Flash for homepage embedding help please?

[MTAU]

Firstly, thanks for the great forum!
I have just made my flash intro and I have a few problems if anyone can help me.
1. How do I make the flash file so when someone clicks on my homepage, the flashfile loads? As in the flash file is the homepage?
2. How can I make it so that it detects if they have flash or not and if not, it redirects them to my normal site (say index2.html)
3. How can I hae a link in the flash to say slow connection - fast connection?
4. How can I have it load to next page index2 etc after flash is finished?

CHeers for any help
MT

[_Aerospace_Eng_]

1. You need to embed the flash on a page usually called index.html, the answer to 2 is also what you will use to embed the flash on the index.html page.
2. Use SWFObject (http://blog.deconcept.com/swfobject/), it will detect if they have flash but it won't redirect the user, you can just provide a link to index2.html
3. Umm you just make them
4. In the last frame of the flash movie you use getURL('index2.html','_self');

5. A page before the actual site often called splash pages IMO is a waste of time and is the thing that all beginners using flash think is "cool". Its not, its the noob thing to do. I advise not doing it if you expect your visitors to return to your site.

[MTAU]

Thanks for the reply.
Doing it all now cheers.
one other thing though I forgot. The flash I have doesnt say anything while its loading som peopel dont know its loading.. is there a simple way around this like a timeline so they know something is actually happening

[_Aerospace_Eng_]

You are looking for a preloader. gotoAndLearn.com (http://www.gotoandlearn.com/download.php) has some decent tutorials on preloaders but you will need an flv player to play them. You will also have to download the videos before you can play them. He suggests what flv player to use to play the videos.

[MTAU]

Whoops forget that one :)

[MTAU]

OK cheers now I have one question now that you say you dont like splash pages.
Is that any splash page or only ones that you have to sit through the whole animation?
I am making a part you can click on to skip the intro and just go straight to the site.
Is this ok?
Cheers
MT

[_Aerospace_Eng_]

Any splash page. Its just a waste of time. Sure you can have a skip intro link but its still one extra step first time users have to take.

[MTAU]

hrrm ok cheers as i do appreciate the input.
mine is a multinational company that needs to appear larger than life so i opted for the flash but yeh i might change... see how it goes

OK and one last question :D
Can the preloader page have a "skip" link so they can skip straight away and not wait?
Cheers
MT

[StupidRalph]

Do you mean so that it can skip the intro? If so, yes. If you are asking so it can skip the preloading, then no! Also, if you decide to use a 'skip' link you should probably not put it inside the flash movie itself.

Since you said this is a multi-national company and you want it to look larger than life. I suggest that you recruit someone who knows how to handle flash. Flash sites have a really nice presentation to them....when done correctly. Otherwise, they just look cheap and amatuerish (is that a word?).