Re: FLASH: Any reason NOT to use Flash?

[Frederico]

Bonnie,


Without knowing more details, but keying on your words, "downloadable 

modules", and "nervous about. . .bandwidth", and, doing frequently what 

you are bidding for myself, I'd have to suggest that Flash would only be 

a useful element in your production.


Assuming these modules will be used as much for technical manuals as much 

as  lessons/lectures, the mechanics will have the need/want to print 

information for later study, hands-on reference while on/in/under the 

vehicle, etc.


While you can do a lovely companion animation about electrical 

troubleshooting, a tech will still need the schematic and TSC (trouble 

shooting chart) readily at his fingertips. While many up-scale shops have 

portable diagnostic assistants (PC's on wheels), many do not, or, it is 

inconvenient to use while at task,  so, unless you have control of the 

viewing methods, you may need to be more flexible and "traditional", and 

usually, real-world photos are of more use than animated drawings (though 

genuine draftsman prints are as frequently used, and do incorporate well 

into Flash/Director/QT).


We find Director, as well as CAD modules to be of the greatest use for 

active TSC, also using Flash, as well as basic HTML and PDF, too, but an 

awful lot of the most useful visual training is with QT/std.video. Plus, 

our work is primarily distributed on CD, though often presentations are 

d/l'd in a pinch.


Again, Flash will be useful for many things, such as animating the 

hydraulic flow grid of an automatic transmission/transfer case (one of 

the most repetitive works in that industry), or simple lessons in 

combustion/flow/aspiration/venting/etc, but you will be advised to have 

lots of controls for the user to center/reverse/repeat/zoom on a 

particular function, and also to be able to print at that point.


As for making them game-like, unless you know for a fact these are 

especially inept persons, I wouldn't insult them with a game-like 

environment. Most *real* mechanics (not simple parts-changers) are, and 

need to be, far more technically savvy than anyone here needs to be to 

run Flash. Try readjusting a '98 California Olds for altitude in 

Colorado, or running a MARS or SUN diganostic system, or programming a 

custom EPROM for better performance, if you want a lesson in how to use 

computers. With all due respect, many, if not most of these guys have 

been deeper into basic operating language than most of you.


Again, without knowing more about your project, and assuming the use is 

for more than just certification courses, my answer is to be taken with 

only my own extensive experience as a reference. Contact me directly if 

you would like more information about consulting/subcontracting.


Frederico


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