Newbie User needs some guidance

Hi Guys, Jumping into Dreamweaver/Fireworks/Flash world, and teaching myself. I
completed all the Macromedia tutorials, and have 8 different books sitting
around me telling me what to do, but I wanted to ask a few quick questions just
to steer me in the right direction and speed up the general learning process
for the things I need to know now, if you don't mind Any Help is much obliged!
So here we go:

1) How do I get a flash animation to open in a different window?

2) I know how to center an image file/animation horizontally, but can you do
it vertically? Just so it displays in the center of the screen regardless of
the screen resolution?

3) Anyone know some quick instructions/links to how to do a rotating/random
image?

4) Does anyone have any tips/trinks on how they manage screen resolutions in
Dreamweaver? In other words, I have the good fortune to have a high resolution
LCD . .. but I know most people are running 800x600 or 1024x768 . . . Do I have
to keep flipping resolutions on my screen, or anyone have tips on how you
manage that while creating sites?

Like I said guys, I really appreciate the help . . . and if all you can do is
point me in the right direction (aka "Start reading a chapter on this subject")
I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

ALSO: If anyone had some awesome books that helped them learn all of these
programs, I am on a book buying binge . . . I have some good ones, but i LOVE
tutorials . . . if there are books that let you learn by tutorials that you
guys know about, share! Thanks!

1) How do I get a flash animation to open in a different window?

Flash files are embedded into HTML pages. So, put the FLA file in the other
HTML file, and then, from your parent window, launch that HTML file in a new
window using javascript (DW has built-in behaviors for this)

2) I know how to center an image file/animation horizontally, but can you
do
it vertically? Just so it displays in the center of the screen regardless
of
the screen resolution?

Sort of. In the old days, you'd just make a table with a height and width of
100% and then set the valign and halign attributes accordingly.

However, 'height' in terms of percentages (ie 100%) isn't technically a
valid attribute in HTML. So, it works, but may not validate.

3) Anyone know some quick instructions/links to how to do a
rotating/random
image?

Google for 'ramdom image using' and then insert whatever language you want
to use...javascript, asp, php, etc.

4) Does anyone have any tips/trinks on how they manage screen resolutions
in
Dreamweaver? In other words, I have the good fortune to have a high
resolution
LCD . .. but I know most people are running 800x600 or 1024x768 . . . Do I
have
to keep flipping resolutions on my screen, or anyone have tips on how you
manage that while creating sites?

You don't. A web site doesn't have a resolution. It's as big as the
end-user's browser's viewport. So screen resolution doesn't really have
anything to do with it.

If you want to play it safe, use percentage widths (kind of hard if using
flash) or stick to a safe width of something like 700 pixels.

-Darrel

ALSO: If anyone had some awesome books that helped them learn all of these
programs, I am on a book buying binge . . . I have some good ones, but i
LOVE
tutorials . . . if there are books that let you learn by tutorials that
you
guys know about, share! Thanks!

Strictly speaking about DW, the best thing you can do is pick up a book on
HTML and CSS. Learn this first. Then DW will come naturally.

-Darrel

ShadyMark wrote:

Hi Guys, Jumping into Dreamweaver/Fireworks/Flash world, and teaching myself. I
completed all the Macromedia tutorials, and have 8 different books sitting
around me telling me what to do, but I wanted to ask a few quick questions just
to steer me in the right direction and speed up the general learning process
for the things I need to know now, if you don't mind Any Help is much obliged!
So here we go:

1) How do I get a flash animation to open in a different window?

You don't open a flash animation in a new window, you open a new html
page with a flash animation in it, in a new window.

To open a new window from within an html page:
<a href="yourpage.html" target="blank">open new window</a>
To open a popup window from within an html page:
use Dreamweaver's open window behavior (behavior panel). You apply this
behavior to a null link, i.e. something (text or image) to which you
gave the link "#" or "javascript:;" (in properties panel>link).

To open a new window from within Flash:

on (release) {
getURL("javascript:n_name=window.open('yourpage.ht ml','','height=650,width=750,scrollbars=no,toolbar =no,menubar=no');void(0);");
}
and fill in each attribute value as you wish.

2) I know how to center an image file/animation horizontally, but can you do
it vertically? Just so it displays in the center of the screen regardless of
the screen resolution?

The people that set the html standards (i.e. the W3C) don't think that
you should be able to center something vertically in a browser window.
They think that centering orizontally is good enough. So they have made
it nearly impossible to do that using valid html. However, you can do it
using "invalid" html, which requires you delete the doctype of your
page. The doctype is the 2 first lines of code that Dreamweaver
automatically writes in your code.
Then use:
<table width="100%" height="100%"><tr><td align="center"
valign="middle">your content here </td></tr></table>

Most flash sites use that technique, since they typically are centered
both orizontally and vertically in the window.
If you don't delete the doctype, browsers won't get this right.

3) Anyone know some quick instructions/links to how to do a rotating/random
image?

I don't. Someone else might help you here, or you can do a google search.

4) Does anyone have any tips/trinks on how they manage screen resolutions in
Dreamweaver? In other words, I have the good fortune to have a high resolution
LCD . .. but I know most people are running 800x600 or 1024x768 . . . Do I have
to keep flipping resolutions on my screen, or anyone have tips on how you
manage that while creating sites?

If your pages are less than 600 pixels wide, they'll fit in everybody's
screen. Another way to do it is to use percentage instead of pixels.
Your page layout can then be flexible and adapt to the browser window size.
For example:
<table width="80%" align="center" bgcolor"#555555"><tr><td>bla bla
bla</td></tr></table>
this table will adapt to the browser size.

Like I said guys, I really appreciate the help . . . and if all you can do is
point me in the right direction (aka "Start reading a chapter on this subject")
I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

If your pages are less than 600 pixels wide, they'll fit in everybody's
screen.

....except anyone using a browser viewport of less than 600 pixels in width.
(PDAs, multiple-windows on a smaller monitor, smaller monitor with one
browser with favorites tab open, etc.)

600 is certainly a 'safer' bet, but it's not quite correct to say that it
will work for 'everybody'.

-Darrel

-------The people that set the html standards (i.e. the W3C) don't think that
you should be able to center something vertically in a browser window.
They think that centering orizontally is good enough. So they have made
it nearly impossible to do that using valid html. However, you can do it
using "invalid" html, which requires you delete the doctype of your
page. The doctype is the 2 first lines of code that Dreamweaver
automatically writes in your code.
Then use:
<table width="100%" height="100%"><tr><td align="center"
valign="middle">your content here </td></tr></table>


This is the first option I tried, interestingly enough, the picture centered
in the design window, however, when previewing it in Firefox and IE, the image
popped right back to the top. Here is my code just in case I did something
wrong:


<div align="center" class="style1">
<p><table width="100%" height="100%"><tr><td align="center"
valign="middle"><img src="Images/banner.jpg" width="770" height="300"
border="0" usemap="#Map">
<map name="Map">
<area shape="rect" coords="665,250,760,294"
href="mailto:bushymark (AT) hotmail (DOT) com">
<area shape="rect" coords="567,251,655,294" href="links.htm">
<area shape="rect" coords="397,254,559,295" href="Guestbook.htm">
<area shape="rect" coords="268,254,390,296" href="Resume.htm">
<area shape="rect" coords="154,255,257,297" href="photos.htm">
<area shape="rect" coords="63,251,147,299" href="News.htm">
<area shape="rect" coords="0,250,57,299" href="bio.htm">
</map></td></tr></table>

go here to download an extention for the random image
http://www.andrewwooldridge.com/drea.../randomimage1/

"ShadyMark" <webforumsuser (AT) macromedia (DOT) com> wrote

Hi Guys, Jumping into Dreamweaver/Fireworks/Flash world, and teaching
myself. I
completed all the Macromedia tutorials, and have 8 different books sitting
around me telling me what to do, but I wanted to ask a few quick questions
just
to steer me in the right direction and speed up the general learning
process
for the things I need to know now, if you don't mind Any Help is much
obliged!
So here we go:

1) How do I get a flash animation to open in a different window?

2) I know how to center an image file/animation horizontally, but can you
do
it vertically? Just so it displays in the center of the screen regardless
of
the screen resolution?

3) Anyone know some quick instructions/links to how to do a
rotating/random
image?

4) Does anyone have any tips/trinks on how they manage screen resolutions
in
Dreamweaver? In other words, I have the good fortune to have a high
resolution
LCD . .. but I know most people are running 800x600 or 1024x768 . . . Do I
have
to keep flipping resolutions on my screen, or anyone have tips on how you
manage that while creating sites?

Like I said guys, I really appreciate the help . . . and if all you can do
is
point me in the right direction (aka "Start reading a chapter on this
subject")
I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

So, put the FLA file in the other HTML file

Better make that the SWF file, not the FLA file.

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com - Template Triage!
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/ - Macromedia (MM) Technotes
==================

"Darrel" <notreal (AT) nospam (DOT) com> wrote

1) How do I get a flash animation to open in a different window?

Flash files are embedded into HTML pages. So, put the FLA file in the
other HTML file, and then, from your parent window, launch that HTML file
in a new window using javascript (DW has built-in behaviors for this)

2) I know how to center an image file/animation horizontally, but can you
do
it vertically? Just so it displays in the center of the screen regardless
of
the screen resolution?

Sort of. In the old days, you'd just make a table with a height and width
of 100% and then set the valign and halign attributes accordingly.

However, 'height' in terms of percentages (ie 100%) isn't technically a
valid attribute in HTML. So, it works, but may not validate.

3) Anyone know some quick instructions/links to how to do a
rotating/random
image?

Google for 'ramdom image using' and then insert whatever language you want
to use...javascript, asp, php, etc.

4) Does anyone have any tips/trinks on how they manage screen resolutions
in
Dreamweaver? In other words, I have the good fortune to have a high
resolution
LCD . .. but I know most people are running 800x600 or 1024x768 . . . Do
I have
to keep flipping resolutions on my screen, or anyone have tips on how you
manage that while creating sites?

You don't. A web site doesn't have a resolution. It's as big as the
end-user's browser's viewport. So screen resolution doesn't really have
anything to do with it.

If you want to play it safe, use percentage widths (kind of hard if using
flash) or stick to a safe width of something like 700 pixels.

-Darrel

3) Anyone know some quick instructions/links to how to do a
rotating/random
image?

Put this in the head of the document -

function displayRandomImage(imageName,array){
document.images[imageName].src=array[new Date().getTime()%array.length];
}
urls=["images/cs1.jpg","images/cs2.jpg","images/cs3.jpg","images/cs4.jpg"]
// load this line with your image names and paths

and then put this in the body of the page -

<body onLoad="displayRandomImage('csmember',urls)">
<!-- csmember is the NAME of the image receiving the random changes -->


--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
http://www.dreamweavermx-templates.com - Template Triage!
http://www.projectseven.com/go - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/ - Macromedia (MM) Technotes
==================

"ShadyMark" <webforumsuser (AT) macromedia (DOT) com> wrote

Hi Guys, Jumping into Dreamweaver/Fireworks/Flash world, and teaching
myself. I
completed all the Macromedia tutorials, and have 8 different books sitting
around me telling me what to do, but I wanted to ask a few quick questions
just
to steer me in the right direction and speed up the general learning
process
for the things I need to know now, if you don't mind Any Help is much
obliged!
So here we go:

1) How do I get a flash animation to open in a different window?

2) I know how to center an image file/animation horizontally, but can you
do
it vertically? Just so it displays in the center of the screen regardless
of
the screen resolution?

3) Anyone know some quick instructions/links to how to do a
rotating/random
image?

4) Does anyone have any tips/trinks on how they manage screen resolutions
in
Dreamweaver? In other words, I have the good fortune to have a high
resolution
LCD . .. but I know most people are running 800x600 or 1024x768 . . . Do I
have
to keep flipping resolutions on my screen, or anyone have tips on how you
manage that while creating sites?

Like I said guys, I really appreciate the help . . . and if all you can do
is
point me in the right direction (aka "Start reading a chapter on this
subject")
I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.