. Export Flash SWF files and embed them into web HTML pages. Learn how to publish content that’s compatible for your audience.

4. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 4 Optimizing Flash Content Minimize file size and maximize bandwidth Use symbols and keyframes strategically Minimize the use of bitmap images and sounds Utilize compression settings for individual images and sounds Simplify vector images Prioritize the content: Only create larger files to those who would be receptive to it

5. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 5 May Cause Rendering Problems Gradient fills Alpha transparency Masks Intricate vector artwork Large-area bitmap images Long blocks of text Layering or animating any of the above A movie with large dimensions Complex ActionScript

6. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 6 Using the Bandwidth Profiler Access it from Control >Test Movie Look at the Timeline graph to see how the movie loads Check the overall file size Verify behavior of animations and actions Is quality of images and sounds acceptable? Review any error messages View > Show Streaming simulates how the movie will play over the Internet

7. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 7 A Smoother Playing Movie Avoid unnecessary sounds and graphics and optimizing the ones that are used. Simplify the frames where the Bandwidth Profiler show a gray bar rising above the red line. Reduce the compression settings for the entire movie or for the larger graphics and sounds. Pace the download so that everything doesn’t have to load at once. Add a “loading” loop.

8. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 8 Creating a Loading Loop (1) Set aside several frames at the start of the movie Label the first keyframe “start_loop” Insert a second keyframe at the end of the loading section and assign a Go To action that targets “start_loop” Insert a third keyframe just after the second one labeled “movie_resume” Add If Frame is Loaded action to the first keyframe

9. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 9 Creating a Loading Loop (2) This following should appear in the text pane of the actions panel: ifFrameLoaded (80) { gotoAndPlay ("movie_resume"); }

10. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 10 Publishing the Flash Movie A web page with Flash requires: A “SWF” file An HTML page Use File > Publish Settings to access all options for exporting a Flash movie Click on the Formats, Flash, and HTML tabs to change settings

11. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 11 Key Flash Movie Settings JPEG Quality: Sets the default compression for images. Audio Stream: Sets the default compression for stream sounds Audio Event: Sets the default compression for Event and Start sync sounds Override sound settings: Applies default sound settings to every sound regardless Version: Can save a SWF file compatible with older Flash players

12. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 12 Key HTML Settings Template: Will generate HTML pages optimized for specific purposes Playback, Paused at start: Forces movie to be stopped on loading Playback, Display Menu: Allows users to modify the play of a movie via a standard Flash menu Playback, Loop: Allows movie to repeat automatically Quality: The display quality of the movie.

13. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 13 Working with Published Files It’s easiest to use Dreamweaver or GoLive Editing by hand, look at everything between the and tags. Test in a web browser is most accurate test. Use an FTP program to post the Flash SWF and HTML files to the web

14. Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 – Slide 14 Providing the Correct Version For a mass audience export a SWF file that requires an older plug-in For a cutting edge web site with a sophisticated audience, export a SWF format in the latest version In some cases, you can provide 2 versions of a file Control > Test Movie will warn about incompatible features