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Subject: Re: FLASH: OT : 10 new Generator Objects atFlash Exchange
From: Mike Chambers
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 15:42:26 GMT

It is true that you could build the Insert Tween demo using Flash 5, but
what if you wanted to allow the user to upload an image to insert in each
menu piece? Or perhaps you want to allow them to upload a sound that will
play when the user moves their mouse over a menu piece. Or maybe you want to
allow your users to create a menu specific to their site, and then allow
them to download it so they can use it on their site? You need Generator to
do all of these things.

For instance I have thinking about creating a demo that will allow users to
upload a video file. I will then break the video file up into a bunch of
smaller images of each frame (probably using Java to do this), and using the
insert tween object, dynamically insert each frame into a looping menu like
the one mentioned above. Then when the user views the page, they can make
the menu scroll faster and faster until eventually the video will play. This
is similar to the effect done with the VW beetle site, and something that
Yugop showed off at Flash forward. Again, you would need Generator to do
this.

If you had 20 swfs and 1000 texts files, and they were only updated once a
week you would definitely want to use Generator (in offline mode in this
case). Do you really want to have to manually update / republish 20 swfs
every single week? You could have Generator batch process your updates for
you, so all you would have to do is update you data (if it is not already
automatically updated).

There is a section on the differences between Flash 5 and Generator on the
Generator Faq at :

http://www.macromedia.com/software/generator/productinfo/faq/

As far as the 15 words or less, here is a little haiku i wrote (which also
demonstrates why i am a generator developer and not a poet) :

generator go
swiftly create your graphics
users have good time

hope that helps...

mike chambers

meshatmacromedia [dot] com


----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Willoughby" <paul_willoughbyatbeap [dot] co [dot] uk>
To: <flasheratchinwag [dot] com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2000 11:52
Subject: RE: FLASH: OT : 10 new Generator Objects atFlash Exchange


> Hi Mike,
>
> I've been looking at possibilities of generator recently, but I'm still
> not sure what it's most useful for. For example, the Insert Tween
> object looks really cool, but the example seems odd to me. I've just
> made a similar scrolling menu with all the URL's in a seperate text
> file. The FLA could be extended to build it's own menus based purely on
> the contents of this text file, without Generator or ASP, so under what
> circumstances would it be useful to use Generator for this (esp.
> considering the cost for the enterprise edition)?
>
> I know it's just a demo of the possibilities, but this is what I'm still
> having problems getting my head round. Say, for example, I had 20 SWF's
> and 100 text files of supporting data for each SWF. The text is updated
> weekly, but the SWF's might only change once a month. Would there be any
> point putting this kind of structure into Generator?
>
> Here's what I really want to know...Can you explain in 15 words or less
> ;-) the point of Generator?
>
> Cheers!
>
> paul
>
> Mike Chambers wrote on 29 November 2000:
>
> > 10 new Generator objects have been released on the Flash Exchange. You
> > may view and download them at :
> >
> > http://dynamic.macromedia.com/bin/MM/exchange/flash/main.jsp
> >
> > Below is a description of the objects which have been released.
> >
> > Insert Actions - This objects allows the user to dynamically insert
> > certain Action Script commands into a Flash movie.
> >
> > Insert Date / Time - Makes the server's date or time available for use
> > in a Generator template. Useful, for letting users know when content
> > was last updated, or version control during development. See
> > http://www.markme.com/~mesh/insertTime_demo.jsp for a demo.
> >
> > Insert Flash Variables - This object allows users to use Generator to
> > dynamically insert flash 4 arrays into a Flash movie. Users can then
> > use this object in place of middle ware to dynamically pull data into
> > their movies on the client side. This has the benefits of not
> > requiring the user to have to know a middle ware language, providing
> > the ability to completely work within the Flash / Generator authoring
> > environment, and the ease of loading and working with Flash data
> > structures (Flash 4 arrays).
> >
> > Insert Image - This allows users to dynamically insert images into a
> > Flash movie regardless of the file type (png, jpg, or gif). Currently,
> > you have to use a separate Generator object for each image type. Now
> > you only have to use one.
> >
> > Insert Text - This allows the user to dynamically insert text into a
> > Flash movie and dynamically set its attributes (such as font type,
> > size, color, etc...).
> >
> > Insert Tweens - This object dynamically inserts multiple symbols into
> > a Flash movie and allows you to dynamically place motion, scale and
> > rotation tweens on those symbols. It can be used in a similar way to
> > the Plot object, but with multiple symbols. See
> > http://www.markme.com/~mesh/InsertTween.jsp for a demo..
> >
> > Select Box - This object dynamically creates html like select boxes.
> >
> > Tree Menu - This object creates expandable, very complex tree /
> > hierarchical menus.
> >
> > XML Column Data Source - This object allows the user to use certain
> > formats of XML as a data source for Generator objects. (does not
> > currently work on the Mac) See :
> > http://www.markme.com/~mesh/XMLColumn.jsp
> >
> > Insert Slashdot News - This object allows the user to use an XML news
> > feed from Slashdot.org (a technology news site), as a data source for
> > Generator. (does not currently work on the Mac) See :
> > http://www.markme.com/~mesh/slashdot.jsp
> >
> >
> > Have fun...
> >
> > Mike Chambers
> >
> > meshatmacromedia [dot] com
> >
>
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> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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> November 27-29, 2000, LONDON, National Film Theatre
>
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> -http://www.flashforward2000.com or UK tel. +44 (0870) 751 1526
> Register before November 10 and save £200
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>


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
flasher is generously supported by...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
flashforward2000 and the Flash(tm) Film Festival
November 27-29, 2000, LONDON, National Film Theatre

Produced by United Digital Artists and lynda.com
-Sponsored by Macromedia, Adobe Systems and Apple Computer
-http://www.flashforward2000.com or UK tel. +44 (0870) 751 1526
Register before November 10 and save £200
http:// www.flashforward2000.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to
http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email helpatchinwag [dot] com


Replies
  RE: FLASH: OT : 10 new Generator Objects, Paul Willoughby

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