What is Flash anyway?
Flash is a product from Macromedia that allows users to draw and
animate scenes in a format that can easily be web-enabled.
Like animated gifs?
Yes and no. Animated gifs are based on raster technology whereas
Flash files are based on vector technology.
What's the difference?
A raster graphic (e.g. a triangle) is defined pixel by pixel.
Every pixel that appears in the picture is stored in the file.
In a vector image, the triangle is defined by it's three point
coordinates.
So what?
By defining only the points you gain two major advantages:
-
file sizes are smaller because less information needs to
be stored
-
the graphic will resize smoothly becuase it is redrawn when
the window is resized
What's the catch?
Actually there's three:
-
you need a browser plug-in
-
flash files are a little more difficult to make than animated
gifs
-
flash files require more client-side processing power than
animated gifs
Are there any other advantages to using Flash?
Yes. Flash files can incorporate sound and interactivity (e.g.
buttons).In fact some sites use a Flash movie for a navigation.
Where can I see Flash in action?
Some really good site examples are:
Cool! Where can I find out more about Flash?
You can get more info at Macromedia's
Web Site.They also have a 30-day
trial version available for download.
This was a contribution from Mike
Parent
3-10-99
