First off I am not a Flash or Action Script programmer. I do know HTML and some Java Script and a few other basics. I would like to be able to do this without having to invest all my time and resources on learning Flash.
I have seen this done on different sites, but looking at the source code have yet to be able to figure out how it was done. I am guessing its probably being done via an ActionScript process, which means I am not actually seeing all the code.
I am creating a simple web page. On the web page besides text I would like to play a flash SWF movie. It’s only about 1 minute long, just an intro. However, before the flash loads and in the screen location that I want the movie to play, I would like to have an Static ( fixed ) jpg graphic, which is External from the SWF movie. Bacically, it’s just a placeholder for the movie, but provides the viewer with something to see when the movie is not playing. It will probably be simply a snapshot of one of the swf movie frames converted to jpg. This graphic will always be visible when one first browses to the page. After a few seconds the graphic should disappear and the Flash SWF movie should start playing in the same screen location that the static graphic was located.
When the movie stops playing, ideally I would like to have the movie swaped back out and the Static Graphic swapped back in, once again visible at the same screen location.
The movie does not loop. If the viewer wants to see it again they just simply click on the graphic and it will play again and when done playing swap back to the static graphic.
A possible option might be to even have a 2nd different ending static jpg that might swap back into position when the swf movie ends.
I have tried doing this with the OnClick and Embed commands. I have been able to get the jpg to appear and the movie to appear but not at the same screen locaton. When the SWF movie appears it moves the jpg image down the browser screen, and of course when it ends there is simply an empty holding space. Not what I want.
So, I ask… how does one swap out a Static jpg image for a SWF movie image and then swap the movie image when done playing back to the Static jpg image.
You would think that there would be a simple utility that would let you enter in the file names, locations, sizes, other options etc., and then generate the code for you. Which one could simply paste into the appropriate location of a websites code.
I am aware of something called SWFObject2 and I have downloaded and installed this but still no matter how I code the page, I can’t seem to get it to function properly.
Also, remember, I am not a Flash or ActionScript programmer. I simply have taken a windows wmv file and converted it to Flash SWF. So I don’t have access to the actual Flash or Actionscript Engines. I simply have access to the Flash Player.
By the way I am running Windows Vista 32bit, IE7 and the latest Firefox 3.0.8 and designing the webpage with something called WYSIWYG Web Builder 6 from PabloSoftwareSolutions.com. It does allow me to place a flash movie on a page but the additonal options are rather limited. Therefore, I will probably instead have to embed the code for which their is an option on their tools menu.
Thanks, I hope someone has the simple solution.