366 Chapter 21 – InteractivityShockwave for Director
Web Design in a Nutshell, eMatter EditionAdditional Flash Products
RealFlash
This collaborative effort between Macromedia and RealNetworks (the
company behind RealAudio and RealVideo), RealFlash is the integration of
Flash media into RealNetworks’ RealSystem. This enables true streaming of
Flash animation synchronized with high-quality streaming audio.
For more information, visithttp://www.real.com/devzone/flash/and check out
the FAQ and tutorial.
Generator
Generator is a server-side product that enables Flash and other bitmap
graphics to be generated on-the-fly based on database information or form-
generated content. With it, you can create Flash quality graphics and anima-
tions that update in real time, such as breaking news headlines, charts,
interactive maps, etc.
For more information, seehttp://www.macromedia.com/software/generator/.Shockwave for Director
Macromedia’s Director software (which significantly predates the Web) has
become the industry standard for creating multimedia presentations appropriate
for CD-ROMs and kiosk displays. Director movies incorporate images, motion,
sound, interactive buttons, and even QuickTime movies. In 1996, Macromedia
introduced the Shockwave system that enabled Director movies to be played
directly on web pages, expanding the possibilities of what a web “page” is all
about.Advantages
Shockwave has a number of attractive features:
Lingo programming
Because Shockwave can be customized with Lingo programming, it offers
functionality, such as the ability to remember user position, keep scores,
“know” correct answers, and other games-related functions, that cannot be
achieved with Flash.
Good compression
The Shockwave file format offers efficient compression ratios, compressing
Director movies to 1/3 to 1/2 of their original size.
Full-featured interactivity
Brings full CD-ROM-like interactivity to web pages.
Streaming
Shockwave movies begin playing very quickly and continue playing as they
download. There is no special server software required.
Well-supported format
The Shockwave plug-in required to play Flash files is available for Windows
3.1/95/NT and Mac platforms. It is one of the most popular and widely
distributed plug-ins.