Javascript or flash

[Karl]

I was wondering what you guys think about when to use javascript and
when to use flash. Javascript can usually do most things flash does
movement etc. My rule is that when the browsers start to bicker and
disagree- like in the area of writing drag- and drop javascript, I use
flash. I love flash and use it usually every day. Check out my site
for an example

http://www.karlscave.net

Look at my portfolio on pg 2, the wheel could have been done in
javascript but it's a heck of a lot more fun in flash. See ya

 

[Tim Greer]

I was wondering what you guys think about when to use javascript and
when to use flash.  Javascript can usually do most things flash does
movement etc.  My rule is that when the browsers start to bicker and
disagree- like in the area of writing drag- and drop javascript, I use
flash.  I love flash and use it usually every day.  Check out my site
for an example

I prefer Javascript, because if people don't have it (or don't have it
enabled), they see the (same) static content, and if they have it
enabled, the content can interact with their browser in real-time (for
all intents and purposes), whereas Flash if it's not installed, you
don't see alternative content in my experience. I don't mind flash,
but I believe too many sites rely upon it, and some solely rely on it.
I've had slow browsing experiences and a lot of different browsers
crash (on a lot of different platforms) due to too much flash
overloading (or whatever the particular problem is), so I don't really
enjoy flash personally.

That's just my view on the matter, everyone has their own. I recall a
designer telling me that non flash sites are boring and "too old
school". In a way, he was right with his examples he made, but then I
just made the interactive portions of the web site in question from
JavaScript and he viewed it and said "that's what I'm talking about!"
and I said "Look at the source", he thought it was flash from a
browsing perspective. I like things to work in any browser, including
text browsers (and this is more important than conforming to XML strict
"checking site" reports to me). Sometimes, there's a fine line of
balance between compatability and looking good and not being boring...
of course that all still comes down to opinion anyway.

 

[Chris F.A. Johnson]

I was wondering what you guys think about when to use javascript and
when to use flash. Javascript can usually do most things flash does
movement etc. My rule is that when the browsers start to bicker and
disagree- like in the area of writing drag- and drop javascript, I use
flash. I love flash and use it usually every day. Check out my site
for an example

http://www.karlscave.net

Look at my portfolio on pg 2,

What page 2? There is no link to anything but the same page.

the wheel could have been done in
javascript but it's a heck of a lot more fun in flash. See ya

I cannot see the flash on your site.

I use flashblock (99% of the flash on the Web is annoying and
detracts from the page rather than adds to it).

To see a piece of flash, I need to click on it; unfortunately (or
should I say, "fortunately"?), your flash seems to be behind some
other element and I cannot click on it.

 

[Travis Newbury]

I was wondering what you guys think about when to use javascript and
when to use flash.

Hi Karl,

To (not) answer your question. Use the appropriate tool in the
appropriate way to reach the _goals_ of your site. That means
sometime plain text is best, sometimes javascript, sometimes Flash,
most of the time some sort of combination of all the above. Each site
is unique.

Now, after looking at your flash I can only assume you are a
beginner. First question. Do you also have spinners on your car? The
"3D" spinning pages are so "last year" If there are a bunch of
tutorials and example code to do something, then the cutting edge
people are probably not doing that any more. This is not to say don't
use other peoples code, ideas and style. But what you find as
examples on the web are the basics at best. It is like that kook
hatter. He bought Swish, he uses the presets, and he thinks he is a
designer. Expand on these things. Presets, and sample code are a place
to start, not a finished product.

Your spinner would look so much better if you had a (gradient)
reflection of the spinning images. Blur the images (other than scale)
as they move back. Darken them a little as they move back. What the
heck is Black text on blue all about?

Bump the frame rate up! At least 24fps, 30fps is probably better. A
note on frame rate in Flash. It is a speed limit, not a goal. That
is, the frame rate in Flash is the FASTEST that the flash player will
let it play. The viewer's computer dictates how fast that is.

If you are going to use text in your Flash, then you might as well
make the text look good. Google kerning. Again, the font you pick is
a preset. There are a lot of ways to make that font look better. The
simplest way is to Kern it.

Go to http://kuler.adobe.com/ and learn about colors.

If you are "really" going to get into Flash, then you have to learn
video and motion graphics. ALL the really freaking cool Flash
animations are done in AfterEffects. Flash, video, and motion
graphics are joined at the hip.

You know the drop shadow you used? CHANGE IT! Don't use the defaults
that are set when you turn on the drop shadow effect. Play with the
shadow, the angle, the spread, opacity. Own the shadow. Try setting
the distance to 0 and raising the spread, this gives a very cool
looking shadow. Work with the presets.

Watch the best, and imitate them.

http://www.2advanced.com/
http://www.creaktif.com/

Your off to a good start. Remember Flash is a visual thing. Your
design skills are very important. You will not be taken seriously as a
Flash developer unless you have Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects,
and you have to know how to edit video.

And remember NO PRESETS!