Re: FLASH: 5 questions regarding Flash and Director

[Tom Green]

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Kurt Dommermuth wrote:


> 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?

> It is called a film loop. The levels thing could refer to the score or a

lingo

> call to an "exetrnal" Director movie.


>

> 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.


You can do the same thing in Director using the random function in lingo.


>

>

> 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.


Director come packaged with some cool ones but there is a lot of imaging

lingo

that will allow you to manipulate the objects, themselves, in rather

fascinating

ways.


>

>

> 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.


You aren't in Director, either. You can go linear but Lingo allows you to

move

inside the movie and outside of the movie in a non linear fashion.Lingo

allows

you to call the movies and move around in them in such a way that they  will

play in a random manner. Did for a kiosk we developed a couple of years ago.


>

>

> 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.


You don't need to. Just tell the playback head where to go when it leaves a

frame.


> 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?


You betcha!


>

>

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

> Flash perspective?


Director Demystified by Jason Roberts (Peachpit). Director 8 Special Edition

by

Gary Rosenzwieg (Que). Director 8 and Shockwave Fast and Easy by me.(Prima)

If

you want to get right at Lingo then get Gary's book. A really great web

resource

is also  http://www.director-online.com/


>

>

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

> call bitmaps from a database?


The database is the cast. You can have an internal and  external casts and

call

from them.


>

>

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

> into Director will be available?


My chicken entrails are still at the cleaners.


>

>

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


I know a lot people that went the other way and are still sticking needles

in

their eyeballs trying to figure out Actionscripting.


> 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)?


Straight up about one mile. Levels off for six inches and goes straight up

for

another mile. Seriously Director is not that difficult to learn. What is

difficult is the programming language- Lingo. If you want to incorporate

Digital

Video and robust media handling and space is not a concern then Director is

for

you.


>

>

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

> appreciate hearing them.

>

> Thank-you very much!



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