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Web Test Page

Here are detailed descriptins at the various attempts at creating slideshow / movie for our Home Page

A. This first example is exactly what we currently have on our Home Page.

The steps used were as follows:

  1. A slide show was created using the Slideshow feature found in Adobe Fireworks CS3
  2. This Slideshow ended up creating the following files which were saved in a folder called Items needed for Macromedia Flash Slide Show on Home Page. To acess this folder, open up this series of FOLDERS.... Photos >> Home Page Slide Show >>
  • Folder >> 2007_07_14 (contains the images)
  • Folder >> Scripts
  • File >> index.html
  • File >> player_black.swf
  • File >> Slideshow.xml

. 3. The text "click on image to view slide show" was added to the image on the Home Page.

. 4. A link was then created from the image to the index.html file.

. 5. When the image is clicked on, the slide show starts to play at full screen.

. 6. The slideshow does loop over and over until the user clicks on the green back arrow to return to the Home Page.

. 7. Click on the image below to view the end product.

B. Here is example #2.

The steps used were as follows:

  1. In this example, the file in example A called "player_black.swf" was converted to an ".avi file" using a free program called "Anvsoft Flash to Video Converter 1.22".
  2. Prior to starting the recording process, using the Anvsoft menu, the size of the output video file was adjusted to 512x252 pixels to make it match with the size of the space available on the home page. Anvsoft also allows you to play the looping slide show file (i.e. player_black.swf) as long as you want while it is being recording. I stoped the recording process after three loops. Once the recording was stopped, Anvsoft convert the end result into an .avi file which was renamed as "Home Page Video 1 (Anvsoft).avi". To acess this .avi file, open up this series of FOLDERS... Photos >> Home Page Slide Show >> "Movies Made for Home Page" which is in the "Macro SWF File Converted to AVI" folder.
  3. The following was done to insert the "Home Page Video 1 (Anvsoft).avi" file on the Home Page.
  4. Place the cursor where you want the video inserted, choose the Insert command >> Movie >> and drilled down to the proper folder mentioned in #2 and clicked on the "Home Page Video 1 (Anvsoft).avi" file.
  5. With this set up, when the end user accesses our Home Page for the very first time, they will receive the following message at the top to their screen :"The website wants to run the following add-on - Windows Media Player 2 Active X Control from Microsoft. "
  6. The end user needs to click on that message, choose the option "Run Active X Control" and then click on the RUN button. If they do not, they are simply left with a blank box with red x in it.
  7. I suspect that once they allow this add-on to be loaded onto their PC, it is there for good, and the video should load and run without being prompted to download any add-ons.
  8. When the Home Page loads, the user might experience a slight pause before the video completely loads. Durinig this pause, the Windows logo is displayed in the "Video Player Box". Once all items are loaded, the video starts automatically and will loop three times before stopping. At this point the play button can be used the start the video.