macromedia flash sitedesign: Thanks for the info. Now I know it was just a stupid question.

I guess coming from the non-linear Avid/Final Cut/After Effects world, you
just sort of get used to being able to see the enire forest sometimes.

I'm still working on the gestalt of how all the template files work together.

Thanks for solving a piece of the puzzle.

Regards,

Allison

Allison,

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I wouldn't say "stupid," just uninformed; which, of course, makes sense
if you're new to Flash.

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Flash can be linear if you want it to, in which case you might indeed
"see the whole forest," or it can be non-linear. The trouble with 99% of
templates is that they're built with no regard for best practices.
Hungry-artist designers are paid bottom dollar under sweatshop-like
conditions to crank out as many designs as possible. From what I've seen,
no one cares a lick of the FLA is *usable* by anyone, only if, out of the
box, it compiles to an attractive SWF. Any *changes* you may want to make
are a tedious, frustrating, needle-in-a-haystack, at-your-own-risk endeavor.
I occasionally consult for people trying to weed through the rat's nest that
typically comprises a template under the hood. Layers are unnamed, assets
unnamed and not organized into Library folders, it goes on and on. In all,
I don't think templates are a good example of how to do Flash right -- they
tend not to set good examples.

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Gestalt is right. As a general rule, templates-for-hire cannot be
reckoned from the sum of their parts. I don't mean to sound so cynical --
you wouldn't likely have known this -- but you may have set yourself up for
a difficult time.


David Stiller
Adobe Community Expert
Dev blog, http://www.quip.net/blog/
"Luck is the residue of good design."