How do you start off making a flash website?

[nexusfire]

I'm sure there is many ways to do this, i am photoshop smart, but not flash smart, i have used it a bit but nothing extreme, so i was wondering i see all these GREAT flash websites around and i want to create my own, how do i go about it?

[Mack]

buy flash.
open flash.
open help
start reading

[nexusfire]

bought flash.
opened flash.
opened help.
started reading.

now looking for more help like tutorials.

[Mack]

Ok, well first flash does come with some tutorials. Is this essentially your first time using flash?

actionscript.org

[nexusfire]

no i know the basics, how to animate and add effects and how to use the libary and stuff. im just not sure how to make it into a website and stuff like that.

[Mack]

well your first step would be to decide on a theme/concept what you want it too look like. then take a look at how your want the navigation to function... simple rollovers... accordions... etc.

Your gonna want to have different sections load externally to an empty movieclip. any text or "news" your gonna want to get from atleast an external text file... preferably an xml file.

[LeadMagnet]

I would suggest planning everything in rough before you start anything.
Make sure it works well and looks good in theory, then plan how to arrange each part and how you're going to code any fancy effects so the code stays neat and it doesn't tax the user's cpu too much.

[nexusfire]

Okay sounds good, do you know any tutorials on how to make a working preloader? so it goes to your main page when it has loaded everything?

[Mack]

Smooth PreLoader - ActionScript.org Flash, Flex and ActionScript Resources

[gospastic]

hello nexusfire -

a few pointers for you on building a flash site...

- do not use scenes. they are problematic
- have a loop in the first few frames with the preloader in. the theory is this: in frame one have a bit of code stating if all the data has loaded then gotoand play frame 10 (frame 10 would be the start of your site) then, on frame two have another piece of code stating go back to frame one. Like a loop.
- on the first frame of your actual site, design a page. add buttons. then, the buttons will have code on them stating if pressed, goto and play frame 20 or 30 or wherever. at these frames will be the different pages of your site.
- that is it in a very large nutshell.

hope this all helps!