To learn more about specific collections included in FlashBang!, select any of the links in the Featured Sets section.
What is FlashBang!?
FlashBang! is a new Dreamweaver extension by Joseph Lowery and Edoardo Zubler that allows Dreamweaver designers to easily add Flash navigation elements to their pages. FlashBang! includes several collections of professionally designed buttons – each of which is highly customizable, so that it blends easily into your own site design.
Top Can I customize FlashBang! buttons?
Almost every facet of a FlashBang! button is customizable. With buttons from the Arcobaleno collection (included), you can not only alter the button text and the font, but also the color and style for both default and rollover states. You can also specify the button's background color for default, rollover and down states; morevover, you can pick the colors to form a gradient. You can specify targets on the page or in the frameset – FlashBang! automatically picks up all frame and iframe names. In all, you can specify 20 different parameters for an Arcobaleno FlashBang! button.
Top How are FlashBang! buttons different from the standard Flash Buttons?
Standard Flash Buttons rely on Macromedia Generator (a discontinued product) to create customized .swf files. Because Generator is no longer supported in Flash MX, you can no longer create new Flash Button templates, unless you use Flash 5. Flash Buttons are also quite limited in how they can be modified – especially when compared to FlashBang! buttons. Both types of buttons are comparable in file size, but because you can use one FlashBang! button for all the buttons in your nav bar – just change the attributes to individualize a button – your overall file size is less.
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What can you do with FlashBang! buttons? FlashBang! buttons are very versatile and can include sounds, trigger behaviors, work with dynamic data, target iFrames, display down states and much more.
Top What do I need to run FlashBang!?
FlashBang! runs in any standard Dreamweaver MX configuration. FlashBang! buttons can be inserted in any site using Flash. The Macromedial Flash Player 6 is used to view FlashBang! buttons.
Top Do I need Flash to add FlashBang! buttons to my sites?
No, Flash is not necessary to run FlashBang! However, if you'd like to further customize any of the buttons included in a FlashBang! collection or create your own FlashBang! buttons, you will need Flash MX.
Top How does FlashBang! work?
FlashBang! takes advantage of a new technology introduced with Flash MX called FlashVars. The FlashVars param is a series of name-value pairs passed to the Flash movie. Because FlashVars are inserted in the <object> and <embed> tags, they can be modified from Dreamweaver rather than Flash. The structure of FlashBang! buttons is fully documented in the included User Guide.
Top Can I make my own FlashBang! buttons?
Absolutely. You'll need Flash MX to do so and a bit of ActionScript savvy; the included User Guide offers an appendix that details how to create your own buttons as well as the steps necessary for storing your new buttons so that they will appear automatically in the FlashBang! user interface.
Top Can I resell the FlashBang! buttons I make?
No, the FlashBang! end-user license only permits you to user FlashBang! buttons on the personal or commercial sites you develop, to customize the source buttons or create new buttons for your own use. However, if you are interested in creating button collections for sale, we're open to working with you as a partner – please drop us an email.
Top Can I use FlashBang! in templates?
Yes – the buttons can be placed in either a locked or an editable region. You can even turn FlashBang! attributes into template parameters, as described in this tutorial.
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