Publishing

Publish settings

When your Flash is designed you may click Menu-File-Publish and ready-to-use SWF file will be created along with HTML file that includes the code for displaying your movie inside Web Page format. You have used this technique during the course. Now we will discuss publish options.

If you select Menu-File-Publish Settings you will invoke a tabbed dialog. The first Tab – Format gives the opportunity to choose from available export options. If you check Flash checkbox (and you practically always will do it) SWF file will be created.

Open Flash tab and you will see several choices such as version of output file. For Flash MX you need Flash 6 version. Leave other options as is, only be sure that Generate Size Report is checked for our lesson purpose.

In most circumstances you also need HTML checkbox. It creates HTML file which keeps the code for loading SWF movie. If you open this HTML published page in other editor you will find OBJECT tag with such parameters as the name of SWF file and dimensions of the movie stage. Parameters of this Object may be altered through Publish-Setting – HTML tab. It’s possible to align Flash movie differently on the page or change it’s size or change it’s quality. You may also edit those parameters and add more content to the HTML file using HTML editors or simply Notepad.

If you chose a Projector option on the Format panel your movie will be saved as an independent executable file (with EXE extension). It may be played separately from HTML page and without Flash Player to be downloaded on client’s computer.

Also you may save Flash movie simply as a bitmap. The most interesting option may be a GIF file – by using it you may create animated GIF banners with it.

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