Re: FLASH: Dynamic inserting images from external source

[Helen Triolo]

Alternately, Dino also suggested that you could use Swift Generator

(http://www.swift-tools.com) to convert images to swf's in real time.

Swift Gen if free to use if you display their logo, and $100 otherwise.


Regards,

Helen


Matt Coyne wrote:

> 

> maybe the answer to your prayers [and maybe the answer to your original post.

> 

> all credit to dino...

> 

> At 1:13 pm -0800 3/3/00, Dino Giacomazzi wrote:

>

>From: "Dino Giacomazzi" <dinovirtualabandon [dot] com>

>

>To: <flasherchinwag [dot] com>

> >Subject: Re: FLASH: make flash read image from db

> >Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2000 13:13:59 -0800

> >X-Priority: 3

>

>Sender: ownerchinwag [dot] com

>

>Reply-To: flasherchinwag [dot] com

> >X-Website: http://www.chinwag.com

> >Status: U

> >

> >>  for a designer turned programmer [don't laugh] it still doesn't sound

> >easy.

> >

> >Matt,

> >

> >I read my post again and it is pretty vague...let me see if i can do

> >better...

> >

> >Here is step by step instructions on one possible scenario:

> >

> >Assuming you don't know perl and don't want to take the time to tinker with

> >swiftGen do the following.

> >

> >Assuming all your image files are the same size or similar in size and

> >shape...

> >    1. create a movie clip in your main movie

> >    2. draw a box in the movie clip

> >    3. size the box to match your image size

> >    4. Center the box to the movie clip (CTL-K, check align to page & center

> >Hor & Ver)

> >    5. Place an instance of your new MC in the main movie and name it (I call

> >the movie clip Images & name it Images also)

> >

> >Next you need to create a new movie that will hold all your images.

> >

> >    1.  Create a new movie (I call it Image1.fla)

> >    2.  Modify the movie and change the dimentions of the stage to match your

> >image size (the size of the "Image" Movie clip you made in your main movie)

> >    3.  Next, Import all your graphics into this movie (CTL-R)

> >    4.  Drag one of the images from the Library and center it on the stage

> >    5.  Publish the movie

> >    6.  Select File:Save As (CTL-SHIFT-S) and name the movie Image2.fla

> >    7.  Delete the first image from the stage and drag another one from the

> >library and center it

> >    8.  Repeat steps 5-7 for as many images you have

> >

> >You can also name these files anything you want if you choose to load their

> >location from a variable set in your database...see below...

> >

> >Now you should have a bunch of swf's named Image1.swf, Image2.swf, and so

> >on.  Upload those Swf's to your server and put them in a place that is easy

> >to access.

> >I use a folder called "images" (believe it or not) in the same folder as my

> >main movie so i can path up to the files by simply typing

> >"images/Image1.swf"

> >

> >And now for the fun part...

> >

> >I have no idea how your movie is structured, so im just going to give a

> >simple example of one way to access these images...If you want me to be more

> >specific, email me and explain your situation or send me the FLA and i can

> >help you figure it out..

> >

> >so her it goes.

> >

> >In your main movie go to the location where you want the image to

> >load...lets assume you have a set of actions on the main timeline that pulls

> >data into a text field...you also want an image to appear relative to that

> >data.  You have placed an instance of the movie clip called "Images" along

> >with the textfield and have set up some sort of load variable command to get

> >the text...at this point there are two things you can do:

> >

> >Scenario 1

> >1.  create a field in your database called something like "imgURL"

> >2.  enter the absolute or relative path to the Image.swf file you created

> >earlier (either http://www.yourserver.com/flashdir/images/Image1.swf or

> >images/Image1.swf)

> >3.  when you load variables from the database, be sure to include the

> >"imgURL" variable field

> >4.  After the load variable action add a load Movie action like this....

> >

> >Load Movie (imgURL, "/images")

> >

> >5.  Be sure that the URL box is set to expression & enter imgURL

> >6.  Select Target (not Level) and path to the instance of your Images movie

> >clip (use the target editor)

> >

> >what happens here is that the new image.swf will replace the box you drew in

> >that movie clip...you can also load the movie into a button and put the box

> >in the Hit state...this is what i do makes it a little cleaner plus i can

> >use the image as a button...

> >

> >It may take a few seconds for the variables to load which may cause the load

> >movie action to miss the URL of the Image...

> >so you may need to create a "loop while" and set up a variable to detect

> >when the variables have been loaded,  (I can help you with this later)

> >

> >Scenario 2

> >The other option is to name the image SWF files sequentially and use an

> >expression to call them up like this:

> >

> >Load Movie ("Image" & ImageN & ".swf", "/images")

> >

> >ImageN is a Numeric variable that starts with 1  you can change this

> >variable at will by setting ImageN to 2 or ImageN + 1 or ImageN - 1

> >depending on which way you are going.

> >This is a little confusing and really depends on how you have your movie set

> >up, so im not going to say anymore about that.

> >

> >I hope this helps...

> >

> >If you 'd like to see an example of this, check out my first flash site at

> >

> >http://www.everlastlive.com/flash/

> >

> >then check the discography section on channel 3  all the images are loaded

> >this way

> >

> >Id also appreciate any feedback on the site...

> >

> >Thanks

> >

> >Dino

>

>dinovirtualabandon [dot] com

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >flasher is generously supported by...

> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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> >   "The World�s Premier Flash Solutions Conference and Expo"

> >  March 27-29, Nob Hill Masonic Center, San Francisco, California

> >

> >-Register before Feb 25 and save $200!!-- www.flashforward2000.com

> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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>

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> --

> 

> :  t  h  r  e  e  z  e  r  o  :

> 

> flasher is generously supported by...

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>      flashforward2000 and The Flash Film Festival

>   "The World�s Premier Flash Solutions Conference and Expo"

>  March 27-29, Nob Hill Masonic Center, San Francisco, California

> 

> -Register before Feb 25 and save $200!!-- www.flashforward2000.com

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

>

http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email helpchinwag [dot] com

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flasher is generously supported by...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     flashforward2000 and The Flash Film Festival

  "The World�s Premier Flash Solutions Conference and Expo"

 March 27-29, Nob Hill Masonic Center, San Francisco, California


-Register before Feb 25 and save $200!!-- www.flashforward2000.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email

helpchinwag [dot] com