FLASH: 5 questions regarding Flash and Director

[Kurt Dommermuth]

Hi List,


I am working on a "movie" that will play on a plasma monitor.  The computer 

that drives it can be as big and bad-ass as I want.  I've started this 

project in Flash and all is well except that now that I'm not developing 

for the web and don't have those pesky processor/download limitations I'm 

feeling limited creatively by Flash.


The main thing I feel I'm missing in Flash is the ability to incorporate 

Video and 3D and also the lovely smooth way Director seems to handle bitmaps.


I researched Director and downloaded the demo and though there are many 

things that are promising there are also many things that are overwhelming.


I've got doubts and questions about learning a new piece of software and 

I'm hoping that the wonderful minds and personalities on this 

list/community can help.


1.  Is there some sort of equivalent to Movie Clip and _levels of Flash in 

Director?


I think I'm asking the right question but to ensure clarity I hope you 

don't mind if I explain the specific need...


Currently, in Flash, I've structured my movie in such a way that it will 

remain very flexible in terms of adding new movies later on.  My movie is 

comprised of approximately 30 different movies and will ultimately use 

hundreds.  The main movie on _level0 controls them all via neat little 

random scripts.  This thing will be looping all day so I wanted to make it 

as random as possible to keep it fresh and to minimize repetition.


Some of the movies are simply bitmaped images that I can shuffle through 

and display randomly.


Some of the movies are transitions whose sole purpose is to play on top of 

the bitmaps and reveal and conceal them in a (hopefully)cool way.


Some of the movies are semi-longish animations espousing the various 

virtues of my product.


One of the features of Flash that I find really useful is that I'm not 

restrained to a linear time line.  I'm happy because I can stop the main 

time line and play the above MCs all day.  Sometimes singularly, sometimes 

in tandem.


I want a lot of what Director can do, but from what I understand so far it 

is linear.  I fear I can't pause the main timeline, to play my random 

movies.  I'm guessing that I'm just not understanding what Director can do 

correctly.  Surely I can accomplish in Director the flexibility and 

randomness I've accomplished in Flash.


Right?


2.  Does anyone know of good info for people coming to director with a 

Flash perspective?


3.  Is there a Generator like ability inherent in Director?  Can director 

call bitmaps from a database?


4.  Does anyone have any idea when the ability to import Flash 5 movies 

into Director will be available?


5.  Have any of you started with Flash and then learned Director?  What is 

the learning curve like?  Any advice?  Is the logic of the scripting 

similar.  Is it worth it or should I continue my quest to be the consummate 

Flash guru (like in the next millennium)?


sorry for the long post.  If you any thoughts on the above I would really 

appreciate hearing them.


Thank-you very much!


Kurt

http://www.dommermuth-1.com



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