iWeb Tip #1 – Flash in iWeb

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Flash in iWeb

See how to get Flash SWF files into iWeb

This tutorial will show you how to get an Adobe Flash created file into iWeb.  Flash adds all sorts of interactivity to your site as well as fun animations.  It really makes your sites come to life. iWeb does not accept those files natively to just drag and drop them in, so how can you get those files into iWeb?  Well, the HTML Snippets is the key. If you don’t know what flash is or how to use it there are many books, podcasts, online tutorials that can help you learn.  This tutorial is just how to get that flash created file into iWeb.  So buckle up, here we go.

VIEW DEMO »

1-Create flash .swf file

2-Place swf file on server (like your iDisk (MobileMe) or your own server).  If using MobileMe I recommend making a folder called “flash” in your sites folder like this: iDisk/Web/Sites/flash/myflashfile.swf
If your not using MobileMe and using your own server like GoDaddy, iPower, etc. then you could just make a folder on the root level of your server called “flash” and put it in there.  That way your link to the file become https://www.yoursite.com/flash/yourfile.swf

3-Go to iWeb, choose HTML Snippet and paste this code:

<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase=" https://fpdownload.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="550" height="400" align="middle"> <param name="movie" value="https://www.yoursite.com/flash/myflashfile.swf"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="https://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" width="550" height="400" align="middle" src="https://www.yoursite.com/flash/myflashfile.swf" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object>

4-Now just change the code in to your own URL and flash width and height and hit apply in the HTML Snippet.

5-You now have successfully put a flash file in your iWeb document.


If No Flash, Show Image

Many users these days are using devices that simply don’t have a flash player (i.e. iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Etc).  If they visit a page that has flash it shows a blank spot on the webpage.  Like the image below:

Many people are starting to use alternatives to flash (such as HTML 5, JQuery, etc) so it shows on all devices.  Well here is a bit of code that you can use as an alternative to the code above to get flash into your iWebsite and if the browser the user is using doesn’t have flash it will default to an image instead, that way they at least don’t see a blank screen and your site can still be beautiful.

Here’s an image of viewing a webpage that has a flash file with this alternative code to show an image on the iPad.  Notice that there is not black screen where the flash should be, there is now an image as it code has detected that there is no flash player and instead is showing the image.

Here is an example.  Click the link below.  If you view it on a device/computer that has flash player you will see an animating flash (swf file) that says “Flash in iWeb”.  If you view the link in on a device/computer that doesn’t have flash, then you will see a image that (of course) is not animating that says “iWeb Alternate Flash Image” with a description.  Check it out.

Alternate Flash Example »

So here’s how to do it:

1) Create .swf file and an image/graphic the same size.  You can create the image in photoshop, or you could even just make a layout in iWeb, then use the screenshot tip using command + shift + 4 and take a screenshot of the area, and crop it in preview to make sure it’s the correct width and height that matches your swf file.

2) Place swf file and image on your server (like your iDisk (MobileMe) or your own server).  If using MobileMe I recommend making a folder called “flash” in your sites folder like this: iDisk/Web/Sites/flash/myflashfile.swf
If your not using MobileMe and using your own server like GoDaddy, iPower, etc. then you could just make a folder on the root level of your server called “flash” and put it in there.  That way your link to the file become https://www.yoursite.com/flash/yourfile.swf

3) Go to iWeb, add an HTML Snippet and paste this code:

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE=JavaScript>
<!--
var plugin = 0;
if (navigator.mimeTypes && navigator.mimeTypes["application/x-shockwave-flash"] && navigator.mimeTypes["application/x-shockwave-flash"].enabledPlugin) {
if (navigator.plugins && navigator.plugins["Shockwave Flash"])
plugin = 1;
}
else if (navigator.userAgent && navigator.userAgent.indexOf("MSIE")>=0
&& (navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Windows 95")>=0 || navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Windows 98")>=0 || navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Windows NT")>=0)) {
document.write('<SCRIPT LANGUAGE=VBScript\> \n');
document.write('on error resume next \n');
document.write('plugin = ( IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFla sh.3")))\n');
document.write('if ( plugin <= 0 ) then plugin = ( IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFla sh.4")))\n');
document.write('if ( plugin <= 0 ) then plugin = ( IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFla sh.5")))\n');
document.write('</SCRIPT\> \n');
}
if ( plugin ) {
document.write('<OBJECT classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"');
document.write(' codebase="https://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=3,0,0,0" ');
document.write(' ID=flash WIDTH=585 HEIGHT=162>');
document.write(' <PARAM NAME=movie VALUE="https://yoursite.com/flash/flashfile.swf"> <PARAM NAME=loop VALUE=false> <PARAM NAME=quality VALUE=high> <PARAM NAME=bgcolor VALUE=#FFFFFF> ');
document.write(' <EMBED src=" https://yoursite.com/flash/flashfile.swf" loop=false quality=high bgcolor=#FFFFFF ');
document.write(' swLiveConnect=FALSE WIDTH=585 HEIGHT=162');
document.write(' TYPE="application/x-shockwave-flash" PLUGINSPAGE="https://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash">');
document.write(' </EMBED>');
document.write(' </OBJECT>');
} else if (!(navigator.appName && navigator.appName.indexOf("Netscape")>=0 && navigator.appVersion.indexOf("2.")>=0)){
document.write('<IMG SRC="https://yoursite.com/flash/flash_image.jpg" WIDTH=585 HEIGHT=162 BORDER=0>');
}
//-->
</SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT><IMG SRC="https://yoursite.com/flash/flash_image.jpg" WIDTH=585 HEIGHT=162 BORDER=0></NOSCRIPT>

4) Now just change the code in your HTML Snippet to your own URL’s, change the flash width and height, and hit apply.

5-You now have successfully put a flash file in your iWeb document with an image alternative.


I hope this tutorial helps you to get flash in iWeb with ease as well as provides a good site experience wheather the browser being used has flash or not.  If you feel this tip has helped you please consider donating to the iWebUnlimited cause.

[iWeb-Code=’donation’]

80 comments

    • iWebUnlimited 14 August, 2010 at 23:11 Reply

      Santiago, that all depends on your flash file, not iWeb. If you open your flash file and put some action script “stop();” on the frame you want it to stop that will do it. But flash stopping in any fashion has nothing to do with iWeb, so try editing your flash file.

      • Edward 19 July, 2011 at 21:45 Reply

        Hey iwebunlimited I need some Help… I was able to get the swf to preview inside Iweb after I use your code. The problem is that i am trying to have the swf to act has my navigation menu.

        http://www.puravidaevents.com/flash/gruponic/www.gruponic.com/Grupo_Nic/inicio.html

        I link the swf menu to all the different test url but wend i click on the button i get a reaction but no navigation.
        Is it possible to do this or not…

        My idea is to complement this flash navigation with a secondary one in the foot of the page for devices that do not support FLASH.

        I use the following code inside FLASH for the menu button.

        on (rollOver) {
        if (_root.link2)
        {
        this.gotoAndPlay(“s1”);
        }
        }
        on (releaseOutside, rollOut) {
        if (_root.link2)
        {
        this.gotoAndPlay(“s2”);
        }
        }
        on (release) {
        if (_root.link2)
        {
        _root[“item”+_root.link].gotoAndPlay(“s2”);
        _root.link = 2;
        }
        }
        on (release) {
        getURL(“http://www.puravidaevents.com/flash/gruponic/www.gruponic.com/Grupo_Nic/inicio.html”);
        }

  1. andy 23 August, 2010 at 07:38 Reply

    Hi there,
    i found out a cool thingy that i want to share, i dont find any contact button, so i write it here.
    When you wanna make a simple Photo Viewer, go to Openoffice, create there a Presentation with your Photos, export them afterwords as an .swf File and integrate it like here descripted.

    Easy and nice for many Purposes ;o)

  2. Joey 3 September, 2010 at 11:24 Reply

    Hello,
    Great site by the way. Is it possilbe to have functional links sitting on top of the flash animation? In other words use the flash file as a backgroud animation with live links on top?

    -Joey

  3. Chris 17 September, 2010 at 02:26 Reply

    when I paste the code and make the changes all get a white box once I publish to site to see the change. I cant figure out if the problem is the code, the flash file or something else. please help.

    • Jen 14 October, 2010 at 11:49 Reply

      I am getting the same response… just a white box. I am designing a client’s website in iWeb and publishing through FTP to GoDaddy. I can’t seem to get the flash to work. Has the question of the white box been answered?

      • Jen 14 October, 2010 at 12:13 Reply

        I figured it out. I re-created my swf file and replaced the old one and it works now. So, I think the white box is an indication that there is something wrong with the swf file.

  4. Reeve 27 September, 2010 at 13:27 Reply

    I am doing the same steps, but still not working, the flash is not flashing in the iweb, please help,

    I have my own server, please let me know how should I do, Many THanks

    Hope to get your reply soon

    • iWebUnlimited 28 October, 2010 at 16:13 Reply

      Gordon, thanks for sending a link. Many people post a problem, but don’t realize that I can’t help them unless they post a link.

      Your problem is that you are using an .flv file instead of an .swf. This tip is only for .swf files. What you need to do is use tip #9 on my tips page (flash video in iWeb JW Player) and then you’ll be in good shape. Or export your flash as an .swf file for this code to work.

  5. Gordon 28 October, 2010 at 18:58 Reply

    Thanks for the tip. It works now. http://www.ritsonroadalliancechurch.ca/ritsonroadalliancechurch/Home.html

    I had another problem was that the mp4 didn’t convert properly to swf so I re-did it with an updated programme.

    As you can see though, the text is really low res and bitmappy. Not sure how to solve that problem. Looked great as an mp4

    I created it in Keynote (slide size 1024×200) and exported as a mp4 (mov) in the same size. Converted it to swf in Kigo Video Converter set to original dimensions and it came out choppy. Any ideas? Maybe create it bigger then shrink the box in iWeb maybe?

    Thanks for your help. Great helpful website.

    Gordon

  6. jotajota91 5 November, 2010 at 07:03 Reply

    HI,

    I’m tired of failing to put the flash files working… It’s a swf movie converted from mp4, m4v and mov using Adobe Flash CS4 in windows.

    Hope you can help me

    http://www.equacoesvariaveis.pt

    (Only the Home is on flash, the others are still with the quicktime player horrible slow and big thing =P)

  7. Reckless 2 December, 2010 at 09:22 Reply

    Hi. Was able to successfully create and publish the swf file as a flash intro. Your code worked perfectly. Here is a link to our site:

    http://www.recklesswear.com

    Using Iweb, is there a way to make my “Enter” a button/hyperlink to get into our site? I tried laying a transparent box over the area where the “enter” was located. I then linked it to one of my pages. I then published the site to a folder. Iweb asked me if I wanted to visit the site. It worked just fine on my mac. When I uploaded it to our server and viewed it from a PC it would not let me click the “enter”. Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope. Thanks.

  8. Christopher 5 December, 2010 at 01:48 Reply

    Well I do know something about using Adobe flash Cs4 and have Cs5. Also publishing settings and my swf movie is fine. And after I tried using that code I had the same white box. I’m not hosing my file on a server or my site at the moment. But still got the same problem as everyone else. Replacing the file with a new made no difference and why should it. I tested my movie in flash first before publishing it and it works fine.

  9. Eddie House 28 January, 2011 at 22:49 Reply

    Great! This works perfectly BUT the only thing is I’m trying to use it as a background and I can’t do that because text, photos, shapes etc. won’t go over it… I can’t “send text to front” How can I do that? Please help!

    Thanks!
    E

    • iWebUnlimited 14 February, 2011 at 10:54 Reply

      Thanks for adding a link. That makes it much easier to help you. This was easy to spot the problem. If you go into the activity window in Safari you can see all the files that are loading and you can clearly see that your swf file url is wrong. Look at this image:
      http://imgur.com/CvXsv.png

  10. Neil2468 11 February, 2011 at 08:50 Reply

    Hi,
    I use a site called Bannersnack to make my flash files and then use the widget to embed the flash file directly to my site. Is there a code to make “no flash, show image” work with this way of doing it? I’m a complete amateur, so could really do with some help guys, cheers

    • iWebUnlimited 14 February, 2011 at 10:34 Reply

      Take a look at my update to iWeb Tip #1 – Flash in iWeb. I added some code that looks to see if the user has flash, and if they don’t it shows an image instead.

  11. eurecka 17 February, 2011 at 15:48 Reply

    Thanks for the tutorial iWebUnlimited! Im a newbie and still testing my site using iWeb and followed the instructions you posted…once published to my rootfolder…the box is shown but the flash animation is not displayed…any tips please. thanks!

  12. fbecker 17 February, 2011 at 19:29 Reply

    This the flash file here is hosted by authorstream. The embed code should display the first slide but instead it displays a gray background with a play button inside a circle. My guess is that this is an authorstream/iWeb conflict. I can’t get an answer from the authorstream forum. Does anyone here have any insights?

    Thanks!

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