Re: FLASH: How to write down your plans...

[Marc Hoffman, Poison Dart Frog Media]

At 06:59 AM 6/14/00 , you wrote:


>I'd just like to know how all of you make plans and things like "storybooks"

>for your projects?. What I mean is: Flash itself isn't hard to understand,

>but the structure of a flash-project can sometimes be rather complicated

>with buttons within movieclips, different scripts and so on.


Good question, I think.


Well, it helps first of all to have a good system for creating and naming 

layers, and using lots of comments (not labels, which get exported and cost 

bytes). Having a dual monitor system is, I think, almost essential with 

Flash so you can use all the layers you need and still see the stage.


I've thought about putting all my production notes in an otherwise unused 

symbol (maybe a multi-page movie clip in a guide layer), but for the most 

part I just keep copious notes, including what I've added with every 

version of a project and when I created each version. I keep a list of 

movie clips, their instance names, and their label names. Also a list of 

variables and their purpose and maybe where they get set in the movie. 

Speaking of versions, I save a new one before starting any major change, 

and I keep copies daily on another drive (in fact, another machine). You 

just can't be too careful.


Keeping lots of notes sometimes seems cumbersome and time-consuming. But 

really it helps me to use my head more about what i'm doing, so it's a 

learning aid, not to mention saving time when revisions are needed in a few 

months.


Marc Hoffman


Poison Dart Frog Media

Flash portfolio: http://www.dartfrogmedia.com/portfolio



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