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1. Re: What makes flash site small?
Ned Murphy Nov 10, 2011 9:27 AM (in response to nikolaig)Content is content, so in terms of a "site", the only thing you can do for the content is to optimize it for the purpose it is intended to serve. But optimizing a "file" (a Flash swf file) is usually best managed by dynamically loading all the heavy content instead of storing it in the swf. You can easily have a file that is very small (KB range instead of MB range) that still processes all of the site content you have in the 4MB, but you do not have to place all that content in the swf.
If you go into your Flash Publish Settings you wil see an option for generating a size report. If you select that option, when you publish your file you will get a report in the output panel that details everything in your file and the file weight it contributes. You should find that the heaviest content involves the images, sounds, and videos that you include in the swf.
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2. Re: What makes flash site small?
nikolaig Nov 10, 2011 9:34 AM (in response to Ned Murphy)Thanks for answering,
So it means if my page has 20 buttons and all of them are images I should go into each button image and have it as a UI Loader on the Up, Over, Down Stages inside the button?
Is it possible that if the page is too image intense it would take way too long to load up, so it is kind of better for a user to wait just once in the beginning rather than each time a section is clicked?
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3. Re: What makes flash site small?
Ned Murphy Nov 10, 2011 9:42 AM (in response to nikolaig)The last thing I want to do is make a user wait for something to start. When I am confronted with waiting for something to load, my tendency is to lose interest and leave.
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4. Re: What makes flash site small?
nikolaig Nov 10, 2011 9:57 AM (in response to Ned Murphy)yes, yes of course. This is the reason behind my post. I do have to have a
content to show, content seems to be piling up. So hence the question what
is the best way to handle the content.
Most obvious which was done was to make it to the size it is intended to be
on the screen, proper png settings, etc.
Once it is done are there any other major methods.
Just wanted to confirm if buttons are all images does it make sense to have
button stages as UI Loaders?
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5. Re: What makes flash site small?
Ned Murphy Nov 10, 2011 10:05 AM (in response to nikolaig)My first response stands as far as what needs to be done to optimize a Flash file.... load as needed rather than all at once. If you can avoid using png's and use jpg's you might save alot of file weight as well.
I would not load all kinds of images into buttons, I would use movieclips instead if I needed to have buttons that load images into themselves. You won't be able to code a UILoader into a button as far as I know.
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6. Re: What makes flash site small?
nikolaig Nov 10, 2011 10:18 AM (in response to Ned Murphy)O.K. Thanks for the tip on using the JPG. I kind of was stuck on PNG as they supposetevly give better image quality
A follow up question on using MC in button stages: If I were to create an MC which would go into button stages I still need to have an image present at the base of an MC. Wouldn't I eventually end up with the same images jsut in a different way?
Please explain how would it make it better?
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7. Re: What makes flash site small?
Ned Murphy Nov 10, 2011 1:37 PM (in response to nikolaig)Just in case I wasn't clear, I was not saying to use mc's in button stages, but to use mc's as buttons (instead of button symbols).
When it comes to image quality, you really need to be your own best judge as to where it matters and wghere it doesn't. You can get very good image quality with a jpeg and you can do it with alot less file weight than a png. Though I do not know what purpose your buttons are serving, I would guess the image quality for them is not at all critical.
Also, you can more easily optimize a jpeg (using Photoshop or some other software) while still controlling the quality level as well. To my knowledge, which is limited to my experience, optimizing a png involves using the posterization tool of Photoshop (or similar techniques" which can probably very quickly bring your quality down.
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8. Re: What makes flash site small?
nikolaig Nov 11, 2011 6:52 AM (in response to Ned Murphy)Thank you, I understand now. Image quality is at my own discretion. I am
the best judge of what I see on the screen. I went through the files and
was able to shave off 0.5MB in size.
Could you please tell me why it is better to use mc instead of buttons,
rather than buttons.
Is this the best code for creating mc buttons:
// Btn1 Over function
function amimated_btnOver(event:MouseEvent):void {
amimated_btn.gotoAndPlay("over"); // go into btn1 movieclip and play the
over frame label
}
// Btn1 Out function
function amimated_btnOut(event:MouseEvent):void {
amimated_btn.gotoAndPlay("out"); // go into btn1 movieclip and play the out
frame label
}
// Btn1 Down function
function amimated_btnDown(event:MouseEvent):void {
//this.gotoAndPlay("myLabel"); // play any frame label in any movieclip
}
// Btn1 listeners
amimated_btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.ROLL_OVER, amimated_btnOver);
amimated_btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.ROLL_OUT, amimated_btnOut);
amimated_btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, amimated_btnDown);
What is your opinion on creating buttons using tweener engine?
Thanks


