F_Files.com and SmartBuilder.com

Ffilies.com

Ffiles.com is a Flash resource that I discovered. I like the fact that in addition to showcasing innovative Flash programming they allow you download the source files. This really allows you dive into some really cool stuff and try and incorporate it into your own work.

3D Interface

To the left is a screen capture of a 3d looking interface. I find the examples of interfaces and interactive menus to be the most compelling and useful. I mean its great to recreate the Aura Borelasis but really how useful is that? I have found some great interface ideas here with the ActionScript programming to back them up.


Radial Dynamic Menu


Here is really cool radial menu idea. This is a good bare bones example ripe for further experimentation to really make it your own. I like how each design is done in a simplified way to allow foe designers to use the general idea but to customize it with there own unique take. It is great that talented designers will publish for free their work here.



Dynamic Text Collapse

On the left is another example I found from this site where through programming you can have a set block of text animate out with a super cool falling effect. This is an example of something that I wanted to do but when thinking about the logistics about creating each word as a separate movie clip and then having to animate then in a convincing way became dismayed and ended up moving in another direction. If I knew about this site I could have looked into using this example to programmatically accomplish this same feat.



XML Flash Image Gallery Another cool thing I found on this site is a fully customizable XML Flash based photo gallery. It allows you to fully customize all of the parameters and then use the numbers and setting you prefer in the scripting to make the rotating image gallery exactly how you would like it. This and many of the shared resources on this site are an invaluable tool to designers looking to learn and share their skills with others. It is amazing that all it takes is the desire and the follow through to break apart these great examples and make something that can truly amaze.


SmartBuilder This is the main product of the company that I now work for. They have developed a WYSIWYG interface shell to develop fully robust and customizable e-learning content that leverages Flash. The program is basically an advanced Flash application that allows click and configure scripting. With SmartBuilder it is possible to create content that has fully customizable interactive features and can be simple to develop. I would love to know more about its back end but it can accomplish some truly amazing things in relative ease. Any object that you create can have actions added to it with total ease. Text can be changed dynamically images can animate in and out with fully customizable effects. Also since you can import .flv files directly anything that you can't do in Smart Builder can just be created in Flash and added. Its ability to write script through simple clicking is amazing. Drag and drop testing. Simple as a few clicks. Timeline to animate in multiple objects. They could be text, images, .flv files, audio. Its features are simple to use and yet have the same sort of unlimited possibilities that Flash itself has. Tests can be created easily to test correctness and score and can have full interactivity within. This is an amazing way that some talented Flash designers have created a whole new universe of usability and yet it is still just a Flash file.