Building Flash® Web Sites For Dummies®

Chapter 14. Ten Tips for Creating Flash Sites That Work

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Optimize images

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Break your site into sections

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Debug your ActionScripts

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Give everything a name

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Create links for Web browsers

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Use ActionScript linkage

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Make symbols for everything

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Create an ActionScript layer

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Add comments to ActionScript

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Create modular ActionScript

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If you build it — you know, a Flash Web site — they may come. And if they do come, by all means you want them to stay. In order to make them stay, you must have a Flash Web site that is a notch or two above cool. And in order for you to have a site that is a notch or two above cool, it has to be a fast-loading, bug-free site with crisp images. In this chapter, I show you ten things that are imperative for creating a Flash site that works.

Optimize Images Before Building the Flash Site

Flash is all about panache and polish. Even though the application has great drawing tools, most Web sites will need photorealistic images in addition to great vector artwork. And if you’re not a da Vinci of the vector realm, photorealistic images — also known as bitmaps — are definitely needed. So then, your task is to have bitmaps that look great and load fast. I know what you’re thinking — isn’t that impossible? ...