How to have Flash header on index page only?

What do I do to have a "static" header on all other pages?

[peterdouglas]

I've made a really nice flash header that I'd like to have loop through once on the home page and then stop. (That part's easy).

BUT... on all other pages, I'd like to have a static header. It might be annoying to see the animation each and every time you click to a different page. How do I do this? My guess is recreate the look with a plain old GIF... Is there a way I can just reuse the Flash header, but have it not animated instead?

[zackattack]

Hi peterdouglas

You could make a copy of your flash source file, have it so the animation appears on the page in the 'finished' state. then make a hover tool tip which gives a 'click here to play' option

If you are unsure how to do this, I can elaborate.

I used this recently on a client site and it worked well.

ZA

[peterdouglas]

That sounds like a good idea. Could you point me to a tutorial on how to do that, or maybe go into a bit more detail? For now I took a screenshot and made a .gif but couldn't get it to line up as nicely.

[zackattack]

Hi

Yes I can help,

The best way would be for you to send me a copy of your source file, I am happy to add an example then send it back to you and you can go in and see how it is done and change appearance as needed..

sticky mail me... and we can sort it out..

If you are uncomfortable with this I can try to explain here.

What is your level of expereince with Flash?
What version are you using?

Do you know about frame labels and invisible buttons?

let me know ..

ZA

[peterdouglas]

I started learning Flash a few months ago, so I'm not too experienced with it yet. Anyways, I'll send you a sticky, thanks!

[zackattack]

peterdouglas

You have probably seen the mail already, but I have sent you an example of the method I discussed above.

At the start of the movie the animation is stopped (stop action in frame one)

Create a hotspot (invisible button) covering the movie area by making a shape into a button and editing the button so that the shape is only in the last frame - the hit area

Create another movie clip on main time line with a tooltip 'over' and 'out' animation states using frame labels (with stop action in first frame) - this is built so the tooltop appears when the mouse in over the hotstop. Give this an instance name. (in example code below, it is called 'tooltipMovie'

Then on the hotspot (invisible button) add the following actions:

on(rollOver) {
this.tooltipMovie.gotoAndPlay("over"); // these are telling flash to go into the movie with the instance name tooltopMovie and play the relevant frame label, in this case "over" //
}
on(rollOut) {
this.tooltipMovie.gotoAndPlay("out");
}
on(release) {
gotoAndPlay("play"); //this is the frame label on the main time line called play //
}

Finally, to check how frame labels and instance names are insterted, select one of these items and then check the property inspector to see where/how this has been added

Hope this helps..

ZA

Extra: it is also possible to do away with the hotspot and add the mouse actions to the MovieClip as movie clips also take mouse actions, but this would mean changing the code slightly... I still use hotspots as I find them quite flexible for what I need

[Lynque]

Hello Peter,

I had the same sort of issue a while ago, if you go to the last frame in your timeline and export that as an image you can use it as the static banner. Should do away with the alignment issues.

I do like the idea of being able to play the animation on demand but I don't know that it is necassary.

Regards

[peterdouglas]

Thanks! Those are both great approaches! I think a static header might suffice, and would be easier, but if I can get it to animate on demand, that could be kind of good too. In either case, it will do away with alignment issues.