Pageflip

[danielbento]

Hi,

has anyone used pageflip, the open source flash that has a book animation, the page flipping?

I need some help in this file.

I want to add pages dynamically, by code.

For example, i have only 3 pages. If i want more, i add a new page, by duplicating one of those 3 pages.

I've already tried to do that, bu it isn't working.

Can anyone help me in this?

[BLiZZaRD]

- This script don't support dynamic content loading!!!

So the answer is no. Perhaps there is another way to do what you want?

I am guessing you want the ability to add pages after you publish and upload the swf? This can't be done with the effects in the book here.

You may have to end up doing your own book with frame by frame animation and adding the dynamic content after the page has flipped.

[danielbento]

I've already thought in a way, not very dynamic, but i believe it works. I have a lot of pages created. Has i know the limits of the content i can predict how many pages i will need and create a few more pages just to ensure everything works fine.

But the content is dynamic. The content is in a XML file. Can i load the content into the page movieclip before it appears, so that the effect of the page flip goes with the content, right?

[BLiZZaRD]

That's a tough one. My gut wants to tell you yes. I will have to think about it for a bit.

perhaps it could work if (understand this is off the top of my head, and I am assuming you know how to load dynamic content, and make a working script, etc etc):

You use the page flip movie and adjust it as you need to look and act the way you want. Then you basically make a place holder on each page, if you will.

Perhaps an emptyMovieClip or something. Then once the page is flipped load the dynamic content. You could help the speed along by loading the dynamic content ahead of time in a spot off the stage, or under a mask. So it will be completely ready when the page flip is complete.

I have had a look over the source of the page flip movie, and there isn't a way to load dynamic content as pages are flipped and loaded. But if you know what your pages will look like and just the information on them will change you should be able to pull the swap without many people noticing.

[danielbento]

Yes. That's a good idea, to have an empty movieclip.
In the matter of dymanic content i'm also a newbie. I've tried things, like import xml content to a datagrid and it worked fine.

But i just don't know which is the best way of doing want i want. If you could gime me some tips, it would be very helpfull to me.

I will import simple data, like names, contacts, etc. When i push a button related to each data, it opens, for example, an image and some additional data.

I don't know if in this case, using the datagrid is the best idea.

I'll continue in my research, but if you could give me some tips you would be very helpfull.

Thanks in advance

[BLiZZaRD]

Well that art is actually quite easy. If your going to upload the same information each time, just different it could be done easy enough.

Let's say you will upload a new name, date and color every day (just an example)

so on your book, make a page that looks how you want, for simplicity we will say it looks like this:

-------------
name: tom
date: 1/22/07
color: red
-------------

then you want to upload a new one every day, tomorrow will be Frank, 1/23/07 and blue...

so your words that you are changing would be loaded in the empty movie clip. your actual page would look like this:

----------------
name:*******
date: *         *
color: *******
-----------------

where the * is your empty movie clip, dynamic text boxes, whatever.

the xml is loaded off stage and when page flip is completed content is loaded into the boxes.

[danielbento]

That's a very good help.

I just wanted to know how good are the components like datagrid, or if it is best using dynamic text box.

I've already done some tests. I have the data in a mysql db. I make the query in php and write to memory in xml format. Then ill get it with flash.

It looked to be a good way. My problem was exactly in flash, in to determine which are the best tools to use, but i'm seeng that using the usual things like dynamic text box gives me pore freedom in the graphical structure, which i need.

[BLiZZaRD]

If it is pure text data go with dynamic text boxes, which will also provide you a bit more speed in loading.

If your changes are graphical in nature use emptyMCs

[danielbento]

Ok. That was what i thought. My doubt was about using or not components, like datagrid and dataset.

[BLiZZaRD]

Theoretically it should work either way. Of course it all looks good on paper. The problem will come in the end effect when it is uploaded to the server. How long will it take to get read from the SQL server, transferred to the HTML server, inserted into Flash and translated by the browser.

The less strenuous you can make that journey, the faster your data will load and the less of a "skip" the user will see.

Personally I couldn't tell you which is better. You will just have to test it out, and tweak until you get it as close as you can.

Good luck with that though!