Interactive CD ROM design and build - where to start? 1

[Sneferu]

Has anybody out there got any advice for someone like me that wants to build an interactive CD ROM? I'm a newbie at flash but have designed quite a few decent layered photoshop images. I want to use them as the front end interfaces of the CD.

I know if I applied some flash I could have interactive menus, pages and animation, but I've got a whacking great database file, how do I connect the database to the flash designed front end interfaces, on the CD ROM?

I've had nightmares worrying about how the whole things clicks together.

Is there any software out there that moulds or constructs the whole thing for you? Is it Director, or something else I've not heard of?

Where do I start?

I'd appreciate e-community help on this...many thanks!!

Sneferu

 

[deecee]

you need to know asp for the dbase
as for what you want yeah its possible...lot of work but possible sometimes i just cant take it...then i realize its already to late

 

[ironyx]

ASP wouldn't work on a CD though...I don't think. It is server side java/vb script and there isn't a server client type app. I would think you would need to work on something more like C++, VB, or if you did an XML with the Actionscript. XML would work with your data(base) and you could have the Actionscript to make your logical decisions. Maybe there is a look into SQL queries written into Actionscript although I don't know of that works really. I know this was really just a ramble but I hope it at least adds to the confusion...I mean ideas.

Good Luck!
Va.

 

[Sneferu]

cheers to VA and Ironyx, looks like some programming tutorials for a while then!

 

[Sneferu]

Okay, say I have around 12 months free to start learning all about programming - I know lots of basics about some stuff but no less about everything.

Can anybody out there describe a schedule to start to learn programming? e.g., steps 1 thru 10 to learn programming !! please help !

love2all

 

[ironyx]

Well, it was like that for me. I tried to learn too much at first so make sure you don't try to learn everything at once, like me. I would start with what you want to work on primarily. I know if you are interested in the macromedia products, Cold Fusion which is a nice scripting type language with Object Oriented capabiltites is very mature with its capabilities. The actionscript of Flash will be able to take you pretty far but has some strange quirks.
I have some C++, Javascript, Cold Fusion and am learning XML and Actionscript. It has been good for me so far but I must say I couldn't do much with an interactive CD at this point.

http://www.w3schools.com/default.asp

has some in depth FREE tutorials.

hope this helps!

 

[flatback]

The lovely thing about a CDROM is that you have lots of space in which to put all the files you need. How would you view the database if you were doing a PowerPoint presentation, or printing it on to sheets of paper?

Director is the best way of designing CDROMs, it was designed for it, and very good it is too, even though you do have to get your head around some scripting pretty early on, there’s plenty of books out there and you can always find free “behaviors” for doing what you need.

When it boils down to it, can’t you just present your data in nice looking pages, and have links and buttons to allow the user to navigate through the site?

Did you know that you can embed Flash files into PowerPoint and write a .exe for you to load on to a CDROM? The viewer will need PP and Flash Player (ActiveX) on his machine, however. With Director, the user needs nothing, just a CDROM drive.

I recently completed a CDROM presentation starting off with no knowledge of Director at all, and OK there were some frustrating times when I had to call all the forums, but I got there in the end.

Good luck with your project.

 

[Sneferu]

cheers flatback...will look into Director.