using FlashEff for a slideshow

Hello,

I'm a new user, not much expertise using Flash either, just a basic user.

I purchased FlashEff 2 mainly to create Flash slideshow banners on top of websites. So I'm trying to make the first one, without success so far.

I open Flash CS4, create a new ActionScript 3.0 file, import 3 pics for this sample, convert them to MovieClip, then I add the FlashEff component, following the pdf tutorials to create and image show and hide effect and then to loop it.

I've done this several times, adding just one component for the whole slideshow, other times adding one component for each MovieClip, but nothing works. It just loops the first 2 MovieClips. Also, in the beginning it displays for a brief second the last clip, which is annoying.

So far, I think I've just chosen the wrong product, or maybe it should work and it's just my lack of knowledge about Flash. I've also reviewed this forum back and forth but no solutions yet.

Can somebody point me in the right direction, please? Maybe I'm missing some previous posting with the solution. I love the unique transitions and would very much like to make them work for me.

Thanks in advance,

Daniel

Daniel,

You need a unique FlashEff instance for each image you have. If you will do that everything should work fine.
If you still aren't able to obtain the desire slide show, open a ticket and send me the fla file, so that I can take a look.
[www.jumpeyecomponents.com]

Hi kneo, thanks for your reply.

There's something I still don't get it. I followed your advice, and played one instance of FlashEff2 for each MovieClip. I also calculated the amount of seconds each MC will play and multiplied by 30 (movie fps). Placed the cursor on the 72nd frame (since I'm starting the movie on frame 1) and pressed F5.

I believe I need a crash course on Flash, but anyway, it should work. Could you please take a look into my .fla file (I'm opening a ticket now and uploading it) and post some advice? I do need to make this work.

Thanks again,

Daniel

I'm having the same problem did you ever find out how to get this working?

Thanks
Travis

Could you please be more specific, what problem are you experiencing?

Hi thanks for replying, I'm just trying to do a flash header for one of my class assignments so I have three pictures and I just want it to fade from one to the other seamlessly and I just can't seem to get it. I've got each picture on a separate layer and and every 100 frames I the top layer turns off showing the next... I've played with the delay and it kinda works but not the way I think it should and at the end when it loops I want there to be no 'blank frame' (not sure if that's the right word for it). I'm sure I'm missing something easy, thanks for any help you can give.

Travis

Are you using a separate instance for each image? Also did you calculate the frames needed for a show/hide effect?
You can see also this post [www.flasheff.com]

user487431 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi thanks for replying, I'm just trying to do a
> flash header for one of my class assignments so I
> have three pictures and I just want it to fade
> from one to the other seamlessly and I just can't
> seem to get it. I've got each picture on a
> separate layer and and every 100 frames I the top
> layer turns off showing the next... I've played
> with the delay and it kinda works but not the way
> I think it should and at the end when it loops I
> want there to be no 'blank frame' (not sure if
> that's the right word for it). I'm sure I'm
> missing something easy, thanks for any help you
> can give.
>
> Travis

Hi Travis,

since I started this thread I finally learned how to make a slideshow. I learned all the tutorials, explored the sample .fla files, but what finally brought the answer was trial and error.

Like in many Flash sites, tutorials are written for people who know Flash already, so many assumptions are made, thus the resulting "tutorials" are kinda confusing for newbies like me ( and I assume you're too). FlashEff2, although an amazing product overall, lacks more detailed tutorials.

Here goes my little experience to make a slideshow: (I'm working on a Windows computer, so all steps are from Windows 7 OS and Flash CS4)

1- Open Flash.
2 - From the Welcome Screen, select Create New/Flash File (ActionScript 3.0) or go to File/New/Flash File (ActionScript 3.0)
3 - Modify the Document Properties (under Modify/Document on the File Menu) and set the right width and height of your movie and the frame rate (30 fps) as well
4 - In the Timeline, you'll see Layer 1; place the cursor on frame 2 and right click/ Insert Keyframe
5 - With frame 2 selected on the Timeline/Layer 1, go to File, Import/Import to Stage, navigate your hard drive and select the first slide of your slideshow from the resulting dialog window.
6 - In the Timeline, you'll see that the little circle on frame 2 becomes a dot.
7 - With the image selected on your screen (it's probably already selected, if you did not make additional clicks) press F8 or go to Modify/Convert to Symbol on the Menu.
8 - In the Convert to Symbol window, give a distinct name to your Symbol or just leave it as default (Symbol 1), and select Movie Clip at the Type drop down. There are more options in this dialog window, leave them as default.
9 - Go to your Components window or select Windows/Components from the Menu (F7). You'll find there FlashEff2 if you have it installed. There are many little squares with names, select the red one that is at the top and says FlashEff2, and drag it on your screen. It will probably position itself on the top left corner of your image, but it doesn't really matter. Just make sure it's somewhere on your image.
10 - Go to Window/Other Panels on your Menu and select FlashEff2 Panel
11 - on the FlashEff2 Panel, select the Show tab (it's already selected most probably) and select the tab below (Effect) and underneath that, select Symbol Patterns (all of them already selected most probably)
11 - Select the effect of your choice, and after a couple of seconds you'll be presented with the selected pattern presets. Just choose the one you like. You might also modify the tween (the time in which the effect completes its cycle). For the first time, leave it as default.
12 - Go back to the Timeline, place your cursor on frame 60, and press F5. All the spaces between frame 2 and 60 will become gray.

You've completed the first slide, just press Ctrl + Enter to see the results.

Now, for the second slide:

1- In the Timeline, make a new Layer. Go to frame 50 ( the second effect will start 10 frames before the first effect ends) and right click, Insert Blank Keyframe.
2- Repeat the previous steps from 5-12

I guess you'll be smooth sailing from here on. Regarding the overlapping frames and the duration of the effect, I guess many on this forum will say that it's not the correct way of doing it, but it works for me and it's more a matter of taste than of Flash science, to me the results are really good, my clients like them and that's why I stated before that FlashEff2 is a very good product overall.

Please post back if you want to share your own experience. I'll be following this thread the next couple of days. And please forgive my English, it's not my native language but I believe you'll get the hang of FlashEff2 even with my idiomatic mistakes :)

Good luck.

Daniel

Thanks Daniel! That worked great, really appreciate that. What is the reason for the first frame?

Thanks again.
Travis

Hi Travis,

I'm glad to hear it finally worked for you.

I believe that your question is regarding to the reason for starting the animation on frame 2. It is explained in the Tutorials.pdf file that comes with FlashEff2:

" 3. First of all, we recommend that for such timeline animations, you start FlashEff2 from the
second frame on, so that the FlashEff2 has enough time to initialize."

Daniel