Week 8
February 24, 2008
Today we mainly worked on our projects (see main project blogs – which all start with PROJECT in title). We also looked at how to upload our final projects on to the web. To demonstrate this our tutor showed us how to upload our .swf files by placing them on a web page.
He showed us how to define a site in Dreamweaver (following the intuitive instructions in the opening panels) but pointing the site to a folder containing our .swf files (and any external files required to run it that such as those that are created when video is uploaded to Flash – but NOT the .fla files) and using the advanced tab you have to fill in the fttp details for the server (our tutor has provided us with space and details of the server and password to put our work on – these need to be entered into Dreamweaver).
Once this has been achieved, within the folders panel you need to create a page and place the .swf file on that page (along with any other graphics or introduction perhaps that you would want to be hosted with it) by going to insert media – flash – and selecting it from your folder (or it is possible to just drag it in). For our purposes we will be calling that page index.html as that will be all our website will consist of.
Then you have to upload your site to a server. Much of this is intuitive in Dreamweaver. Simply click on the icon above the folders panel that says show local and remote sites. Once this is open at our tutor’s server you will have two panels – the folders in the server on the left – the folders in your website/Dreamweaver project on the right. To place our IDM projects on line we need to put our work into our own folder on the server – this will be inside the web folder and then inside the IDM folder.
Project work
We spent much of the tutorial time working on our projects which raised serveral questions. I had done a large amount of work between the last tutorial and this one in order that I could find what problems I was going to come across and raise them with my tutor.
It was great to be able to have the tutor on hand to double check we were heading in the right direction and to give us a clue when he hit problems. As we have only gone to level three in flash it is easy to want to do things that are not possible with the knowledge we have and while some external study is possible it is good to have the tutor still on hand to advise us if we are aiming at something that is light years ahead of what we have learned.
I was able to progress my project well in the tutorial. See project blogs for full detail.
One key reminder I was able to get during the tutorial was that if you break text apart, then break it apart again the letters become shapes (which you could morph etc if you wanted) – but you can then put it the text into a symbol and it becomes a ‘graphic’ rather than just text and so it will appear the same on any computer, no matter what fonts are on it.
February 27, 2008 at 11:55 am |
Bev, remember, this is technically non a Flash course, but an Intro to digital media where you combine a range of skills using Flash as the “gel”. Of course, it may not always feel like this, especially when you are spending so much time with the Flash software. Remember to re-read the brief and make sure you have covered most of the main points.
Also, regarding the ‘breaking apart’ of symbols, remember we can add shape hints to the tweens. This can be achieved be accessing: modify > shape > shape hint.
Again, you have made great progress but please remember, the final deadline is Friday 7th March. Please ensure the following:
You have submitted your final Project with any development work. I also want you to ensure you have submitted both the .swf and the .fla file.
Ensure you have also submitted any other development/experimentation work; both paper-based and digital, including ‘The Hungry Frog’.
All work must be submitted to BSS on a CD-ROM in neat, named and ordered folders. Please remember to consult the Assessment Criteria on the Assignment Brief to ensure you have met the main areas in your submission.