Inserting Flash Files

[vyzer]

I noticed under an thread, that a few folks mentioned inserting Flash files via the Insert HTML function.

 

While I've used "1 Cool Menu FX Tool" - it creates the code to use in the Site Builder Pages.

 

I'm now experimenting with other Flash building programs but can't figure out how to get then working in my Site Builder web sites. They do not produce the code as FX Tool does.

 

Any help on this matter is greatly appreciated. I'm new to coding so I don't always immediately understand how to get things to function

 

Thanx!!!

 

vyzer

[TCH-Thomas]

Hi and welcome to the forum, vyzer.

 

Unfortunately I am not familiar with 1 Cool Menu FX Tool and have very little experience

with other flash builders, simply because I have never had any real use for it.

 

I am not really sure if you ask how to insert the code in to the insert html or if you are looking for other programs than the one mentioned above.

 

But if I have understood the few programs I have tried, the program will produce a code for you which are inserted in to the insert html feature of CSB, together with the files for the flash. I am not sure if there is a specific flash tutorial on Samanthas site, but it covers mostly anything you can do with CSB, so have a look and see if it have the answer.

 

If you are asking for other recommendations than the above program, hang on, some one will know.

 

Edit: I forgot the link first time, it´s now included.

Edited August 7, 2005 by TCH-Thomas

[TweezerMan]

Welcome to the forums, vyzer!

[TCH-Don]

Welcome to the forums, vyzer

[stevevan]

Welcome to the forums!

[Samrc]

GENERALLY SPEAKING

Programs that produce a FLASH swf file will produce the HTML to go with it. You may need to look for it a bit, but the program does provide it. Sometimes you need to FILE EXPORT an HTML page or save as an HTML page to preview your flash piece. If so, while previewing, you will be able to choose VIEW SOURCE from the toolbar in Internet Explorer. Look for the part of the code that starts with <OBJECT and ends with </EMBED> </OBJECT> and copy it. That is the code you will place into an INSERT HTML.

 

By the way... you talk about "Site Builder". Just want to clarify if you are using CuteSITE Builder (CSB) a pc-installed piece of software or an online website builder often known as "Site Builder"?

 

If using the online "Site Builder", then I can't help very much. That is a totally different program than CSB.

 

If using CSB, please take a look at KW's flash menu tutorial here: http://www.csbsupport.com/demo22/ it is for a different flash menu than the one you are trying to implement, but the instruction is basically the same.

 

You can either modify the code with ^GEMDIR/ and load your flash file into the insert HTML as KW instructs.

 

OR: insert your code, but do not modify it. Then upload the flash file to your website with FTP or using the built-in File Manager in your website control panel. I recommend the latter. Make sure the flash file is in the same directory folder as your webpages that call it. I prefer not using CSB to load my file (only inserting the code) so that if many pages use the same menu, it is only loaded ONCE to your website. Each page should have the code inserted, but each time, it will call the same flash file meaning that the second time it loads will be faster.

[vyzer]

sorry for not being more clear!

 

I already use the Menu FX Tool with Site Builder. It works great and exactly as you say -- it generates code that I simply paste into the Site Builder pages via the Insert HTML. No problem there.

 

I'm now trying to go beyond what the Menu FX Tool offers and am trying a new program called Xtivity which doesn't SEEM to generate this code. I thought I'm just not understanding the program but then I found some other Flash templates on the web that just offered the files with no code for embedding in the Site Builder.

 

So.... I'm hoping someone might say:

 

"sure, here's a code template - just insert the .swf name and such and use the Insert HTML command and you're good to go"

 

or maybe more realistically,:

 

"no, dummy! All flash programs produce the HTML code you seek. Go back and study the program some more."

 

Anything that points me in the right direction is helpful!!

 

 

Oh, By the way, "1 Cool Menu FX Tool" is really a neat program and works great with Site Builder. You can see a simple use of it at www.cburkephotography.com The site is underconstruction currently so things are changing on it. If you go to www.cburkephotography.com/newtestmenu4/ you'll see some alternative effects. (links aren't hooked up on that page). The whole site is made with Site Builder which I've used now for over 6 years (when it was still trellix).

 

thanx!

[vyzer]

Okay -- thanx Samrc!!!!

 

That's starting to point me in the right direction -- more work ahead!!

 

Yes it is CuteSite Builder I'm using and am excited about the eventual upgrade (about time!)

 

You folks are great!

 

Hi All!

 

vyzer

[TCH-Thomas]

I´m not sure if anyone uses Xtivity here (but we can always hope ), but I checked the Xtivity site to see if there was any help there where to look for the html-code generated from the program, but no luck.

However, I saw that they have their own forum so I would check in there and see if they can help, that combined with Samanthas instructions above, I think you will be able to do what you want.

[TCH-Rob]

Welcome to the forums, vyzer

[TCH-Bruce]

Welcome to the forums, vyzer

[Mission]

Hello, vyzer!

 

I've used Swish 2.0, SwishMax, Flash (to a limited extent), Mix-FX & Anim-FX. I'm not familiar with Xtivity. But in all the prgorams I've used except one, I was able to simply exchange the .swf info in the html with the new .swf files to publish them using CSB (or Trellix, when I had that) -- they all worked the same.

 

Anim-FX is different -- it requires a .txt file to be uploaded in the same directory along with the .swf & the html for the Flash file. But I use the INSERT-HTML code of CSB for them all. In the html code, I simple change the dimensions to the .swf I created, and change the name of the .swf after "^GEMDIR/". Sometimes I don't use "^GEMDIR" but upload the .swf separately. (I've gotten lazy lately and use GEMDIR almost exclusively now, though.)

 

You'll need to specify your background color, I guess. But other than that, if you have a .swf, you can use "generic" html code for .swf files to put it up. Unless you want to do special things like check for certain versions of the Flash/Shockwave player and all that kinda stuff. Then you're getting too complicated and I can't help there... The following represents some "generic" code -- which will work in Flash Player 4.0 and later, and warn people (I think) if they don't have a Flash player that they need to download one. Just substitute your values & data:

<html>

<head>

<title>YOUR WEB SITE NAME</title>

<meta name="description" content="WHAT YOU WANT SEARCH ENGINES TO READ FOR THE WEB PAGE">

<meta name="author" content="YOUR CO. OR YOUR NAME OR ALIAS ONLINE">

<meta name="copyright" content="THIS IS OPTIONAL, REALLY, BUT SERVES A PURPOSE I GUESS - I PUT ALWAYS MY MINISTRY'S NAME HERE">

<meta name="keywords" content="SEARCH TERMS YOU WANT SEARCH ENGINES TO CLASSIFY YOUR SITE BY">

 

</head>

<!-- Created by Yours Truly -->

<body bgcolor="#XXXXXX">

<center>

<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"

codebase="http://active.macromedia.com/flash4/cabs/swflash.cab#version=4,0,0,0"

id="PutYourSWF-FileNameHere" width="xxx" height="xxx">

<param name="movie" value="^GEMDIR/PutYourSWF-FileNameHere.swf">

<param name="quality" value="high">

<param name="bgcolor" value="#XXXXXX">

<embed name="PutYourSWF-FileName" src="^GEMDIR/PutYourSWF-FileNameHere.swf" quality="high" bgcolor="#XXXXXX"

width="xxx" height="xxx"

type="application/x-shockwave-flash"

pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash">

</embed>

</object>

</center>

</body>

</html>

Hope that helps. Again, some of the info is optional, like sometimes I forget to change the "id" or "embed name" and the Flash file still works fine. I'll do a little research on Xtivity to see what that's all about.