flash (macromedia): I want to make a slide show like the ones on MSNBC.COM

http://http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/

I can't duplicate the fade-out between pics. I aguess that they are putting
them in movie clips..?? Yes/No??
When switching from one to another how are they getting the fade out on the
current pic before the next one loads.??
Any help would be great..

Thanks,

Chip Johns

[quoted text, click to view]


It could be done in really easy way .

Make a movie clip with all your images and place each image on separate frame.
Give the movie clip instance name "all".
Than all you need is make a shape tween movie clip , call it "fade".
Say from frame 1 to 10 alpha fade from zero to 100 and from frame 10 to 20
from 100 to zero and stop(); action.
Why separate clip ? because tween of bitmap images is much more CPU intensive than
single color and the impression of fade is same anyway.

Than add new layer on top of the tween , and on frame 11 place an action
_root.all.gotoAndStop(vars);

All you need now is simple button with action :

on (release) {
fade.vars=3;
fade.gotoAndPlay(2);
}

each thumb will refer vars to particular frame of the movie clip.
thumb 1 button
fade.vars=2;
thumb 2 button
fade.vars=3;
etc....
So all you do is play the fade clip , when the fade out is done it reach frame
_root.all.gotoAndStop(vars);
which forward your image clip to frame given by the VARS and fade out
making impression like it was cross faded within images.
Less than 2 minutes work if you have your images ready .

Here, sample made based on the above decryption.
http://www.flashfugitive.com/cross_fade.swf
I do understand it can be not that obvious if you did not actually
make it and hard to follow so I also upload the source
http://www.flashfugitive.com/cross_fade.fla
But please , do read how it was done to understand the functionality.

Have a nice day
--


Regards


urami_*

<hol>
http://flashfugitive.com/
</hol>


By The way:

urami_*

Thanks so much for the script. It works great. And you are right, not more
than a few minutes to do. I want to increase my actionscript skills because I
know that using actionscript can save a lot of time accomplishing things.

I am having a little bit of a problem here.. I have 31 buttons (31 pics) It
isn't working above the tenth button.

here is my file if it helps. http://www.tecopro.com/upload/MyCrossFade.fla
http://www.tecopro.com/upload/MyCrossFade.fla

I appreciate any help that you can give..

Thanks,


Chip

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Hi there Chip
you made small mistake , each button changes the VARS value to corresponding frame with numbers
but the fade.gotoAndPlay(1); should be same in all buttons.
The catch is that we define frame by variable, play the slider and in that slider
the variable get picked up and change frame in clips with numbers. But the slider has
to play its slide sequence still the same so you gotoAndPlay(1) in all case.
Do you understand ? Not sure I explain that stuff well :)


--


Regards


urami_*

<hol>
http://flashfugitive.com/
</hol>


By The way:

urami_*,

Yes, yes.. I get it. The button assigns a value to var. It sends it to the
Fade Clip just to tell it where to go. But when you get there you want the Fade
Clip to play from frame one everytime giving the illusion! Awesome.

Thanks man. This is great. How do you guys figure this stuff out. When I see
it I can (most of the time) see what you are doing and why. But figuring out
the solution to a problem, man that's what its all about.

It's working. @;-)

Thanks, Chip

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Chip , no kidding , it's all coming with practice.
I'm pretty lame in regard to manuals , read some but understand nothing.
My japanese-english dictionary does not have majority of the words so I'm clueless
what is that I read. I was doing it for long and now when you get the idea how all
this works, it become kind of natural and obvious. I tell you it will be piece of cake
for you. Seeing the sample I can say you did not have problem reproduce. Mistake was minor
so you definitely got the feeling already, just give it some time. Play by making some projects,
not necessarily for clients, just to get hand on it and use it. It will all come around.
Flash is simple , even tho it can be intimidating at first is definitely less complicated to use
than Photoshop :)



--


Regards


urami_*

<hol>
http://flashfugitive.com/
</hol>


By The way: