How to create fast loading Flash intros and Flash animated webpages.

HostQuest · #1 02-13-2004, 12:03 PM

Almost everywhere I look online I come across a Flash intro and Flash animated webpage, and half of them take forever to load, or the Flash intros drags on.

Here are a few tips to create fast loading intros and Flash webpages.

First, when it comes to intros, depending on site, try to make the intros as short as possible. Not many people have the patients to sit through a Flash intro that drags on and will either skip it to get to the site, or worse case move on and don't bother to check out the site at all. A good Flash intro should run between 5 to 10 seconds, the ones I make run around 5 seconds.

If your Flash intro is small enough then you wont need a preloader. Most people can't sit through a preloader staring at a status bar while waiting for the Flash movie to load, I know I can't.

If your Flash intro or webpage is going to be big then break it up into small Flash files and load them into one main Flash file. This will help speed the process of loading the Flash animation.

If you're using gifs in your Flash intro/webpage try to remove as much color as possible before you import them into Flash, this will help shrink the file size. Graphics created within Flash are sometimes smaller in file size compared to imported gifs.

If you're going to add sound effects and music, try to tweak them as much as possible to shrink the file size before you import it into your Flash.

Have the Flash webpage files load while the intro is playing instead of using a preloader status bar after the intro.

There are plenty of tutorials online on how to do all of the above with the software you're using.

Happy tweaking!

colden · #2 02-23-2004, 10:10 AM

Good tips especially for this FLA neophyte.
I have been turning grayer by the hour though trying to customize a flash file I got with an html template. It's the intro header.

I used the Macromedia Flash MX program (which I downloaded yesterday on a trial) to edit some text in the fla source code. That worked great... to a point. But the only FLS to work within the index page is the one they sent, complete with misspelling and poor verbage. Whenever I try to use my edited version, half the "movie" comes up white!

Note that my version works great when played by the regular Flash player and another that I tried, but it's no go with the index page. (The one they sent works without a hitch.)

Their support is nonexistant, so I'm depending on a Flash guru to assist.

Thanks

CybexHost · #3 02-23-2004, 11:13 PM

Good little writeup, good job!

benoitb · #4 02-24-2004, 07:02 PM

HostQuest,

Nice how to.

MG315 · #5 02-24-2004, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by HostQuest

If your Flash intro is small enough then you wont need a preloader. Most people can't sit through a preloader staring at a status bar while waiting for the Flash movie to load, I know I can't.

i disagree with this. without a preloader, a visitor doesnt know if it will load in a second or an hour. if nothing happens for 5 seconds i know i'll go away; however, if there's a preloader i know exactly how long it will take and decide whether or not i feel like waiting.

other than that, the tips seem pretty good. i'd also like to add make as much as possible in flash (vector) rather than importing elements designed in photoshop. vector takes up much less than raster so always try to replace raster with vector when possible.

HostQuest · #6 02-26-2004, 02:54 PM

You're right MG315, big Flash animations need preloaders. Depending on the Flash animation, I can sit through a preloader, specially since I have DSL. I just think when it comes to intros, and depending on the site, if you want to keep a viewers attention the file size should be as small as possible so the preloader would be short enough to bear. So far I haven't had to use a preloader yet, my Flash intros are tiny.

MG315 · #7 02-26-2004, 05:35 PM

it of course completely depends on the file size. the intro should be able to load within 3 seconds on a 56k modem - any less and you will lose many visitors and should consider a preloader.

personally i'd rather be on the safe side. i'd rather have a preloader that blinks on when it loads in a second, then have a blank screen for 10 seconds. i have dsl so i don't know how long it takes to load on 56k without actually doing usability testing, thats why i usually always include a preloader - just in case.

HleeX · #8 03-01-2004, 01:33 PM

I agree, great tips. I do try to keep my flash movies at a minimal. I find that breaking them up into individual movies and then loading them is much faster.