(Locked) Template stage resize

Hey all,

Once in a while I have a client of mine trying to load one of my modules, I mean a module I sell separately, or a map for example, into someone else’s fullscreen template.

But they get alignment issues because those templates have a different way of dealing with stage resize – Well, different from the way I do it anyway.

When I make a fullscreen template, I only have 1 stageResize function, in the main.fla/swf. I load my modules in a moduleHolder for example, and reposition that (and everything else) on stage resize.

Now the templates which my clients have problems loading my modules in, have a resizeFunction in each of the modules. The moduleHolder is not repositioned in the main.fla, but instead in each of the modules, which works. But when I make a module on its own, I don’t code any stage resize events, because if a client of mine wanted to load it in someone else’s template, I would expect the template to take care of the stage resize positioning, but it doesn’t, and so I have to find out how the template is coded, and add some extra code in my module so it centers itself on stage resize.

What is your opinion on that?

I feel that the main.fla of a template should take care of that on its own, but maybe I’m missing something?

And when you guys make a module on its own, such as an image gallery intended to be loaded in another template, do you code a stage resize event?

If a template is coded so that each module has its own stage resize function, should it not be stated in the help file that if the user wants to load another module, he might have to add some code to it to make it center properly on stage?

Just would like some opinions.

Thanks, LG

Hey LG As a buyer, I was thinking that maybe Fd can come up with a universal positioning for the x/y specially for stand-alone modules. I guess it would be hard to collaborate with all of FD’s authors to use the same positioning. I had a few problems with modules that did not center in a template but you can also comment out the positioning in the AS but I guess for a lot of people it would be easier to just load the swf through xml and not having to open and tinker with the FLA . I mean it’s just a suggestion but this way it all of FD’s files would be universal in that manner. I think it would boost sales as well because people would be 100 % sure that what they buy will work with any template that they have or will have.

Cheers

But they get alignment issues because those templates have a different way of dealing with stage resize – Well, different from the way I do it anyway.

“Most problems loading modules have a resize Function in each of the modules”.

This is the way to go but the modification is not easy some time.

It’s really a matter of code structuring and there is no default coding developer method. For example if you have in depended class you want to resize the object there and not the main class, is getting much more complicate when it’s a pure OOP template.

Most templates on FD are aimed into XML modification to make it easy for the buyer but to modify it or add more objects this is where the freelancing coming in.

Bottom line some developers work on there template for a almost a month i think there is limit for what you can ask from a developer that sells his template in $20-$40.

No way, no standards… the resize handlers have not been invented to center a module and stop. Every flash file and every module can have its own resize handler to take care of its elements position.

Then I could want every module to position in a different way, what is the problem, is to complicated to imagine different modules positioning themselves in a different way?

If we start to think that flash sites should only load and center that would be the end of flash. How could we create a standard to make files, come on…

To position things is not only code, most of times is design…

...for a lot of people it would be easier to just load the swf through xml and not having to open and tinker with the FLA . I mean it’s just a suggestion but this way it all of FD’s files would be universal in that manner. I think it would boost sales as well because people would be 100 % sure that what they buy will work with any template that they have or will have. Cheers

Sure, it will boost sales and kill creativity… let’s make all the files the same… yeah!!!!

No way, no standards… the resize handlers have not been invented to center a module and stop. Every flash file and every module can have its own resize handler to take care of its elements position.

Then I could want every module to position in a different way, what is the problem, is to complicated to imagine different modules positioning themselves in a different way?

If we start to think that flash sites should only load and center that would be the end of flash. How could we create a standard to make files, come on…

To position things is not only code, most of times is design…

Fine Parker, I wasn’t saying that either method was best, but rather wanted to discuss the matter. The problem is that if you (or someone else) tell your clients they can load any swf in your template, and when they realise they can’t, they contact me asking me what the problem is with my file, when there isn’t any.

So are you saying that modules should all be coded with their own resize/position function?

EDIT : Nevermind my above question, I’m sure that’s not what you meant but hopefully can understand my point. Most importantly, my main problem is, if a user is made to beleive that he can load any external swf into an existing template, when he realizes he can’t, he automatically assumes that the problem comes from the loaded swf. If I don’t help that user fix it and/or get back to them fairly quickly, there is a chance that user will come back to my item and rate it 1 star, that is all

The problem is that if you (or someone else) tell your clients they can load any swf in your template, and when they realise they can’t, they contact me asking me what the problem is with my file, when there isn’t any. So are you saying that modules should be coded all with their own resize/position function?

Well, every swf can be loaded by any other swf, so that’s obvious… of course you need to respect the rules of the loader… you can tell them to contact the author of the template to know how to load external modules. In your case you’re making a module, you cannot build something that will fit in every situation.

Then I’m not saying that every module should be built with their own resize handlers… I’m just saying that there aren’t written rules and we cannot make a rule, otherwise every single template would be a stupid container that loads and center stuff.

Flashden is full of templates that are sold as resizeable (liquid layouts) but they are not. Loading a module in the middle of the stage and center it on resize doesn’t make a layout liquid.

The modules should position all their elements accordingly to the full layout and every module can have different elements that would need to be positioned around the stage. How could the main container know all the elements to position for every module? This is not possible, the container should only load, the modules should take care of themselves.

Of course if you have modules with a fixed size and with its elements always in the same position then we are talking about a different thing. In this case, when you load a module like this, is nothing different than loading a picture, so the container can take care of the module position.

At the end there are two roads:

1: Making complex and creative layouts with their own rules.

2: Making the same old and ugly flashden template with a menu on the top, the footer on the bottom and a bunch of fixed modules loaded and centered in the middle of the container.

Authors and buyers should only chose what they like more.

At the end there are two roads:

1: Making complex and creative layouts with their own rules.

2: Making the same old and ugly flashden template with a menu on the top, the footer on the bottom and a bunch of fixed modules loaded and centered in the middle of the container.

Authors and buyers should only chose what they like more.

I was updating my post at the same time you were writting yours, so here is what I was adding:

EDIT : Nevermind my above question, I’m sure that’s not what you meant but hopefully can understand my point. Most importantly, my main problem is, if a user is made to beleive that he can load any external swf into an existing template, when he realizes he can’t, he automatically assumes that the problem comes from the loaded swf. If I don’t help that user fix it and/or get back to them fairly quickly, there is a chance that user will come back to my item and rate it 1 star, that is all

And I agree with you. As I said before, I did not intend to say that either method is best, just wanted to point to the fact that 2 methods were being used, and that they are not compatible, which can lead to some problems.

My main point is:

if a user is made to beleive that he can load any external swf into an existing template, when he realizes he can’t, he automatically assumes that the problem comes from the loaded swf

My main point is:

if a user is made to beleive that he can load any external swf into an existing template, when he realizes he can’t, he automatically assumes that the problem comes from the loaded swf

Well, if a buyer says or thinks something like this it means that he doesn’t know how flash works. In this case, if you give him a technical and professional answer he wouldn’t think that the problem is with your file.

This is a common problem, buyers without any skill get mad if they are not able to do something. Many don’t want to invest a minute to try to figure out things and at the same time they don’t want to pay a developer to solve their issues.

Fortunately these buyers are a minority and it’s better to lose them and get 1 star than to have them as customers. They think that they have the power of bad comments or bad ratings to obtain more help and for free.

Then, if the issue they are having is something that would take 2 minutes of your time, you can chose to help them… it’s always and only up to you.

Look,

few days ago, one of my customers asked me why he wasn’t able to load a gallery into the photo gallery of one of my templates.

See, if they know or heard about that a gallery can load swf files then they try to load into a gallery another gallery. He wanted to load a 1200*600 swf file into it!

There is nothing to do with these situations, we cannot spend 2 hours to explain why that was pure craziness… they don’t even consider the screen resolution, they go straight for their road and stop. (And I didn’t say anything about swf files support in the file description).

So, there is nothing that we can do. Fortunately there are buyers that know their technical limits and they are happy to get also one “that’s not possible because…” answer, they learn new things also from that and they are ok with it…