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Author: Robert Walters
Macromedia has taken the internet world by storm with its introduction of
Flash a few years ago. What started as an animation tool has evolved into
a full website development tool. After clinching several deals with major
supporters like Microsoft and AOL the flash plugin is now standard
browsers and is installed on 80% of them worldwide. What this means to you
is that if you build it surfers will come.
After reading this article you should have a better understanding of how
Flash works, where to get a demo version, and how to get free flash
programs to run on your website.
First let's get through the technical jargon.
Flash creates graphics in what is called a vector format. Meaning that
unlike gifs or jpegs, which remember each pixel in the graphic, vectors
remember the mathematical equation of the graphic and the color that fills
it. Therefore vector graphics are usually smaller in file size and can be
scaled to any monitor size without any loss of quality. Gifs and jpegs
get blurry when made larger . Since flash is just a series of mathematical
equations and formulas full Flash 4 interfaces can be as small as 20 kilobytes.
The newest version of Flash is number 4. Unlike its predecessors Flash 4
has most and if not more functionality than java, javascript, and dynamic
html. Flash 4 goes beyond animation and allows you to have drag and drop
interfaces, rollovers, input forms, drop-down menus, and database
interactivity. It even has its own programming language called
"ActionScript" which is excellent for games and interaction.
Flash Resources:
One website which offers Flash games ( Next Page )
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