Flash Objects 10-15 min

Flash™ (*.swf) multimedia files are generally used for animated graphics, interactive multimedia or
games. Using WebPlus, it’s very easy to add your own custom Flash objects to your WebPlus site.

By the end of this tutorial you will be able to:

 Insert a custom Flash object into a WebPlus site.

 Fine-tune your Flash object.

To download the tutorial project file(s), right-click the link(s) and, depending on your
browser, select either Save Target As... or Save Link As... In the subsequent dialog, ensure
that you choose a suitable file location, such as a 'downloads' folder or the 'desktop', so that
you can easily browse to your file when required.

scuba.wpp

fish.swf

Let’s begin...

1. On the Standard toolbar, click Open.

2. Navigate to the scuba.wpp file, select it and click Open.

The 'Home' page is displayed in the workspace.

Save now! Click File > Save As... and choose a new name for your file.

Adding a Flash object

Adding a custom Flash object to your WebPlus site is very straightforward and you can see the
effects of these files as soon as they are placed on your page, even without previewing.

So let's see how easy it really is. We'll add an animation of a fish to the bottom, right-hand corner of
the Scuba Home page.
 We've added additional content to the scuba.wpp example above.

To insert a custom Flash file:

1. On the Quick Build tab, in the Media category, drag the Flash item to the page.

2. In the Flash dialog, click Browse, and then locate and select fish.swf. Click Open.

3. (Optional) To keep the .swf file separate from the WebPlus file (using a link to the source file)
clear the Embed Flash file in site option.

4. Click OK. The file is placed on the page at its default size.

Drag on the resize handles to resize the flash object and/or move it into the correct position on
the page if needed using the Move button.
Congratulations! You have successfully added the Flash object to your website.

Don't forget to save your work!

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Previewing your Flash object

Now your Flash object is added to your site, let's see what it looks like!

To preview your Flash object:

1. On the Standard toolbar, click the arrow to expand the Preview site drop-down list.

2. Select Preview Site in {your web browser of choice}.

 Flash objects use the Adobe Flash Player for playback. If your Flash object doesn't preview properly, it
may be that you don't have the latest version of the Flash player installed.

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Fine-tuning your Flash object

This particular Flash file has a white background which looks unsightly against the colour scheme of
the Scuba site. Also, the animation only plays once, meaning the fish soon stops swimming.

These problems can be quickly rectified by editing the Flash object's display properties.

To edit a Flash object:

1. Right-click the Flash object and click Edit Flash...

2. In the Flash dialog, in the Display section:

o To make the animation play continuously, select the Loop check box.

o To remove white backgrounds from the Flash object, select the Transparent
Background check box.

This will make all white background areas transparent while displayed on your site. The
original file is unaffected.

3. (Optional) Set the Alignment, Scale Mode, and export Quality of the Flash object using the
respective drop-down lists.

4. When you have finished fine-tuning the settings, click OK.

 The valid parameters for Flash objects vary depending on the object itself. For details, see the
documentation relating to your particular Flash object.

When previewed, the Flash object now blends in perfectly with the Scuba background and the fish
swims inexhaustibly back and forth.
Should you choose to publish your site to the internet, WebPlus will automatically upload your Flash
object for you; no additional work is required on your behalf.