FLASH: Flash or DHTML

[Mark Gerber]

I'm developing a portfolio to be distributed on CD using Navigator 4.06

(the Flash plug in is included). I have seen quite a few exciting things

done with Flash and would like to incorporate some of those elements to

navigate my "site." However, I'm wondering if what I want to do can't just

as easily be done in DHTML. I wouldn't use any Javascript except what's

easliy available from within GoLive CyberStudio 3.


All the images in the portfolio are JPEGs. They've been saved in varying

sizes to allow some "zooming." As such, there are nearly 500 images

totaling 21 mb (there are 8 artists involved). Seems like that would make a

rather large Flash movie.

The navigation area is consistent from page to page; a sort of upside down

U over the image display area. It will be a graphical indication of where

you are within the presentation as well as being used to move from image to

image to artist to artist. Hopefully.

Each artist has groups of images. I've designed a series of buttons that

I'd like to not only indicate where you are, but where you've been (for

instance, the red dot is where you are, the gray ones are where you've

been, and the black ones are where you can go). Can a Flash button be

configured to remain in a certain


I haven't quite grasped Flash yet, so I was wondering under what sort of

circumstances it might be better to use Flash over DHTML? It seems that

most of what I'd want to do could be done in floating layers and rollover

images. Not getting terribly sophisticated here.

Are there speed/loading issues?

Since all the images are bitmapped, the advantage of vector based art for

zooming is lost. Would this be the only advantage Flash might have in this

sort of application?


Apologies if the answer to these questions is "Hey, bud! Read the manual!"

I've done that and I think I've read most of the stuff at MacroMedia's

Flash Developer site.

Maybe this could all be distilled down to "When should I choose to use Flash?"

Thanks for any advice on the subject.


 Mark Gerber

GERBER STUDIO/Tradigital Illustration


Mark Gerber

GERBER STUDIO/Tradigital Illustration




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