Red Steel XML Website Template

Backup Preview Link
Current Version: 1.2

Summary of Features

DEEPLINKING !!!

XML Driven Content

37 page PDF help file

HTML Formatted Text

23 modules included

ALL Modules can be used multiple times (see news/projects as an example)

Slick ‘steel’ effect border animations

Shared object functionality to highlight new content

Extensive API to allow you to control the template from your own SWF ’s

Included Modules

2 level menu

Audio module

Background Switcher

Home modules:

– Intro video module(optional)

– Slideshow Module

– Mailing List form

– Update notification window

4x Scrolling Content Modules

4x Video Playing Modules

Contact Module

Team Module

Services Module

News/Events/Calendar Module

Mixed Media Galleries

Projects Module

Standalone Slideshow Module

The intro animation is included along with simple instructions on how to swap out the FJ logo for your own!

Deeplinking

XML Controlled deeplinking allows you to link directly to the module you want, the API has been updated with the deeplinking functionality too, so even href cdata tagged links can link to new areas of the site.

Heres a test link – Contact Us Page

And Another- Mixed Media Gallery Page

Both the ‘URL’ and the title at the top of the browser can be set in the XML , it really couldnt be simpler, also the slideshow functionality is kept intact so slides can still link using the deeplinking URLS .

API Functionality

The template includes a list of ‘API’ functions that can be called from anywhere within the template. Meaning your externally loaded SWF ;s can manipulate the templates core functions such as controlling the audio player and site background image or switching on or off the site dimmer. A full list of supported functions is included in the help file.

Shared object functionality to highlight new content

The following areas of the site use this functionality:

Audio Module

Background Module

Update Notification Window

Video Players

Projects Module

News/Events/Calendar Module

Mixed Media Galleries

A cookie is stored on the users browser that records what data is present in the above modules, when they re-visit your site, if any of the sections have had new content added they are notified both in the update window on the homepage and with the use of a small ‘NEW!’ banner next to the new content. For a demo of this, watch the ‘Demo Video’ by clicking the button in the ‘Features’ Sub menu in the FlashDen item preview.

Module Features
2 Level menu

The intuitive menu system allows the top level items to have associated sub menus. The top level menu buttons can be disabled if you wish when a sub menu is present. All menu items can either navigate to a new area of the template or load an external URL in a new tab. The menu also adopts a smart highlighting system which means if you use the API to navigate to another area of the template the menu will notice and highlight the corresponding button automatically.

Audio Module

The audio module is initially hidden, but by clicking the icon in the lower right, the site is darkened using the API site dimmer and the audio module is shown. The playlist is driven by XML and allows unlimited tracks. If the music is playing whilst the user is browsing the site they are notified whenever a new track is started by a small pop-up in the lower right.

Background Switcher

When the site initially loads the first background from the XML file is loaded and the rest are displayed when the user clicks the icon at the bottom of the screen. A random background can also be loaded on startup if you wish, you need only edit 1 simple XML variabe to switch this functionality on. Backgrounds can be loaded using the API so effectively you could have a new background for each page on the website. The background switcher allows you to display an unlimited list of backgrounds.

Home Module
Optional Intro Video Module

When the home module loads you have the option of displaying an introductory video, the user has the option to switch this if they wish. You can also disable this video if you do not want to show one. Once this video has finished or has been skipped the audio player starts depending on the autoPlay option in the audio players XML .

Slideshow Module

After the video intro has finished or has been skipped it will fade out and a slideshow will fade in. Each slide has its own timer which is set via XML , the users are also able to stop and start the slideshow as they wish. Each slide can either click through to an external URL or click through to another part of the template. Supported slide content includes JPG , PNG, GIF or SWF . As an added piece of functionality, users can see which slides they have viewed by looking at the numbered buttons, if there is a tick visible, then they have seen that slide. The slideshow supports unlimited slides.

Mailing List Subscription Form

A PHP and MySQL driven mailing list form is included on the home module, this form is compatible with my ‘Mailing List Management System’ to allow you to effectively control your mailing list and send emails to all users.

Update Notification Window

When returning visitors arrive at your website they are greeted with this area displaying a list of all the updates you have made since their last visit. For a demonstration watch the ‘Demo Video’ available when you click the button in the ‘Features’ submenu within the FlashDen item preview.

4x Scrolling content modules

Scrolling content modules included are:

Image header and HTML text scroller

SWF header and HTML text scroller

HTML text only scroller(small)

HTML text only scroller (larger)

These scrollers are all driven via XML and support all compatible Flash HTML CDATA tags.

4x Video Players

Video Player Modules included are:

Single video (4:3 Ratio)

Single video (16:9 Ratio)

Multiple Videos (4:3 Ratio)

Multiple Videos (16:9 Ratio)

The two XML playlist driven modules are identical, although the video windows are sized to 16:9 or 4:3 both video players support a mixture of 4:3 and 16:9 the change is merely aesthetic. All the video players have FullScreen functionality and scale the videos proportionally based on their aspect ratio. The multiple video players support an unlimited list of videos and the text content beside the thumbnails supports HTML formatting.

Contact Module

The contact module is built up of two parts, an information area displaying the street address and telephone information of your company, the second area is the PHP contact form. The user is able to select the department they wish to contact, the combo box is effectively an email list and is driven by XML . This allows you to give the user the option to contact the department or person in your company that would be best suited to deal with their query.

Team Module

The team module allows you to give your staff members an opportunity to write about themselves, each team member has a portrait image, and they can also choose to share up to 6 links using the small square buttons on their page. The icons for these buttons are loaded externally so they can be anything you want. Included are icons for Facebook, Twitter, Email and FlashDen, but you can create your own icons if you wish, just as i have done with the ‘FJ’ icon.

Services Module

This module allows you to describe what your company does, each service can have an image or an swf displayed at the top, as well as an unlimited amount of scrolling HTML formatted text. You can have unlimited services thanks to the stylish sliding motion.

News Module

This is basically a customized version of my XML News Viewer file and has many of the same key features, however the file has been optimized for use with the template and has improved design and coding. The news viewer lets you display a list of news posts, each news post can either open as a full post with an expanding image/swf area at the top or alternatively the ‘Read More’ button can link directly to an XML defined external URL

Mixed Media Galleries Module

The gallery modules allow you display image, video and SWF content. By cleverly using the menu system and the galleries built in category system you can have up to 3 levels of (sub)categories. For instance, in the main menu you could have two top level buttons, one named Photography and one named Videos, these buttons could then have submenus launching different instances of the galleries eg. Landscape photos, Portrait photos etc. And then the gallery itself allows you to have unlimited categories using the drop down selection area.

Projects Module

The project showcase module allows you to display work you have completed. It allows 3 different types of project: Single image, video, or slideshow. The slideshow operates in the same way as the one on the home page. You can also have the option of linkin the image or video content to an external URL for the project.

Slideshow Module

The standalone slideshow module operates in exactly the same way as the home slideshow module but its loaded seperately.

All modules can be used an unlimited amount of times!

Requirements

Flash 8 or above for editing variables and customization
PHP v4 or above for Contact form script
PHP v4 or above and MySQL v5 or above for mailing list scripts.
Text editor to edit XML files

Credits and Thanks!

Thankyou to the following authors for allowing me to use their Video/Audio files in this template, it wouldn’t look even half as good without your generosity.
Plamencvetanov
Hedley
MSFX
ADG3Studios
SoundRoll
Trix-Music

I would also like to thank everyone who gave me guidance and inspiration during the lengthy 5 month build on the template. I would especially like to thank my girl christina for putting up with all my late nights and temper tantrums when the file wouldnt work.

Thankyou for checking out my file, i hope you like it and if you do decide to buy this file, be sure to leave a rating and a comment explaining what you think.

Thanks All

FlashJunkie

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