(HUGE!) How To go about creating a Flash site from start to finish

[thebigjibb]

Hi, all.

Sometimes i find myself questioning whether i'm going about a flash site the most efficient or streamlined way. So, I'd like to explore different ideas behind the Process of completing a flash website from start to finish.

For example sake. How would you complete this site:

Imaginary Client Asks:I need a killer flash website with 4 pages.

-Home Page
-About Us Page
-Photo/Sound Gallery
-Contact Page

Be as descriptive and as possible of your process and perhaps even why it may be better than other processes. (Maybe some ways save time, limit rework, or spurn creativity, i dunno)


I'll share my own soon once i have a good chance, i just had the idea so i came to post it.

[Cota]

I would design an interface, for me, in photoshop. This is where it really starts. Design your interface with content and flow in mind. You have to have the foresight of flow and animation, if any. So you have all that done...then move on to how you're going to export all those graphics into Flash and rebuild it. I personally use MovieClips for everything..try to avoid scenes...I have a MovieClip that contains all the background/static graphics. And build layers of MovieClips to rebuild that interface. Then, the about us part, would be its own movieclip, that I would load dynamically. Also consider, are you using external data sources, database, XML, text files, etc.

Honestly, you need to have a good plan and a vision that you can put down on paper. Dont just wing it, you'll find more headaches that way.

[oldnewbie]

These might help visualizing what Cota just posted...

http://www.kirupa.com/developer/mx/full_site.htm

http://www.kirupa.com/developer/mx/preloader_transition.htm

And this is a MUST, whenever sound is envolved...

http://www.kennybellew.com/tutorial/