Flash -for presentations - help needed
Discussion
I've made some fairly good presentations in Power point and photostory but have reached the limits of these programs and am ready to move on. I know a bit of HTML and have heard the next best move for animated presentations is Flash.... Having looked on the sites to buy Flash it appears there are many different versions available. Bearing in mind my main use for flash would be for presentations can anyone advise me as to which version of flash I should buy. 
Hi Orinoco,
Noticed in your profile that your a teacher.
(I looked to work out your budget - had I seen an Aston or Ferrari would have gone for the most expensive Flash version !)
As a teacher, you are able to buy a
Student & Teacher Personal Educational Version.
Check the terms & conditions beforehand though.
Looking on the Adobe website, they have Studio 8 available for under £80 !
Studio includes the latest versions:
Flash
Dreamweaver
Fireworks
...basically everything you need for websites and more !
The website states:
"You will be required to email or fax a valid copy of academic identification"
If your learning Flash I would recommend a training dvd from www.lynda.com,
money well spent if you ask me!
The main advantage with Flash is the array of effects you have and portability.
Most web browsers have the ability to view content created in Flash.
You also have the option of publishing a projector file which can be played on its own.
*** Here are the steps required to access the educational site: ***
Visit www.adobe.com/uk/
go to store > store home
in the right column look under More Stores
Click on Education Store > United Kingdom
Then click 'I qualify' (if you do!)
Hope this helps !
R
Noticed in your profile that your a teacher.
(I looked to work out your budget - had I seen an Aston or Ferrari would have gone for the most expensive Flash version !)
As a teacher, you are able to buy a
Student & Teacher Personal Educational Version.
Check the terms & conditions beforehand though.
Looking on the Adobe website, they have Studio 8 available for under £80 !
Studio includes the latest versions:
Flash
Dreamweaver
Fireworks
...basically everything you need for websites and more !
The website states:
"You will be required to email or fax a valid copy of academic identification"
If your learning Flash I would recommend a training dvd from www.lynda.com,
money well spent if you ask me!
The main advantage with Flash is the array of effects you have and portability.
Most web browsers have the ability to view content created in Flash.
You also have the option of publishing a projector file which can be played on its own.
*** Here are the steps required to access the educational site: ***
Visit www.adobe.com/uk/
go to store > store home
in the right column look under More Stores
Click on Education Store > United Kingdom
Then click 'I qualify' (if you do!)
Hope this helps !
R
Edited by rameshuk on Thursday 21st December 01:24
Thank you very much Rameshuk for taking the time to sort this advice out for me. I was hopelessly lost last night wandering from web page to web page 
. I will follow these links as I am determined to make 'Flash' my Christmas holiday project.
You're right about me not having a ferrari!
Thanks again...
. I will follow these links as I am determined to make 'Flash' my Christmas holiday project. You're right about me not having a ferrari!
Thanks again...
No problem. I spend 15 mins a day answering questions on the web and the internet in a few forums.
Flash offer key frame animation.
what this means....
Remember those flip books we used to make in school, when a small stick figure slowly moves as you flick through the pages ? Well the trouble with that method is you have to draw each individual page.
With Flash you can have say the text "Pistonheads" on the left hand side, go to frame 40 and move the text all the way to the right. Then flash automatically works out the individual frames.
If you've set the frame rate(this is how fast the frames appear) to 20 frames per second,
then a 40 frame animation will last 2 seconds.
Setting an animation to loop means it plays then goes back to the beginning and repeats.
This is very useful.
let's say your rotating something which has symmetry, like wheels for example,
this gives the impression of constant rotation.
You can also do fancy stuff like changing a red square to a green triangle.
Also, you can import some video footage and add some subtitles + effects.
Other things you can do with Flash:
Design quiz shows with multiple choice questions
Make an mp3 player
Build word games and more !
I've been using Flash for awhile and with Photoshop they are my two of my favourite programs !
You have to persevere, spend an hour or two every day over christmas and you'll be producing eye catching animations in no time. If your good at maths, then you can do some more advanced stuff.
Feel free to ask me any questions you may have on Flash & related programs.
R
Flash offer key frame animation.
what this means....
Remember those flip books we used to make in school, when a small stick figure slowly moves as you flick through the pages ? Well the trouble with that method is you have to draw each individual page.
With Flash you can have say the text "Pistonheads" on the left hand side, go to frame 40 and move the text all the way to the right. Then flash automatically works out the individual frames.
If you've set the frame rate(this is how fast the frames appear) to 20 frames per second,
then a 40 frame animation will last 2 seconds.
Setting an animation to loop means it plays then goes back to the beginning and repeats.
This is very useful.
let's say your rotating something which has symmetry, like wheels for example,
this gives the impression of constant rotation.
You can also do fancy stuff like changing a red square to a green triangle.
Also, you can import some video footage and add some subtitles + effects.
Other things you can do with Flash:
Design quiz shows with multiple choice questions
Make an mp3 player
Build word games and more !
I've been using Flash for awhile and with Photoshop they are my two of my favourite programs !
You have to persevere, spend an hour or two every day over christmas and you'll be producing eye catching animations in no time. If your good at maths, then you can do some more advanced stuff.
Feel free to ask me any questions you may have on Flash & related programs.
R
It does add something, BUT is it really needed?
Are you publishing to web/stand alone projector files?
For most presentations Powerpoint is very nice in my view. It does it's job and you get alot out of it if you put alot in! Only downsides are it's file based, so need Powerpoint to run it and what have you.
What presentations are you planning to make with it? Interactivity, lots of video, hosted web-based, or just "nicer" ones for in meetings/lessons/lectures?
Dave
Are you publishing to web/stand alone projector files?
For most presentations Powerpoint is very nice in my view. It does it's job and you get alot out of it if you put alot in! Only downsides are it's file based, so need Powerpoint to run it and what have you.
What presentations are you planning to make with it? Interactivity, lots of video, hosted web-based, or just "nicer" ones for in meetings/lessons/lectures?
Dave
Too late now Mr Whippy I have ordered the flash as Rameshuk suggested on the Education site. Am a bit frightened but have explored PP to it's limits. Yes I do want to make presentations but am currently moving between photostory and PP to do them and need something that just has a bit more flexibilty. I like adding music to the shows too and PP is difficult as it will only embed wavs...Photo story is better for music but the animation capacity is even more limited.....so I am stuck and the word FLASH sounds attractive doesn't it......? I want to do Flash presentations. I am also hoping the file sizes will drop. I am not sure what I am getting myself into here but nothing ventured nothing gained and Rameshuk is not the first person to say I should get Flash...
meeja said:
[quote=orinoco] I like adding music to the shows too and PP is difficult as it will only embed wavs...quote]
Which version of PP are you using?
Powerpoint 2003 allows you to use almost any sound file (MP3 etc)
Which version of PP are you using?
Powerpoint 2003 allows you to use almost any sound file (MP3 etc)
Yes thanks for replying. I know that you can play CDs etc and attach an MP3 file to a show but I have only ever been able to 'embed' wavs - anything else I have had to link to the PP which is fine on my own computer but when I have sent the linked file to someone else they can't hear the music.........If you can do this then I would be very interested to know how cos I had a big discussion on PH last year when I tried to send music on PP with the show and ended up converting music to wavs and looping a short extract....With photostory there is no problem.
As you say, you can only embed .wav files (even then there is a size limit before it is linked). Other audio files are linked. You just need to make sure that the linked files are included with the presentation.
In Office 2007: [Publish > Package for CD]
In Office 2003: [File > Package for CD]
This option will include all the linked files, and TrueType fonts (that one's caught me out before
). You don't have to burn to CD; you can 'Save to Folder' and email or burn the folder to CD at your convenience.
You might want to have a look at this page at PPTools for more info.
Have you had a look at Microsoft Producer 2003?. It's a free download.
In Office 2007: [Publish > Package for CD]
In Office 2003: [File > Package for CD]
This option will include all the linked files, and TrueType fonts (that one's caught me out before
). You don't have to burn to CD; you can 'Save to Folder' and email or burn the folder to CD at your convenience. You might want to have a look at this page at PPTools for more info.
Have you had a look at Microsoft Producer 2003?. It's a free download.
.Flyer said:
As you say, you can only embed .wav files (even then there is a size limit before it is linked). Other audio files are linked. You just need to make sure that the linked files are included with the presentation.
In Office 2007: [Publish > Package for CD]
In Office 2003: [File > Package for CD]
This option will include all the linked files, and TrueType fonts (that one's caught me out before ). You don't have to burn to CD; you can 'Save to Folder' and email or burn the folder to CD at your convenience.
You might want to have a look at this page at PPTools for more info.
Have you had a look at Microsoft Producer 2003?. It's a free download.
In Office 2007: [Publish > Package for CD]
In Office 2003: [File > Package for CD]
This option will include all the linked files, and TrueType fonts (that one's caught me out before
). You don't have to burn to CD; you can 'Save to Folder' and email or burn the folder to CD at your convenience. You might want to have a look at this page at PPTools for more info.
Have you had a look at Microsoft Producer 2003?. It's a free download.
Oops that flew off my computer before I had a chance to write anything- the stuff you have included here is brill .flyer thanks a million -will take my time reading it but already have found exactly what I thought was the problem :-
'Linking Issues: When you send a presentation containing "Linked" objects users often assume the object will go along with the presentation, that is not true. You must include the object files with the presentation in the email. The second issue is that in almost all cases the links will be broken unless the receiving PC does not have an identical folder structure.'
It is the folder structure that always messes up my linked files. I have indeed raised the embedded kb to it's limit but it makes the PP huge - I have to say thanks again to everyone for their help here........great stuff keep it coming .......
orinoco said:
Too late now Mr Whippy I have ordered the flash as Rameshuk suggested on the Education site.
No worries, still very good to have and learn... if your reaching the limits of PP and your eager to push your presentations further you will have the ability to now
Good luck, great program...
Dave
Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff