First full Flash Web Design

[Emc2]

I'm creating a site for a restaurant, and can't seem to figure out how to switch between the "pages". Each page is already complete, in its own .swf file, but I haven't done the navigation buttons yet.

I can't seem to figure out where to start -- I'm using SAMS books, but they don't seem to help in that area much.

HELP

[VHockey86]

I'm not much of an expert with flash but I know you can program buttons to goto different links, Or i suppose if you wanted it all on one web page you could import each .swf file as a different scene, and then just use link buttons to go from scene to scene

[Emc2]

that's what I couldn't find...how to go from scene to scene or even frame to frame

[Emc2]

Ok, found the gotoAndStop() function.

So I'm putting all of the libraries into one file, putting each "page" in a new keyframe, and using

gotoAndStop([frame#])

From what I understand, Frame 2 in the interface is frame 1 in Actionscript, correct?

The problem that I have right now is getting the stupid movie to STOP as soon as it's loaded. I put stop(); in the first frame, but it doesn't do anything Even made the entire thing a symbol named "Menu" and said Menu.gotoAndStop(0), but nothing

Socalgal, rh71, anyone?

[VHockey86]

When you're testing this out, are you just prssing enter inside of flash or are you exporting it?

If your testing it in flash you need to goto
Control --> Enable Simple Frame Actions
for stop commands to work

[VHockey86]

Heres a really simple example that i made to test it out
http://APstorage.tripod.com/Test.fla

[VHockey86]

If you wnat to use scenes....

The syntax is

gotoAndStop(scene, frame)

or

gotoAndPlay(scene, frame)

Edit--

For Example:

on (release) {
gotoAndStop("Scene 2",1);
}

example with scenes...
http://APStorage.tripod.com/Test2.fla

[rh71]

It's tough to get a mental picture of what you've got so far - so let me say this -

You don't need to make all the links their own .swf files. Your full flash site can be a single .swf. The only disadvantage to this is that the full size of the .swf needs to be loaded at one time as opposed to loading when each link is needed (when each link is hit). Preloaders are a good way to get around this problem.

Anyway, to be able to make a fully interactive size with Flash links, you need to incorporate many of the following: stop(), gotoAndPlay(), getURL(), loadVariables(), and loadMovie().

To get you started, if you want to keep all your links as separate .swfs, use the loadMovie() action on the buttons. (When writing actionscript, use normal mode so the actionscript editor can guide you through options in the function).

Alternatively, use 1 .swf as your whole flash site in one of the following two ways.
1) Scenes - VHockey86 has described this - use gotoAndPlay()

2) In your timeline, make use of the layers and frame labels. This way, you can make each button link say:

on (release) {
gotoAndPlay ("frame_label_name_here");
}

The 2nd method is a bit more complex, but it works just as well as scenes.

If you want to test your movie as if it was deployed to a site, hit CTRL-ENTER.

I can't give anymore problem-specific help right now. Post back with any progress and I'll see if I can help more tomorrow. Good luck.

[Emc2]

Well, I finally realized what I should be doing, and wound up doing the frames thing (rh71's second suggestion), although it's sorta done now. Keep in mind that this is a rough draft, and the rest of the site won't necessarily look like this:

http://www.emc2logic.com/menu.swf

Perhaps each main page of the full site could be a different scene. This menu right here is a sub-menu system.

oh, also, I was doing publish-preview to preview the final result. I also put the stop(); command on the second frame instead of the first so the contents of the first would load before the frame stopped....don't know if it's correct, but it works

Thanks Everyone!

[Emc2]

Ok, now that I've had a nice, long sleep , I'm trying to figure out how to put an effect into the library.

I'm trying to use a fade on a different part of the website, but I want to save the actual fading action to the library--not the fade and the images. I've heard that this can be done, but I don't have the books now that I had last night (partner has them), and can't quite figure it out.