Share your tricks or tips for FIRESTARTER with others!
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"Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today"
"It can only be dark, if there is no light." - Kim Rickman
Kim
Senior Advisor
2,642 posts
Darce Hoover
Senior Advisor
4,316 posts
Exploring the "Cutting Room" in FireStarter
"The Cutting Room" is located at the bottom of your FireStarter window. This is where your objects are listed with each object having its own timeline.
Notice the three icons next to your objects.
1. Hat - click on this icon to add your effects
2. Film Strip - Click on this icon to add your blank spaces. This feature is necessary to block out objects that you do not want to appear in your flash until your are ready for them.
3. Eye - Click on this icon to hide or display your objects in your Flash Window while working with your project.
4. Right under the list of your objects are 6 small icons. The arrows enable to move your objects up and down the timeline. The next two are copy and paste icons, and the last is the trash icon.
Hint:
1. Left click to select an effect on the timeline. Then right click for a popup menu to allow you to make several choices which aids in correctly positioning your effects and blank spaces.
2. Copy and paste effects that are duplicated. This saves time.
3. You can enlarge your timeline by clicking on the magnify icons that are located on the far right side of the timeline. Darce Jean
"The Cutting Room" is located at the bottom of your FireStarter window. This is where your objects are listed with each object having its own timeline.
Notice the three icons next to your objects.
1. Hat - click on this icon to add your effects
2. Film Strip - Click on this icon to add your blank spaces. This feature is necessary to block out objects that you do not want to appear in your flash until your are ready for them.
3. Eye - Click on this icon to hide or display your objects in your Flash Window while working with your project.
4. Right under the list of your objects are 6 small icons. The arrows enable to move your objects up and down the timeline. The next two are copy and paste icons, and the last is the trash icon.
Hint:
1. Left click to select an effect on the timeline. Then right click for a popup menu to allow you to make several choices which aids in correctly positioning your effects and blank spaces.
2. Copy and paste effects that are duplicated. This saves time.
3. You can enlarge your timeline by clicking on the magnify icons that are located on the far right side of the timeline. Darce Jean
Darce Hoover
Senior Advisor
4,316 posts
Resizing in CoffeeCup FireStarter
You can resize all of your objects in the panel provided on the far right of your FireStarter Window. But sometimes it is easier to resize them with your mouse by selecting and dragging.
Resize the size of your flash background, images, and other objects by left clicking to select the object, then move your mouse over the edges. When your mouse turns to a line with arrows on each end; you can left click, hold down your button, and drag to resize.
Your text box is determined by the size of your text. This is selected in the panel on the right. Darce Jean
You can resize all of your objects in the panel provided on the far right of your FireStarter Window. But sometimes it is easier to resize them with your mouse by selecting and dragging.
Resize the size of your flash background, images, and other objects by left clicking to select the object, then move your mouse over the edges. When your mouse turns to a line with arrows on each end; you can left click, hold down your button, and drag to resize.
Your text box is determined by the size of your text. This is selected in the panel on the right. Darce Jean
Janys Hyde
Senior Advisor
6,076 posts
Changing the length of effects
In addition to the working tips added in the previous post, don't forget that you can act directly on the timeline blocks.
°The coloured blocks over to the right of this image refer to the special effects you will have added to either your images or text. These blocks are to be found at the bottom of the Firestarter window. They will only be visible once you start adding effects to your content.
°If you are not certain what effect working with "numbers" such as extra frames etc.will have on your flash, you can quickly learn how to change the timing of an effect by clicking on these coloured blocks and dragging the whole series of blocks over to the left or right, or by clicking on the extreme edges and dragging and extending the number of little blocks.
°If you want one image or text area to remain UNAFFECTED by an action for a brief spell whilst other actions take place, drag the whole series of boxes which refer to that image or text, over to the right, leaving a number of spaces empty over to the left of the blocks.
See how this works in this example:
www.cloart.com/words-places.html where the central words "Venetian Places" only begin an action when almost all the other text actions are complete.
°It is obviously wise to experiment all these suggestions in your previews several times before you save your project.
(Image used, courtesy of Darce Jean) http://www.venicefromtheinside.com
In addition to the working tips added in the previous post, don't forget that you can act directly on the timeline blocks.
°The coloured blocks over to the right of this image refer to the special effects you will have added to either your images or text. These blocks are to be found at the bottom of the Firestarter window. They will only be visible once you start adding effects to your content.
°If you are not certain what effect working with "numbers" such as extra frames etc.will have on your flash, you can quickly learn how to change the timing of an effect by clicking on these coloured blocks and dragging the whole series of blocks over to the left or right, or by clicking on the extreme edges and dragging and extending the number of little blocks.
°If you want one image or text area to remain UNAFFECTED by an action for a brief spell whilst other actions take place, drag the whole series of boxes which refer to that image or text, over to the right, leaving a number of spaces empty over to the left of the blocks.
See how this works in this example:
www.cloart.com/words-places.html where the central words "Venetian Places" only begin an action when almost all the other text actions are complete.
°It is obviously wise to experiment all these suggestions in your previews several times before you save your project.
(Image used, courtesy of Darce Jean) http://www.venicefromtheinside.com
Cliff Main
Senior Advisor
2,125 posts
Creating a play again/replay option:
If you need a replay button or text link for your flash movie, use the "hot spot" function to create it.
1- Click the hot spot button.
2- Drag the hot spot into position.
3- Choose your hot spot shape.
4- Place text in hot spot if text is desired.
5- In the properties under "action" choose "go to frame".
6- Select frame 0 for the start of the movie.
7- You can choose other frame numbers to replay movie at a different start point. E-Learning Specialist
www.mainsites.ca is my website, and yes, some of it is crappy.
If you need a replay button or text link for your flash movie, use the "hot spot" function to create it.
1- Click the hot spot button.
2- Drag the hot spot into position.
3- Choose your hot spot shape.
4- Place text in hot spot if text is desired.
5- In the properties under "action" choose "go to frame".
6- Select frame 0 for the start of the movie.
7- You can choose other frame numbers to replay movie at a different start point. E-Learning Specialist
www.mainsites.ca is my website, and yes, some of it is crappy.
Charysse Gleason
Registered User
3 posts
Inserting a Coffecup Photo Gallery into your Firestarter page
This is pretty simple. To make it easy to understand I will simplify, there is a Function in flash that calls for a website when you set a link. Inserting Javascript Directly into the "URL FIELD" using the make an abject a link function will effectively call the javascript rather than a URL.
For instance In my case I inserted the following code into the URL Field and got the results I desired which you can see by going to www.royalsphotography.com and selecting the Galleries Link. This is a nifty way to add a Coffecup Photogallery to your Firestarter Flash.
javascript:NewWindow=window.open('rpgallery.html','Site','width=800,height=524,left=0,top=0,
toolbar=No,location=No,scrollbars=No,status=No,resizable=No,fullscreen=No'); NewWindow.focus();void(0);
You can change the Width and Height options to whatever size your Gallery is.
~ JR
This is pretty simple. To make it easy to understand I will simplify, there is a Function in flash that calls for a website when you set a link. Inserting Javascript Directly into the "URL FIELD" using the make an abject a link function will effectively call the javascript rather than a URL.
For instance In my case I inserted the following code into the URL Field and got the results I desired which you can see by going to www.royalsphotography.com and selecting the Galleries Link. This is a nifty way to add a Coffecup Photogallery to your Firestarter Flash.
javascript:NewWindow=window.open('rpgallery.html','Site','width=800,height=524,left=0,top=0,
toolbar=No,location=No,scrollbars=No,status=No,resizable=No,fullscreen=No'); NewWindow.focus();void(0);
You can change the Width and Height options to whatever size your Gallery is.
~ JR
James T. Kirk
Ambassador
967 posts
Charysse, your discovery is quickly becoming one of my favorites for firestarter. You can add javascript snippets to do a lot of neat things. If you are an affiliate marketer, you can add popups to any site that displays you banner. Thanks again for such a great find.
add!!!- example script:
javascript:open('http://page.html','PopupWindow','width=400,height=300,resizable=yes,statusbar=yes,scrollbars=yes');blur();focus();
Just click on the url button and replace 'http://' with the above code for your popup. I love Coffeecup and VSD!: http://mylife.coffeecup.com (add /stream to the url see boring pictures)
Web design assistance website built in
Visual Site Designer: http://www.abcomputered.com
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/abcomputered
Save your PC if you spill a beverage on it: http://bit.ly/vBUe9X
Join me on Facebook http://bit.ly/acnpoD
Visit my Coupon Website! http://councilbluffscoupons.com
Member - Omaha Chamber of Commerce 2012
Proud Sponsor of NAMI Nebraska Walks 2012
Check out my profile for useful blog post on CC Products!
Call me at 402-813-4034 for web design assistance or shopping cart solutions.
add!!!- example script:
javascript:open('http://page.html','PopupWindow','width=400,height=300,resizable=yes,statusbar=yes,scrollbars=yes');blur();focus();
Just click on the url button and replace 'http://' with the above code for your popup. I love Coffeecup and VSD!: http://mylife.coffeecup.com (add /stream to the url see boring pictures)
Web design assistance website built in
Visual Site Designer: http://www.abcomputered.com
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/abcomputered
Save your PC if you spill a beverage on it: http://bit.ly/vBUe9X
Join me on Facebook http://bit.ly/acnpoD
Visit my Coupon Website! http://councilbluffscoupons.com
Member - Omaha Chamber of Commerce 2012
Proud Sponsor of NAMI Nebraska Walks 2012
Check out my profile for useful blog post on CC Products!
Call me at 402-813-4034 for web design assistance or shopping cart solutions.
Fe Pixie
Registered User
2,900 posts
Posts recovered from old forums 
Have fun
~ Fe Pixie ~
Have fun~ Fe Pixie ~
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