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Flash Overview
As we wander the web, we frequently come across several sites where the graphics, audio and interactivity seem to be magically synchronised, and where the site seems to load almost in an instant. These sites have been designed using Macromedia Flash.
Macromedia's Flash is a vector graphics technology used to design high-impact and low-bandwidth web sites. Designers use vector graphics, which are based on mathematical formulae and coordinates, to produce graphics files that are 1/10 th the size of bitmaps, which use pixels. The file format used to deliver Flash graphics, animation and sound over the Internet is Shockwave Flash (SWF).
Macromedia published the Flash specifications in 1998—it is now an open-source format and is used for development by third parties. The SWF file format has been integrated into web design and graphics file formats. If you run a web browser with a 4.0 or higher version number, chances are that the Flash player has been built into your web browser and you will not have to download it from the Macromedia site.
If you're interested in learning more about Flash, you can begin by visiting the Macromedia site to download the Flash player, download trial versions of or purchase Flash MX 2004 and Flash MX Professional 2004, get information on training and certification and check out the tutorials provided for developers. You will be able to download various manuals and documents on Flash from the Macromedia site.
You also will find a large Flash community on the web and several books on Flash available from your local bookstore, from SAMS Teach Yourself Macromedia Flash 5 in 24 Hours to the Flash 5 Bible .
At AV1 Designs, we have used Flash extensively for several clients, such as Raspberry Productions, the organisers of children's events; Ridgeway, the prestigious car dealers; Datatag IT, providers of a motorbike security system; the actress Jessica Andrews and XtraIT.com, the IT recruitment consultants. In fact, we've used Flash to design the latest version of our own web site.
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