| |
|
|
Years ago, we started out with a mission;
a purpose for the internet which has evolved in more ways
than we can possibly imagine. The true purpose of the internet
was to inform. Obviously today, not only has the internet
adopted many new standards, it has bred many new cultures
of expectations. And now, instead of words and pictures
to entertain the senses, we have come to a focal point.
|
Not only have we bred originality and imagination to captivate
the senses of others, but we have created a new era of technology
along with it. The internet has changed from a sequential form
of text and images to an exhilarating cinematic experience. Web
design alone has brought more individuals to a defined medium
than any other hobby or profession. That medium, of course, is
the internet.
Wasn't that enlightening? I'm sure it was. The point I am getting
to, is to explain the impact animation, more importantly flash
in itself, has made on the world of web design. From humble beginning
as a key-frame editor as "Future-Splash" all the way
to back-end programming and possibly OOP design, Flash MX 2004,
flash has diversified much of what we call entertainment.
Flash has introduced a whole new way of designing as far as originality
and functionality combined. Now we have entirely new ways to express
ourselves. With a daft hand, and a head for basic scripting, flash
can open many windows for you. Windows that would not have been
made available with static and smalltime animation. As a matter
of fact, combining the two has made more than a profound impression
on the design industry already.
With the ability to provide animation with functionality has
proven to be an invaluable resource, which flash has more than
provided us. With the ability to create a fully dynamic experience
with back-end systems to either automate or fully customize the
way a site is viewed. This allows for companies small and large
to provide potential viewers with all the information they need
along with an enjoyable experience of multimedia.
Lets go over some of the broad spectrum flash has allowed:
The all intensive purpose of flash is to animate, and well...it
does just that. Whether a site chooses to have animation or functionality,
or both, can mean a world of difference. Who's to say a site covered
with animation will do better than a static site. The whole purpose
of the internet is to inform, correct? So lets put this into perspective.
Flash enables a series of capabilities to assess information through
media.
- Multimedia: We all know flash can animate things. Through
tweening and key-framing, anything is possible right? Well, with
the introduction of video in flash, a whole new approach to this
idea has been made. with an extremely compatibility rate with
flash MX 2004, your everyday video editor can create more with
video inside flash. This has made a profound effect on standards
of experience, as artists continually push the envelope on what
can be done. 3-d programs such as 3dsmax and Cinema 4d, combined
with Photoshop AND flash, have also made a massive storm. 3d has
been brought to a whole new level with the combination of any
of the four.
- Scripting: This is my favorite aspect of flash. Along
with the ability to utilize media within or outside flash, you
also have a world of scripting at your feet. Be advised, actionscript
really isn't as hard as one would believe. With a basic knowledge
of Javascript (the base of actionscript), the learning curve is
alot less of a jump. With the ability to integrate content into
a site just by scripting or introducing a whole new concept of
scripting motion, actionscript has proven to be as effective as
any other language. And if actionscript alone doesn't suit you,
the ability to integrate other languages within flash is also
available. It also is sometimes deemed absolutely necessary. By
using PHP and flash together, you can add even more functionality
to flash. XML and mySQL are also part of the integration with
flash.
- Sound: This aspect isn't widely discussed enough. Multimedia
only stood a few years before sound was introduced. The ability
to combine sound with flash, has improved the quality of media
altogether. Enabling the user to sync sound with flash, video,
and other animation, sound has made a huge impact on the way animation
is viewed.
Flash is constantly being driven to new heights, and before you
know it, flash will be at the pinnacle of web design, at the height
of the profession. With the ability to bring all other forms of
media together, whether it be static (Photoshop, Illustrator),
3d (3dsmax, Cinema 4d, Blender), programming (PHP, ASP, myQL,
XML) or video (After Effects, etc). Flash has made it possible
for all of these technologies to be brought together under one
tent, to bring an amazing experience to viewers. Now, the internet
has evolved into not only being more than capable of informing
the viewer with need-to-know information, but it has also conformed
to a new type of preference; enjoyment of the senses.
I hope you enjoyed this little commentary, If you havent tried
flash in your web design endeavors, I suggest you give it a shot,
it's not as hard as it seems.
|
