Stage size + Publish settings

[NIA2]

Hi everyone,

I need to create a presentation in flash, ie. similar to a powerpoint slide type project. The problem is that I'm not sure what size to make the stage. Do I need to make it the same as the resolution of the computer it will be played from, ie. 640 x 480, 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768? Or do I need to know the size of the screen the movie will be projected onto?

Also, I'll be creating the presentation in flash on my mac computer but it will be displayed on a PC - do I need to publish the movie as a Windows Projector (.exe) file or is the flash player installed already on all PCs?

Would really appreciate any advice.

Thanks

 

[iranor]

Well, what's nice with flash, it's its portability. PCs, Linux, MAC all have Flash Player, so you shouldn't have any problem moving your swf file around. The same swf can be read on the 3 types of machine.

For the size, it depends on the audience you plan to target. I'm creating a game, so i'll make it 800*600 because it's the minimal size we'll encounter, but 1024*768 is the standard nowadays.

So, 1027*768 would be the best for you, I suppose.

 

[NIA2]

Thanks for the info. The problem is that the presentation won't be displayed on the web - it'll be projected from a laptop onto a large screen, the size of which I don't know, so does that mean I have to know the resolution of the laptop?

 

[bluntbill]

Your presentation must meet the resolution of the laptop that'll be connected to the projector. If the laptop has a resolution of 1024x768, you make your swf with that size. When you plug the projector, the image will be what you see on your laptop, so the bigger the swf size, the more space it will fill in the projector.

Hope it helps you out.

 

[NIA2]

Thanks for clearing that up!

 

[kennethkawamoto]

Use fscommand "fullscreen" - this will fill the screen no matter what resolution the screen will be. You just cannot assume the playback resolution.

Create a Projector EXE - you cannot assume whether the playback machine will have Flash Stand Alone Player of the right version. Also you don't want window frame with title bar - unless it's fullscreen you'll get that. You have to use PC to create a PC Projector EXE but you can create it from SWF made in Mac.

If you use "fullscreen" the original Stage size does not matter, but I'd go for 1024 x 768. One issue is that the playback monitor ratio may not be 4:3, especially if it's a laptop. Therefore you have to make sure your animation etc extends beyond the Stage frame so that it accommodates widescreen etc.

Kenneth Kawamoto

http://www.materiaprima.co.uk

 

[NIA2]

Thanks for the extra info. Just a few points: you were saying that you need a PC to create the Projector EXE file - not sure what you mean here because there's an option in the publish settings in Flash mac that allows a Windows Projector (.exe) file to be created.

I'm not sure what you mean abou the playback monitor ratio not being 4:3. I published a test file as a projector, and used fscommand("fullscreen", true) to make it fullscreen. When I tested, fullscreen worked fine but I noticed that it was showing elements of the animation which were positioned outside the stage area - the animation I had created had a block of text animating in from off the stage into the middle of the stage and you can see the text block off stage even before it comes in. This doesn't happen when it's shown in a browser - is there any reason why it's showing it as a projector file? I should mention though that this test file is not the correct aspect ratio, ie. it's portrait rather than lanscape - the final presentation will be 1024 x 768 as you suggest

 

[kennethkawamoto]

> is there any reason why it's showing it as a projector file?

The Stage in Flash Projector does not fill the entire screen/window and areas around the Stage is visible. That's why you have to extend elements beyond the Stage.

You're right that Flash can create PC EXE from Mac. I've never used it, as I don't trust it. At the end of the day I have to test in a PC anyway, I use PC to create PC Projector.

Kenneth Kawamoto

http://www.materiaprima.co.uk

 

[oldnewbie]

Or mask the whole stage (in fact the whole movie), so that elements outside the stage don't show up.

Regards. COMING SOON - Web Design

TO GET YOUR OWN FREE WEBSITE HOSTING

 

[NIA2]

I've created another test file where the stage is 1024 x 768. Again text is just animating in from off the stage. When played in fullscreen mode in the Projector all is fine, ie. I can't see anything offstage before it animates on. Can I assume that if it looks okay onscreen on the computer, that the presentation will project okay onto the audience screen? I mean is it true to say that whatever I see on the computer will be the same as what the audience will see on the large screen when it's projected?

 

[kennethkawamoto]

What you see on the screen is what you get on the projected screen. But your screen may not be the same as your client's screen - well you're on Mac and your client's on PC for a start! So do not take the Stage as viewable area.

You can place the whole movie under the mask as well, as oldnewbie's post. But then you'll see the background colour around the Stage/mask area and therefore not quite "full screen", also if you want to change the background colour in the middle of your presentation your new background colour does no longer match with the colour area outside of the mask. For these reasons I personally prefer not going for the mask option. But it may work for you, I don't know.

Kenneth Kawamoto

http://www.materiaprima.co.uk

 

[NIA2]

Okay, thanks for all your help.