“More SWiSH Tricks”
Ok, so your *growing* logo may be the epitome of simple, let alone irritating since all it does is keep *growing* back in your face. So, let’s fine tune it a bit.

You decide one growth spurt of your logo is plenty. After that, you want it completely gone and it’s time to say something. You add another graphic, some text, a little viewer interactivity and presto! Instant cool, attention-grabbing message! In the time it took to write these two paragraphs, our little SWiSHer made the following:

Cool KROW Clue
Just to dispel the *horror* stories we’ve heard about the massive size of Flash movies, it’s worth noting that we scored a smaller size than many static graphics out there, coming in at just 18k for the entire movie!

Just like creating a web page, there are things you’ll need to take into account concerning the file size of your movie. Images are obviously a culprit of over-weighted files. So, create your images and then optimize them before they even leave the graphics program. If you’re a real efficient webbie, you can do all that right from your Paint Shop Pro (more on that here)!

Ok..so that’s the first place to cut down on your image weight. Back in SWiSH, choose “Options” from the Content tab. There, you can further *up* the amount of compression of each separate jpeg. With a few clicks, you’ve just put your entire movie on an diet (and not a single bowl of noodle-o’s was to be found)!

Of course, like any images, if you compress them too much, you lose quality. So, the amount of compression of your images will be determined by their quality and what other things you have going on in your movie. Adding effects and audio can make a difference in your movie file size as well. But, as your SWiSH skills increase, you’ll find the options and parameters which work best in each of your movies.

“Shoot For Two”
Most of what we’ve covered has been about the current full version of SWiSH, version 1.51. And, though as good as SWiSH is, its current version doesn’t carry some of the most *advanced* features you could want. But, the good news is, version 2 of SWiSH is due out soon, and with it comes more goodies than you can imagine! Take a look at just a few of the new tools:

• New user-interface
• Multiple-selection and grouping
• Resizing/Reshaping Handles
• Visual Editing of Gradient Fills
• Sprite objects (movies in movies)
• Import vector artwork and sprites
• Frame Preview Mode and Motion Paths
• Make changes while playing movie (whoa!)
• New color picker
• FSCommand action for calling JavaScript
• Tell Target action for interactivity
• More!

Here’s a sneak-peak what the new version will look like:

New Workspace in SWiSH v2

The new workspace in SWiSH v2 has all the new tools, effects and enhancements you’ll use in your movies. And, the workspace isn’t cluttered with tons of little palettes, even with all your tools showing! You can of course, dock/un-dock your palettes and move them where you want (and the palettes re-size too)!

 “More Than Shades Of Grey”
Probably one of the coolest thing in SWiSH v2 is the ability to create gradient filled shapes (in vector!) and change colors as needed....on the fly! Below you can see where a rectangle is selected and the Line tool box is showing. From there, you can adjust where your gradient lays, the colors in the gradient and even the thickness of the border of the entire rectangle:

Change gradients on the fly!

Those who are more into graphics of the webbie world will really appreciate this time-saving feature. That’s one less graphic you have to create outside of SWiSH!

SWiSH v2 has other advanced features like sprites, previewing motion paths, keyframe marks and more. If you’re not familiar with these terms, then your best bet is to get SWiSH v1.51 first. Once you’ve mastered it, v2 will be a much smoother transition for you, since right now SWiSH v2 is only available in beta and doesn’t come with a help file (yet). On the other hand, if you’re comfortable with the more advanced tools, or you’re just the daring type, you can download the beta here.

Cool KROW Clue
Here’s a great web site for help with any version of SWiSH. It has areas where you can download pre-loaders, sound fx, music clips and more. There’s even pre-made movie clips you can download and open in your SWiSH. They’re a great way to see how things work or share ideas with others! Check it out.

“Hit The Showers”
Now you know all the plays in the book, it’s time to go to practice! And, just like Billy Longshorts, you’ll soon be SWiSHing your way to stardom too! Once you do that, you can take a break and have an energy bar (hey....it beats noodle-o’s)!

Until next time...happy SWiSHing!

The KROW
Contributing Writer
club.coolmaps.com