Flash or animated .gif with multiple URL's embeded?

**Coleen** · 05 October 2010, 12:00 PM

Hi everyone :-)

I am trying to create a a "rolling" multi-link "advertisement" for a client. I have the gif animation working/looking exactly like I want, but it does not work to link to the URL's I added in each text frame. Here is a copy of my .xar file:
What I need to do is to make it look like a navigation button bar that "scrolls" and each frame has a link attached to click on to take the user to another page. If anyone has any info on how I can do this, I would greatly appreciate the help.

Thanks!

**aridzone** · 05 October 2010, 07:54 PM

Coleen
I don't think you can add multiple links in a gif file.
The flash should work but you may want to add some pauses so they are easier to click on.

**Coleen** · 05 October 2010, 09:33 PM

Thanks. I do have a question about the naming of each box. There is the rectangle area and the text area. Since it is the text area that is scrolling that is where I have attached the URL but should I attach the name to the text or the rectangle?

**aridzone** · 06 October 2010, 03:23 AM

If the rectangle isn't the part that is scrolling then you wouldn't add a link to it.

**Coleen** · 06 October 2010, 11:53 AM

Thanks. I know that I need to add the URL's to the text, and have actually already done so (100 URL's - attached to each text box in each frame and there are 10 frames) but I wanted to know about the naming convention. I know that you have to name the frames to make it into flash (I am very new to flash) but I am now presuming that I need to name every text box as well in order to change this into a flash file? Also, if you play the .xar file as a flash file you will see that it "throws" the text that is moving to the bottom on each scroll and it displays as it is thrown out. Any suggestions on how to prevent that look? I will change the scroll rate and add all the names but if you have a suggestion on how to get rid of the text as it flies to the bottom, I would greatly appreciate the assistance.

Thanks!

**aridzone** · 06 October 2010, 07:53 PM

Coleen

You have alignment problems, text that disappears, and spacing discrepencies.
If I were you I would create a picture for each rectangle with the text inside.
Then create the flash that way. Be careful about using the same positions in each frame.
It's not that hard just set up one frame, name pictures, then copy it and realign rectangles.

**Coleen** · 07 October 2010, 12:06 AM

Thanks. Yeah, I told you I'm new to Flash (blush) I made that specificually hoping that it would work as a .gif file. Yes, I know I should have researched it on-line, but here's the issue...I live in Belize and our Internet was down for 5 days - I did that on my own without any research or help files or help from the Xara forums - and yeah (blash again) it pretty much sucks as a flash file! I'm learning and now that I have Internet connection again at least I can run the tutorials and get advice here - thank you so much for yours, I really do appreciate it! Back to the drawing board...

**aridzone** · 07 October 2010, 03:53 AM

Coleen

It doesn't suck it just needs refining!
PS I liked the dropping text effect.

**Coleen** · 07 October 2010, 03:26 PM

Thanks, unfortunately my client doesn't like it. I guess I have a lot to learn. I redid this to be a group object instead of a rectangle and a text box, but the effect that I get is the box (background color) completely disappearing and the text scrolling down behind the missing background. I obviously have a LOT to learn about flash.

The effect I want is to have it work exactly like it does as a .gif animation, yet in flash, I must be misunderstanding how it works because it just doesn't do what I expect/want it to do. Do you have any suggestions on how to get the same effect using flash as I did with the .gif animation? Your help is greatly appreciated - thank you!

**Coleen** · 07 October 2010, 04:24 PM

I think I have it figured out. I think I need blank rectangles behind the rectangle containing the text so that when the box with the text "moves" there will be one in the background to fill the space. I am also re-aligning everything to the exact pixel frame by frame, so hopefully that will fix the alignment shift during the flash animation. Sheesh, but this is tedious work! I just don't see any easier way to get the effect I want. If anyone has any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated -Thanks!