THANK YOU and invitation for everybody.

[Thankful]

Well, good old times.. while I was still down in Croatia I had my synthesizers (Korg X3 and Roland XP-10), plus Kawai Q-80 (sequencer) and few rhythm machines. A lot of sound producing I used to do with PC as well (Reason, Fruity Loops, Re-Birth RB-338 etc.)

I was pretty active on Techno scene back then (trance, hardtrance, chill-out mostly), and in my free time I composed a lot of relaxing-kind-of tunes as well. Never went comercial though, just for my soul, and of course for all my friends that trully enjoyed every single release I released... that's always really nice to hear.

Cheers !

[benz17]

Hi Thankful

I thought your site was amazing! I just have one question. From all the fantasitic flash sites I've seen, they all have the same thing in common and that is the all look all smooth and everything looks so.....not done in flash. Do you use fireworks to make, for instance your buttons so shiny? I tried to download fireworks free trial version from macromedia but it keeps downloading a corrupted version. I tried it even on other computers and it still won't work. Any advice?

-ben

P.S. i'm only 12!

[Thankful]

Yes, 99% of my gfx related work I do in Fireworks. It may sound weird, but I really never had chance to play that much with Photoshop, although I am aware what I'm losing there... It's just, lack of free time is killing me lately, and I just wish I have more time to spend on learning the PS.

Anyway, Fireworks is very powerful tool. I love it so much, and if you play with it long enough, you'll realize very soon that there is practically nothing that can't be done with Fireworks.. ok, maybe those things are not always shortcuts, but trust me, there is nothing you can't do with FW.

As far as downloading goes, I have no clue what causes your corrupted downloads... is your connection stable enough, not breaking too often ? I doubt it anyway, since you already said you tried to download it on other machines as well. Are you using any download manager by any chance ? Try to disable it completely, and try to download FW again...

Cheers !

[benz17]

ya thanks I looked at the macromedia solutions to downloading problems and one said that I should use firefox instead of internet explorer (I used internet explorer on both computers) or that i should try disabling my downloading manager.

Anyways, I have photoshop, but the only problem about your images from PS to flash is that they're bimaps and you can't do that much with bitmaps. If you do images in fireworks, are they bitmaps too? Or are they like you drew that in flash. That would be very helpful.

Thanks again!
-Ben

[sportzguy933]

Hi. Images from FW are not bitmaps. They are treated specially, as "Fireworks Objects". Basically, Flash brakes it down into the closest to vector. It's very useful, and you can do , as Thankful said, almost anything with FW (and Flash).

[benz17]

thanks

[Thankful]

One thing must be clear to everyone who decided to go with bitmap graphics instead of vector graphics... they will always be much more "heavy" than vector graphics, plus even more important, while resising verctors, you won't lose a single bit of initial quality. If you take any bitmap format and try to resize it (enlarge it in particular), you will lose a lot. Graphic will become unbelievable jaggy, on the edges especially.

If you have to go with bitmap graphic I suggest you use PNG file format. Why ? Because it's unbelievable flexible, and best of all it supports 32-bit alpha channeling. What's that mean ? It means, you can have unbelievable nice and soft gradient transparency. Same thing is with 32-bit BMP file format which is 100% supported in PH. Still, regardless is it PNG or 32-bit BMP, if you import for example 50x50 pixels large (small) object, and try to enlarge it manuallt from withing Flash, object will become jaggy, and bloory... which of course is not good at all. And it doesn't matter how nice and sharp that object looks like when small (in it's original size). Bitmaps are bitmaps and there is not much of a help.

That's why we have vectors. I personally don't know much about vector drawing, but I know some basics and I'm learning every day more and more.

Take a look in here for example... The example on the top of the picture I made is using nice button I made in Fireworks. It's a 32-bit PNG file format (BITMAP) and it's original size is 33x33 pixels. Notice what happens when I enlarge it to 200x200 pixels... you see those ugly edges ?

And then, take a look at the example at the bottom of the picture... it's a same button, but this time I made it in Flash as a pure VECTOR graphic. See how nice those edges are when you enlarge vector ? And trust me, it doesn't matter how large you wanna make it, it will always stay crisp and wonderful.



Suggestion... if you still wanna go with bitmap graphics, make sure to draw your object using size that will be used in Flash. If you want to shrink it in Flash, that's fine too, but if you want to enlarge it, you'll get something from the example above (top one)...

Cheers !

[tongxn]

Just bringing this amazing thread back online!!

[sportzguy933]

HOW did u recreate that?!!!?!?!?!

(response to Thankful's last post).

[whispers]

HOW did u recreate that?!!!?!?!?!

(response to Thankful's last post).

???

[Thankful]

HOW did u recreate that?!!!?!?!?!

(response to Thankful's last post).

Sorry, not following this time... I guess it's my English again, hehe...

If you meant on those buttons, and how I managed to make vector version from bitmap version... well simply, I just made few poligons (of course different shapes) and filled them with different fills. That's the easiest way to make something like that. It looks complex, but believe me it's not. And in my humble opinion, it really looks a way better (read: crispier) than bitmap version... especially when enlarged.

Regards

[Thankful]

Another two small updates...

First one, when you pass the initial HTML page (Flash checker btw), you'll enter Splash page with those running letters, and elastic Enter the Main Page button... The only new thing here is Spontaneous Combustion, hehe (lower left part of the screen around my silhouette). It's kind of nice effect and also it makes some sense, since when you enter the main page, if you try to press on my silhouette, you'll see some small words animation and smoke rising up... it means, I cooled down after Splash screen burning, haha

The other small update is... on the Main Page... I added Visitor's Opinions button (lower right corner of the screen), and I'm placing some of your comments (with your nick-name) I'm getting through my PHP e-mail (contact me) panel or here in forum. So, whoever wants to find his/her name in there, is free to send me some comments. Of course, if you don't want your e-mail to be visible, make sure to make a note in your message and I will respect your wishes, therefore will not include your e-mails in there.

Thanks again to everybody for all your comments so far. It's been (and still is) my pleasure to know you all, to hang around with you people as well as to become a part of this wonderful community.

Edit: Also, I am happy that I can say this thread has far more views (hits) than any other in this forum (I found another one close to 460 hits) ... of course except those locked ones up there on the top of each thread list. It shows me that people are really interested in stuff we are discussing in here, that's great, and also it gives me a boost to try even harder. Thanks people !

[morgantj]

interesting.

[Lexicon]

Well, you'll get no more compliments from me until you change Flashkit back to it's rightful colours. That's just letting the side down you heathen!

Does yellow offend you?

[Thankful]

Haha Craig, you're a funny guy... no it doesn't offend me but it really hut my eyes after a while...

But if you insist I will change it back to yellow, and soon I will wear glasses, haha...

@morgantj - thanks for your input, your site is also very interesting itself.

[Thankful]

BUMP

[Thankful]

Sorry, double post and I can not erase this one... Forum is kind of pretty slow right now over here, so I thought it will never going to send my reply... so I clicked it twice

[Lexicon]

lol having problems Sasha? Thats the FK'ing Gods trying to tell you something

[Thankful]

Your wish is my command, yes sir ! I changed it back to yellow (ugh...) It's really ugly color, although not that bad I guess....

[pixel_lash]

Howdy Thankful,

After reading the entire thread and visiting your site I must say that maybe, just maybe there's hope for someone pretty new like me. I loved your site and I will have to check out FireWorks (I am an advanced-user of PS and have a hard time NOT using my 'crutch').

However, I was hoping to ask *you* some scripting questions, if you don't mind.
First, I am having troubles getting Java to status, could you help me with the effect you use? Is it true that JS must be hand-coded as to cut-and-paste?
Also, I am very worried about a PNG I use and IE. I didn't know about this and am a little scared. Could you help me with the JS that forced IE to pay attention?

I truely thank you for any help you can offer . . .