Flash Banner Linking

[ackerley1]

I have a flash animation banner on my site www.sovereignwebdesign.com/ICR/ which when clicked, it should go to another page, but it doesn't.

I have an <a href> around the object tags of the flash, but that does not work.

Does the linking have to be done within the flash itself? If so, is there a way to add this from the SWF file as I do not have access to the original FLA file.

Also, can you set the background in flash to be transparent? If so, how?

Any help?

[irodgers]

You can pass the url into the movie via a parameter. However you need to get hold of that parameter inside the movie itself to load the page.
As far as I know theres no way you can do it externally. I think thats a good thing because otherwise you could nick swf files and use them without permission! For an example have a look at the way I pass the url into flash buttons (or banners) on this page -
www.web-connection.co.uk/links.php?category=1&desc=Sports%20Related%20Sites

If you look at the source of that page you will see -

value="http://www.web-connection.co.uk/other_logos/web-connection_backing2.swf?urlvar=Fisher Online Store&urldest=http://www.web-connection.co.uk/markgreat_link_out.php?uid=700"

AND ALSO -

embed src="http://www.web-connection.co.uk/other_logos/web-connection_backing2.swf?urlvar=Fisher Online Store&urldest=http://www.web-connection.co.uk/markgreat_link_out.php?uid=700"

The movie takes the url value and uses it to load a page.
In this particular case, instead of going direct to the page, the url gets processed and re-directed by a php script which counts the clicks to the destination page. But its the same principle if you go directly to the page you want.

You use the swf button of this page if you like. I think it will work if you pass in -

urldest = http://www.whereyouwanttogo.com (ie go direct - not via the php script)
urlvar=Description to show on button


You should be able to find info about making transparent movie clips on adobe's site.

[irodgers]

If you really want to use the swf you have you could try this -

Create a new swf of your own. Within that button load the swf that you've found somewhere.
Make an invisible button that send you to the url you want. You need to make sure that the invisible button is on top - so load the swf into a lower layer.

[ackerley1]

I am trying the layer method you described and I cannot seem to get it to work...

I have this action in frame 1 of the button layer:
on (release) {
getURL("http://www.islandclubresorts.com/byc_freq_guest.php", "_self");
}

But it doesn't work?

What am I missing?

Rob

[irodgers]

"Frame 1 of the button layer" sounds a bit strange to me. The actionscript for a button just goes on the whole button. ie press F9 when you've clicked on the button - not while your inside a frame of the button.
Don't try to teach yourself flash by trying to learn every little thing as you go. Flash is not horrifically complicated (if you're doing something simple) but you might as well get a good book and go through it page by page doing the examples. THEN start doing stuff. I like SAMS books and HEADFIRST (SAMS does flash manuals, not sure about headfirst).