Dynamic GIF files?

[blended]

Does anyone know how to load an external image into flash so that it can be dynamically updated by the end user? I'd hate to have to get into actual html and stuff at this point in the game, though I can if I have to. This guy wants to be able to change images which have static links. Perhaps xml could do it? I've already given him a lot to work with as all of the text is in xml or .txt files, but this would be the icing on the cake.

Thanks and a couple stars to anyone who tells me how to do this one.

Blended

 

[PetitPal]

Do you mean dynamically as in load the image into Flash and then allow the use to edit it? Explain a bit further and I'll see what I can think up. =)

PetitPal.

 

[davdesign]

hi Blended

Don't know about dynamically importing images 'into Flash'. But one of my clients has requested a form of altering the images/text on his HTML site (online) without paying my outrageous fee for a couple of minutes work.

I came up with an online flash-engine-type which utilised a PHP3 script to rewrite the HTML of the page in question, to include the various images/text selected and entered. The only drawback thus far is that I don't really trust my client to optimize all the images for the Internet, so all the images have to be uploaded by myself anyway. But it does remove the HTML code rewriting from my point of view, and if he screws up, well, I can't get sued and he may well end up paying more for me to fix his mistakes! ;-)

Anyway, having said all that, the files were lost by the virus incident. Get that e-mail address to me and I'll forward the files to you when they are recovered from the HDD they are on (if you are interested that is).

ciao for now
dave davdesign@pinkzeppelin.com

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[blended]

No, I mean linking to an external gif file from within an .swf. It would be like calling a variable from a text file from outside of the flash movie, but instead of calling text, it calls an image to replace the existing one. I'm told it can be done with generator, but for $1,000 it should be able to, I think. THis is just beyond the scope of the project. I tried using transparent flash movies to allow you to see the background image, because then all you'd have to do is update the background image file, but since flash won't expand to the edge of the html page, it looks naff. Who knows? Maybe it can be done with xml or even text variables, but flash when you import graphics into it, always saves the origninal in the library, and I don't know if you can set up a script to update library members. I suppose that's what I want to do. Anyhow, I'm sure the much anticipated flash six will be able to do this for a few hundred more dollars. Thanks, though, dav

Blended

 

[blended]

Just so all of you know. A good work around has been achieved. It works like this:

Client wants to be able to update a website including text and images. The text is no problem, but as for images, all you have to have them do is this:

Have them choose whatever image they want, then crop out the white edges in photohop, or edit it or whatever. No need to worry about file sizes here because Adobe Illustrator can publish to .swfs. They just need to open their image file (bmp, jpg, pdd, or what have you) into an appropriately sized Illustrator page and then export it as a swf with the exact same name as the file they want to replace. They can choose gif settings on export, and you have the main flash movie call the external file into a target underneath a button set to 0 Alpha. I'm amazed at how well it works. 1/2 second loads and stuff like that.

Boom! Easy! If people really want to update images, they'd need these tools anyway just to create them, and then
even if they don't have Illustrator they probably know someone who does, and you don't have to worry too much about them making the file too big. Just give all the details to them in their web structure hierarchy.

I hope someone else out there can use this bit of informaton.

 

[Bastien]

Hi everyone,

there is also a nice way odoing this with Generator - it allows variable to be placed on the page and then the item is loaded dynamically...

Basiten

 

[blended]

Bear in mind that generator is VERY expensive and requires your server to buy and install the generator server. I"m not sure how widespread it's use is, but I don't think it's too common.