[Hidden-tech] Flash - Mozilla/Firefox display problem

[Daniel Fried]

Adam,

 

I agree with most of your points, but I would encourage you to explore
SWFObject a bit further.  Some of its features include handling the
percentage scaling issue on Firefox (although your other comments about
scaling are most appropriate) and most importantly it gives you the ability
to include HTML which gets replaced by the Flash object when the Javascript
is run.  This means that you can include regular text which a search engine
can index or a message asking them to turn Javascript on to see the site
that will never be shown to users who have Javascript enabled.  

 

Even so I agree with you about entirely Flash based websites, I argue that
there is no good time for an entirely Flash based website although Flash can
be well used as an accent or for components of a site which require its
special features.

 

-Dan

 

-----Original Message-----
From: hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net
[mailto:hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net] On Behalf Of Adam
Connor
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2007 6:47 PM
To: 'Mark & Mary Knox'; 'Hidden-Tech Tech'
Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] Flash - Mozilla/Firefox display problem

 

Hi Mark,
Peter is correct, your issue is with Firefox's handling of percentage based
heights.

However, I would second Michael Giles' comment that you should use pixel
based heights and widths in your HTML for this site.  Flash Player's scaling
for raster based images (i.e. your artworks) is not so great (though it is
getting better) and unless you have purposely designed and scripted
(scripting being the more important of the two in this case) to make use of
the various scaling options for the stage in flash, pixels are most
definitely the best way to go here.

Regarding what Dan wrote about utilizing JavaScript to embed Flash, while
true, it is important to note that this adds the extra requirement that
users have JavaScript enabled.  At any given time statistics show that
between 5 and 10% of the user population have JavaScript disabled.  So, for
these users, when they view your site, they would see nothing unless you
provide non-Flash based content on your site.

Another issue with sites based entirely in Flash is that it hinders the
ability to optimize the site for both search engines (it doesn't prevent it
outright, just complicates things) and accessibility.

I'm not trying to sound anti-Flash, I actually love Flash, work with it all
the time creating animations, applications and games, but I find it best to
look at it as a tool to be chosen when it best suits the requirements of a
given project.

Adam Connor
Little Green Toaster
www.littlegreentoaster.com

Daniel Fried wrote: 

   ** The author of this post was a Good Dobee.
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Mark,
 
One more thing to consider is that IE has an issue with Flash now (lawsuit
for patent infringement... it was ugly).  You may notice that you now have
to click once before IE will start enabling clicks.
 
There is a way to solve both issues at once, and that is using JavaScript to
enable the Flash object.  You can find information on how to do that at
http://blog.deconcept.com/swfobject/
 
There are some more robust JavaScript libraries out there for this purpose
as well, but swfobject works nicely and has a nice description of how to use
it.
 
-Dan
 
-----Original Message-----
From: hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net
[mailto:hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net] On Behalf Of Michael
Giles
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2007 10:05 AM
To: Mark & Mary Knox
Cc: Hidden-Tech Tech
Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] Flash - Mozilla/Firefox display problem
 
   ** The author of this post was a Good Dobee.
   ** You too can help the group
   ** Fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
   ** If you did, we all thank you.
 
 
Mark,
 
I think your issue for Firefox is the width and height parameters in the 
embed tag:
 
<embed src="menu.swf" quality="high" devicefont="true" bgcolor="#000000"
width="100%" height="100%" name="menu" align="middle"
allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
pluginspage= <http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer>
"http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>
 
If you change those to pixels instead of  %, things seem to work on 
Firefox.  I threw in "600px" for height and "900px" for width and your 
flash appeared full size.  So if you know the actual/desired dimensions 
of your flash presentation, just put those in instead of the %.  I'd 
recommend making the same change in the <object> tag as well.  That will 
actually make it appear consistently across all browsers.  With the 
current settings, it scales with the browser window.  So if my window is 
small, your text is illegible.
 
-Mike
 
 
Mark & Mary Knox wrote:
  

  ** The author of this post was a Good Dobee.
  ** You too can help the group
  ** Fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
  ** If you did, we all thank you.
 
 
 
Hi, I am new to hidden-tech and new to Flash. I recently published a 
web site using (newly learned) Flash. It displayed fine on Safari and 
Explorer, and I believe Netscape, but on Firefo not so good. The 
parameters for publishing in Flash MX 7.0 for the HTML shell weren't 
being recognized properly and it is displaying mocroscopic. Looking at 
Forefox's  attributes for the HTML display it indicates a number of 
unknowns.
 
I read a few comments from forums on the web, but so far haven't 
resolved the issue/ I do not know HTML. Any tips would be grateful.
the site is www.knoxworx.com.
 
Thanks, and it is good knowing such talent and expertise is not so 
hidden in the area :)
 
Mark
 
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