exporting Draw layers to Flash .swf format

[greyshade]

Hi guys!

I am new to this forum, and have been impressed by the excellent responses to varied queries on CorelDraw.

Two years ago, i had designed a set of maps for a street atlas company using layers in CorelDraw for flexible editing. The maps originated in AutoCad and were imported using the DXF filter. They were later styled in CorelDraw7. Finally the maps were exported as BMPs, and the programmer using Delphi adapted the same format to make an interactive CD-ROM format. There are 6 zoom levels, but for each level of zoom, i had to use another BMP with the correct size and resolution to avoid the usual pitfall of pixellation when enlarging bitmaps, thereby increasing the number of files that had to be loaded. (phew! that was a mouthful :-))

my question, dear patient folks is:

The company now wants to put this information up on the Web. In its current format, it is not web-compatible. Am thinking of using a vector format like Flash which will allow me to use layers, some animation, and 'true' interactivity, the bonus being small file sizes. Has anybody tried something similar? Am i on the right track? Would appreciate some feedback.

Thanks for your time

[greyshade]

Hi guys!

I am new to this forum, and have been impressed by the excellent responses to varied queries on CorelDraw.

Two years ago, i had designed a set of maps for a street atlas company using layers in CorelDraw for flexible editing. The maps originated in AutoCad and were imported using the DXF filter. They were later styled in CorelDraw7. Finally the maps were exported as BMPs, and the programmer using Delphi adapted the same format to make an interactive CD-ROM format. There are 6 zoom levels, but for each level of zoom, i had to use another BMP with the correct size and resolution to avoid the usual pitfall of pixellation when enlarging bitmaps, thereby increasing the number of files that had to be loaded. (phew! that was a mouthful :-))

my question, dear patient folks is:

The company now wants to put this information up on the Web. In its current format, it is not web-compatible. Am thinking of using a vector format like Flash which will allow me to use layers, some animation, and 'true' interactivity, the bonus being small file sizes. Has anybody tried something similar? Am i on the right track? Would appreciate some feedback.

Thanks for your time

[greyshade]

hmm, no replies yet... hope you guys are having a wonderful, well-deserved vacation.

to clarify my earlier post, i am looking for leads on whether it is possible to export intact, the already created CorelDraw layers to the .FLA format (not .SWF), to allow me to create actions which can be inserted into frames or button symbols for interactive functions.

would appreciate feedback like - am i using the appropriate s/w (CorelDraw v9 and Flash 4). should i perhaps try Freehand? i am trying to avoid double work (who wouldn't?) [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Bob C.]

Hi Greyshade,

You might want to try the XaraX Forum at this site. The folks there are very friendly and many use CorelDraw, Flash and of course Xara.

I'm fairly certain someone can help you there!

Bob c.

PS The new location for these Forums is:
http://i-us.infopop.net/1/OpenTopic?a=cfrm&s=98519178

[This message was edited by Bob C. on December 28, 2000 at 10:51 AM.]

[greyshade]

thanks, Bob,

will do as you say. thank you for responding.

compliments of the season, and have a nice new year!

[whitney]

hi greyshade:
you may try corel rave -corel's new production.
or coreldraw :file-publish to web-embrade flash
good luck!

[greyshade]

thanks whitney,

haven't had a peek at CorelDraw v10 yet, but have heard about the new RAVE application. am wondering whether it will allow me 2-way export. i.e. can i edit in either application?

regards

[Peter Clifton]

Greyshade

I've just woken up from my annual (food and alcohol induced) sleep.

For the type of application you have in mind I would think Flash would be ideally suited to the purpose.

If you don't have the SWF export filter for Draw 9 you can still get it at the old Corel website

Flash export filter upgrade

I am pretty sure that Draw 9 can't import native flash so you will probably have to use an intermediate format like Adobe Illustrator if you want two way editing.

Depending on the features in the Corel image the exported file may a lot larger than a natively generated flash file.

If the application involving maps you have in mind is very simple it may be possible to use Adobe Acrobat and javascript which is the only other widely supported vector (amongst others) format on the web. However every single computer I use on the Web eventually breaks the link between Adobe Acrobat reader plugin and Internet Explorer. You would also need the full version of Acrobat to integrate javascript fully into Acrobat documents.

Hope the above is useful

Peter

[greyshade]

thanks, Peter for the certainly useful suggestions.

had thought of Acrobat, but the downer was file sizes. also, i'm not so sure it supports layers, come time to publish. that is one of my requirements - the user should be able to turn on/off layers of increasing/decreasing levels of detail at the click of a button.

i am pretty certain that scripting will be necessary to make the maps truly interactive. have always been fascinated (from a distance) [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] by JavaScript, but have yet to try on that hat. i am still a diehard Notepadian, when it comes to HTML, occasionally using Dreamweaver to do the JavaScripting. will still try to follow that lead.

have also been advised in the XaraX forum to try Xara for 2-way editing before exporting to Flash. the scripting in Flash (using behaviours)is thankfully transparent to the developer.

so many excellent suggestions, so little time. now if only 2001 were another two months away [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]. thanks once again for your time.

have a great New Year!

[lefturn]

Have you ever looked at MapInfo? I use it in a limited capacity, but I've looked at it and it looks like it is pretty powerful. I'm pretty sure the maps can be viewed and xoomed in and out in MapX.