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Thread: SITE CHECK: Is this menu worth the load time?

  1. #1
    Shhh! monkeypants's Avatar
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    I'm trying a bunch of animations made in Poser for my menu. I'm guessing this will end up being a broadband-only version of my site, but if any 56k'ers are willing to sit through the 497k load time, I'd like to know if the animations were worth waiting for.

    Just the menu and intro animation for now. "Profile" will open another movie...but it's just a placeholder so you can see the transitions back and forth from the menu.

    http://jcmultimedia.hypermart.net/V1.../V17frames.htm

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    very nice

    think it takes too long to transfer from menu -> profile and visa versa, but i'm very impatient

    ac

  3. #3
    Damn Right!
    Best viewed on a monitor

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    Heya moneydude.. long time no see

    Liked the menu.. but as said it takes a long time to switch menu's and especially the back to main is taking too long.

    To answer your question..
    Yes.. To me it was..
    But as a client or someone that wouldnt know that there is a wicked menu eventually.. i would say no.

  4. #4
    Monkeypants


    Another fine example of what you can do with your spare time. Speed is an issue but depending on what your clients access speed is against the regular home user I say go for the flare. People are going to pay for style and substance, and from what you've been showing us I see you dealing with corporates and other people with money to spend. Go broadband all the way, what do you have to lose.

    -Prduck-

    5 monkeys have now died on my Clie.....

  5. #5
    Senior Member
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    Hello MP:
    Look are excellent,with swish2+ 3D models & imagination is posible create flash masterpieces.
    I love this design. In DSL loaded very fast,( good preloader idea).
    Cheers.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Lys12's Avatar
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    i couldn'tr get my eyes off that walking guy during preloading... but after about 3 minutes he still hadn't arrived anywhere (DSL). altogether the transitions are worth the waiting time, that face changing expression and the moving hand are great. but impatient people might give up before the menu has loaded.

  7. #7
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    The intro looks good however it does break a pretty basic rule, but I guess watching a bloke walking at variable speeds beats watching the word preloader contracting and expanding Neat cityscape graphics.

  8. #8
    Swiftdev Founder 98svt's Avatar
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    As always, a pleasure to wait for. Site looks great, loaded very quickly on DSL. The transition from page to page wasn't a bother at all.
    Great stuff, BTW, I ordered Poser 4, looks like an interesting program. I also purchased Maya, i'll be playing with both for awhile. I tried the trial version of Poser, looks pretty easy to use, as far as 3-D programs go. Very user friendly.

    Mike

  9. #9
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    it didnt take too long to load on my cablemodem, site looks great

  10. #10
    Shhh! monkeypants's Avatar
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    Originally posted by jofta
    The intro looks good however it does break a pretty basic rule, but I guess watching a bloke walking at variable speeds beats watching the word preloader contracting and expanding Neat cityscape graphics.
    Rule?....explain please.

  11. #11
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    The "minimise waiting for loading" un written rule for which there are no penalties by the way other than the often made remark of "i dont wait more than a minute for anything to load".

    On 56 k its a long wait..thats all.
    jofta

    "but after about 3 minutes he still hadn't arrived anywhere (DSL)."



  12. #12
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    wow, and wow again. Loaded quick on my cable modem. You can always warn ppl that there is a long load time ahead for the slower connections. If they still want to visit it's their own fault! The hand and the face amazing.

  13. #13
    Shhh! monkeypants's Avatar
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    Thanks everyone for your ideas. I've been working on trimming the animations, and I've got it down to around 350k. I'm going to add some additional animation to the preloader (maybe a few different views of the guy walking) to keep it interesting for the 56k'ers.

    I'll have an updated version posted in a few days.

  14. #14
    Measles from Brussels
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    Monkeypants,

    I like what you've done, I checked that poser thing too.
    2 things come to mind:

    1. Is the price, including pro pack, really 368 USD?
    2. Isn't that a lot, considering (at least that's what I understand from it) the fact you're not allowed to use it professionaly or sell your work without getting permission from CuriousLabs?

  15. #15
    Shhh! monkeypants's Avatar
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    Originally posted by aap
    1. Is the price, including pro pack, really 368 USD?
    If you buy it through their website it is. I got poser, as well as most of my other software, through a friend of mine who is a media buyer for a university. (You'd be amazed how much you can save with a legit educational buyer)

    2. Isn't that a lot, considering (at least that's what I understand from it) the fact you're not allowed to use it professionaly or sell your work without getting permission from CuriousLabs?

    There is nothing addressing this in the manual or on their site, but I have sent an email to their legal department asking for the whole story. If it turns out that you can't sell anything you make then it's not worth a dime. Their legal department would be hard pressed to prove the shapes in an end pro-pack .swf was generated by pro pack (there's no id of any kind), so it would really be a worthless policy anyway.

    I'm sure that things like the models and props that come with the software have usage terms. What information do you have?

  16. #16
    Measles from Brussels
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    Frankly,
    I don't know anymore where I heard or read it (I used to come across the program once already a few months ago, but didn't pay much attention to it at that time).
    The smallprint on the bottom of their website just got me thinking again. (I usually don't like that kind of statements, especially when I want to use a program to produce things to sell)
    Anyway, I'ld appreciate it if you would let me know the "official policy" once you het it from their legal department.
    And sadly "no, I don't happen to know anybody that is a legit educational buyer"

  17. #17
    wasing air is a hobby
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    Looks Great!!! I like how on the 3d- spining lady and the walking guy it stops on roll-out.
    Loaded really fast

  18. #18
    Shhh! monkeypants's Avatar
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    I've trimmed the animations and brought the file size down to just under 300k.

    The transitions have been smoothed out too.

  19. #19
    Senior Member velez's Avatar
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    Sorry, MP ... this is by far the worst that you have done. I'm not saying that I don't like the site it's just that you had better ones.

    Here are some things that are questionable:
    • The abrupt ending of the preloader. Transition from preloader to main movie should be smoother.
    • When refreshing why does the movie show 'loading' when the movie is cached?
    • On clicking the 'back button', why does the reader have to view the beginning of your menu ... again and again? You should just fade the menu in from its last position.

    The answer to your question is NO. I hate movies that make me wait for certain effects (to finish) prior to letting me do what I (the reader) wants.

    I know you'll swallow this critique as what it is meant to be ...

  20. #20
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    very ver very nice monkey!!!!!!!!! I love the animations, Is that POSER 4 as well? I love it, it does a little while to load but worth the wait! Well done.

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