U9d1 Adding a Preloader

Adding a preloader to your project provides visual feedback to someone while a movie is being downloading and prevents the movie from playing until all the frames are downloaded. After completing this unit's readings, and completing your bandwidth tests, create and add your preloader to your project. Write a summary of the experience. Post your project draft and summary.
Review your classmates' preloaders and summaries and provide critiques to one or more learners.

 I think some of the example preloaders were helpful in a way but none of them really explained how to connect the preloaders to our own swf movies.

The first preloader I used was one that was based on timing (you put how many seconds you wanted the progress bar to grow but the problem with that is that the file could load before or after that so it is not really a progress bar -- it's just an animated movie clip).

It is at the URL: http://rbloodworth.com/5514/preloaderDynamic1A.htm

I ended up using the example that Chris provided (thanks Chris!) but on my computer my movie was loading so fast that I could not see the motion of the bar (I guess it's good that it is loading that fast though). It was the same when I played the .swf file in the percentPreloader example also and the example in the Flash Bible too. At first in the third frame of the actions layer I put a �get URL� action directed toward my TS5514 project main page but I did not put a �stop� action at the end and new windows with the movie kept popping up so I had to shut off my computer to make that action stop. Then I put the �get URL� action followed by �stop� and it worked fine after that. So, everyone should be sure to include a stop action at the end.

That one is at: http://rbloodworth.com/5514/percentPreloaderNew.htm .

My url was at: http://vle1.capella.edu/125836
but is now at http://rbloodworth.com/5514/Splash1New2AAA.htm so you can start there at the index > then to TS5514 Splash > then to the Preloader > then to the Home Page. ----- Richard

Incidentally, I added (yesterday) a new preloader since the initial posting and it was at:

http://vle1.capella.edu/125836/Splash1New2AAA.htm then click the �Enter TS 5514� button. Richard

 Ron Ivers Action Script for a preloader:

 onClipEvent (enterFrame) {

if (_parent.getBytesLoaded() == _parent.getBytesTotal())
            {
              _parent.nextFrame();
            }

    else
            {
              numPercent = Math.round((_parent.getBytesLoaded() / _parent.getBytesTotal())*100);
              percent.text = numPercent + "%";
             }
}

U9d2 Project draft

Review project drafts of at least two classmates' projects, then write a two-paragraph critique for each. Review one classmate's project drafts and discuss final questions and concerns

My preliminary draft for my experimental Flash project is at Splash1New2AAA.htm (by clicking on TS5514 Project). The squares will become links to other pages.

Also, for a more traditional layout, if you want, you can also take a look at a website for an interface design class at Capella which also uses quite a bit of Flash content at: http://rbloodworth.com/5514/ED722HomePage1.htm
Richard

 Addition: I meant to add in the previous posting that, after reading about streaming, I think the game board looks and works best when from within a Real Player viewer (free download) by going to File>Open>and then entering the URl which is

http://rbloodworth.com/5514/TS5514GameBoard1AA.htm for the game board or

rbloodworth.com/5514/Splash1New2AAA.htm for the splash screen. ----- Richard

Address change: You can enter my site at Splash1New2AAA.htm --- Richard

One of my goals is to reduce the file size. On my computer the site loads very quickly but I guess that is because it is already in my computer's system. I didn't think five megabytes would take that long to load but I hope I can find a way to speed up the downloading process. I don't want to sacrifice some of the graphic ideas though. May I ask what you mean by a catch method?

You mentioned about the external pages from the site should pop up in smaller windows. That is what I had in mind in designing it and that is what occurs when it is viewed within the Real Player that I mentioned. I've got quite a bit more items to incorporate into it but they will be external pages. Thank you for your comments ----- Richard

Comment to Jon: I think your project has a calm atmosphere to it and soothing sounds with nice transitions between the images as well. I am wondering if you are planning to make the pull down menus into links to other pages. I would like to try that myself on some other projects I am doing but I have not found a way to make that happen. ----- Richard

Comment to Christopher: I'm sure the people at Strineth Creations are pleased with your design. I really like the movie clip actions that occur when the mouse rolls over the menu items. And I like the way the text enters the stage from the left. I think the muted tones, curved shapes, and mellow sounds also have a calming effect. ----- Richard

Comment to Allen: I like the electricity splash button and the view of the city from up above gives a thrilling feeling to the splash page and a foretaste of the videos of the aerodynamic thrill rides inside the site. One thought I have concerning the site is that on my computer screen the images (splash page and home page) are in the upper left of the screen and I think they would look better if they were centered. Enjoyed looking at your site, ------ Richard

Letter to tech support: I was looking at my 5506 file which is ProjectTriangle10 checking the buttons and actions to remind myself how they were done. At one point I looked at the html file of this image through Dreamweaver and I pressed F12 to look at the file through a browser. I pressed the link buttons but since I was not connected to the Internet at the time I got a message that that page could not be displayed. There might have been some other action causing this too but since that time now when I press F12 in Dreamweaver or Ctrl-Enter while in the .fla file to produce the .swf file the image displayed does not have the letters and images which also serve as buttons.

The site with that file was previously at http://vle1.capella.edu/125836/index10.htm is working fine since it was uploaded previously. When I look at the .fla of the index10 file everything looks fine but when I look at the .swf file by pressing Ctrl-Enter the lettering does not show. So I am concerned that if I try to upload it again sometime in the future that the letters will not show. I am sending the .fla and .swf files so that you can take a look yourself and see if everything is OK.