New to Flash - can I do this?

[billygoatkaraok]

Hi

Can Flash be used to create an entire basic website, or is it purely for animation?

What I want is a page with a background image, a menu with three rollover text images that change colour on hover, and a semi transparent window that files out over the background image and contains the elements for each page. Also, I want the entire page to scale up and down depending on the size of the browser window (like other flash sites do).

Can this be done entirely in Flash CS4, or do I need to incorporate html from say, Dreamweaver?

Cheers

Shaun

[stewart3000]

www.lynda.com there is a tutorial for building an entire site in cs4 well worth the subsciption fee, for me at least (am learning about 10 programs at once...and having fun doing it)

[Eye for Video]

Regardless of how much of the content you create with Flash, you still have to place that content on the page with html. Really, there are no Flash Web sites, only Web sites/pages with Flash content.
So while you could accomplish all the functions you mentioned in one big .swf, in my opinion, you'd be better off to incorporate some of those features in an html/CSS based Web site.
First, you could make it more search engine friendly by writing small bits of Alternate Content on a per <div> basis, rather than trying to write AC for the entire site in one place.
Second, I've found editing and updating easier if the site is broken down into separate pages of html (with Flash content) rather than 1 big swf. For example, let's say your content update on page 2 of the swf needs to expand from 600px height to 900px, but your Flash document size is only 700. Now you may have to change the doc size for the entire swf to accomodate, so other pages may not look or fit right.
Third, you'll still have to deal with html anyway, to place your flash content on the page.
If Flash is your only tool... well then go for it! But consider the use of an html/Flash hybrid, I think in the long run it would work better.
EfV

[billygoatkaraok]

Thanks guys - there's some really good info in there - I appreciate your time.

What is attracting me to Flash, apart from the animation, is the scalability - so the content scales to the user's browser size, and renders smoothly.

When designing my graphics, should I design them with a 1280x1024 screen in mind - so make the stage about 1270x900 to allow for the chrome, and then make it scale down to whatever size screen the user has? How do I make a .swf scalable, or does Flash automatically make .swf's scalable?

Cheers

[Eye for Video]

The scaling for various size browsers will be done in your html or css using the width="100%" and/or height="100%" property (same as any content can be scaled, Flash or not). However, keep in mind that the Flash swf will always scale in the same aspect ratio as the original. So for example if your original is 1000 X 500, that is a 2:1 aspect ratio (twice as wide as high). So that .swf displayed at 1270 wide would be 635 high. That’s so a round ball would always stay round, and not turn oblong.
Since not all monitors have the same aspect ration, you may have to experiment with your width/height settings to get satisfactory result. You may want to do several test .swf before creating the final version to understand how this works. When displayed at different resolutions, space left above and below, or to the sides of the illustration means that because of the aspect ratio, it cannot perfectly fill the screen.
So practice and test for best results.
EfV

[billygoatkaraok]

Thanks EfV

Your replies here and on other question have been incredibly informative and helpful, and completely devoid of any holier than thou attitude, unlike that which I have encountered on other forums.

Most appreciated.

Shaun