Advice on getting started with Flash Websites

[Jet2k5]

Hellog guys,

First of all let me start by thanking you for taking the time to read what is below. I'm going to try to explain what I'm doing, and you guys can help me the best way possible.

To start off, let me say that I do know some xhtml and CSS, enough to make a simple, but not elegant website. So this is when I started to look at flash to help me make my websites more user interactive and in general terms, kick the flavor of the website up a knotch.

I have been doing a ton of googling on how to create flash websites, but most links are either dead or when I find one, I generally dont understand the purpose of what they are trying to say. So far I know a bit of flash, really just following all the tutorials at the w3schools website. So I was wondering if anyone here can point me to a tutorial/book/videos that I should invest on.

Basiclly I want to know how to get started, not with flash ( that later ), but I want to know what process to do before that. As of right now, I start with paper. Think of a website, write down all the thigns are to be included in that website like links, photos, information etc etc, and then come up with a rough-draft on paper. Pretty much sketch it out. Then after that I have no clue where to start, for flash websites someone suggested that I then take my sketch and reproduce it in photoshop or a program like it, then after that cut it up and let flash do all the fancy work. So that is what I'm trying to learn, I want a tutorial that's going to take me step-by-step on taking a website from scratch to a beautiful masterpiece at the end.

So once again thanks, and if you have links to tutorials etc please let me know. Like I said, I want the basic stuff, like things I should do, steps before actually getting into flash and creating the website. If I should even be attempting to create the site in photshop and then move it to flash etc. Thanks a lot for the help,

-Jet:D

[Xeef]

I want a tutorial that's going to take me step-by-step on taking a website from scratch to a beautiful masterpiece at the end.


Hmmm i don't think that there will by something like this nor that it woud make any sense !

you can do one and the same thing in 100 diferent ways
and a web page can contain also 1000 and more diferent things

start whit the tutorials
http://www.actionscript.org/tutorials.shtml

as fare you have done all and understand them
you will by abel to do what ever you want

look at it like flash is a language
an web page a book

a tutorial how to write a thriller wont help you to write a children's book
nor a paperback

first you need to learn the basics how to write all of them on a basic level

[Jet2k5]

Thanks for the reply.

But not exactly what I'm looking for. Yes learning all those tutorials would be good, but that's like asking me to read the whole bible just to find out what Jesus said at the last suppoer.

Like I said, I need a step-by-step, not a hold me, while I do this. I'm looking for a straight down, like " ok you need photoshop, dreamweaver, and flash 8 " , or " you need to start by creating your UI in photoshop" and stuff like that. I'm really lost as how to even start to create a website. With code you jus sit down and create something, and with flash its another world.

But I guess any advice is good, any more?

[Xeef]

With code you jus sit down and create something, and with flash its another world.

you can do all by code in flash
that's what i do (of course not painting pictures per code but load them)

this rubish what beginers like to do
drag&drop is not a good way
it may by easyer to learn when you start
but you come realy fast to it's borderline where you simply can't make things whit it


a webside ?
what's a webside for you ?

a shoping chart ?
an mp3 musicplayer ?
a forum ?
an online tax calculator ?
an image gallery ?
an online chat ?
....
..
..

there is no step by step tutorial wich will cower all of them in one
and one by one are all covered by some tutorial either here or else where

To start off, let me say that I do know some xhtml and CSS, enough to make a simple, but not elegant website

so how do you make a side whit xhtml ?
what ever you say
i will counter yes thats all fine but i wana make this and that and not that and this
else way this is a basic xhtml side :

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
<title>Untitled-3</title>
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff">
</body>
</html>
i don't think you looking for this just in flash ?!

start flash, new file, publish and that's it you have a flash page
a blank one :p
all the rest depends on your target

But not exactly what I'm looking for. Yes learning all those tutorials would be good, but that's like asking me to read the whole bible just to find out what Jesus said at the last suppoer.

if you ask
what does Jesus said in the last suppoer
you will get fast and exact help here

the problem is you asking
who is Jesus !
and yes there you need to read the bible ;)

[Jet2k5]

sorry about that I got a bit fustrated last night with this whole ordeal.

On the other hadn I went back to photoshop, and I have been able to create a nice looking top bar nav menu. Now all I need to find is a tutorial that shows me what to do , to get that many working with animations and such. =P

Thanks for the help.

[sunlis]

Whew, I must admit, these posts have been hard to read, because Xeef seriously needs a spell check. :D

But about all of this tutorial talk. Right here on AS.org you can find lots of tutorials and flash files that you can download to learn your way around flash.
You also have to remember that if you can't find a tutorial you're looking for, make a post about your problem/question in the forums, you'll get your answer and then some.
The people here are always willing to help, don't hesitate to ask.

When I was getting started with Flash, what I would do, is look in the movie section here for something close to what I was trying to accomplish, then open it up, and figure out what makes it tick. From doing that, browsing these forums, and a few dozen visits to the built-in Help in Flash, I've gone from knowing nothing to where I am now.

So, good luck with your learnings in Flash, and if you ever need help, send me a PM, and I'll do my best to help!

Sunlis

[good to know]

if you are ready to invest here are courses that you ask for:

www.learnflash.com

they have something like "...build flash website"

and

www.totaltraining.com

look there for "advanced flash",




hope it helps

Good to know

[Cota]

Whew, I must admit, these posts have been hard to read, because Xeef seriously needs a spell check. :D
we have a rule here at AS[org], its no picking on Xeef, he's sensative... :p

As far as where to start, etc etc...first and foremost you need to have an idea of what you want to do. Have a direction, a vision, whatever, just dont say "I want to learn to make a website in flash". Because, there are so many different directions to go with that. As Xeef mentioned, MP3, Shopping Carts, Image galleries, etc. Is the site for a personal learning experience? These are things that need to be worked out long before you even start Flash. Once you have all this, you'll know what you need and can ask more specific questions and find that you'll get more specific answers..

[specter345]

If you want step by step, learnflash.com's stuff is good.

there are even free ones online you can see so you get a better idea of what you are getting like this one
http://www.flashvista.com/details/item/2997/

toxiclab.org, kirupa, ultrashock, tutorialized, are all good sites

as far as programs, Macromedia studio 8 is good because you are getting all the programs, but having the Adobe creative suite can also be helpful, it all depends on what you want to do with it. Lots of sites sell CS and Studio 8 together as a bundled "Web Design" package.

It all varies greatly with what you intend on what you are looking to do with it...

good luck

[good to know]

Well said Cota,


I'm agreed on this.

It's an important point, wich can't be missed.

[Jet2k5]

Thanks a lot for the help guys. After taking advice and finding out what exactly it is that I want to do, I have a better general understanding. Learnflash seems promising, and this is something that I might want to do in the future, so I think I'm going to invest in the " Web Design " package, this way I can learn all Photoshop tutorials + flash website. The only thing is I'm 17 and no job =P, but I'm currently working on that.

But Im starting to come around, like you said, I need to find out what exactly is that I want, and I have that locked in. I'm already creating menues, a photogallery ( which spins and stuff, really neat ) and all sorts of other neat things. Now I'll search around and find out what I need to get to bring it all together into 1 presentation.

But seriously guys thanks a lot for the help, great tips you guys are giving me, appriciate it.

-Jet

[Cota]

Some good references..
Flash:
www.gotoAndLearn.com
www.CreateAge.com

Photoshop:
http://forum.24-7media.de/
www.good-tutorials.com

[Xeef]

Xeef, he's sensative...

no i am not !

don't say such things or i start weep !


///////

i know, my english
Hmm not my english (at least i don't think so)
but my spelling sux
but i am fare to lazy to do it better (on one side to learn it, on the other side to apply it (as this woud mean a load of sterss to me))

sorry of all of you who need to read it :o


:p

[Cota]

Xeef..no matter how bad your and spelling is, we still love you!