FIGURE B


Place "flashfile" between the existing code on the form and where the results should appear. Roll over picture for a larger image.

The "FlashFile_1" computed field holds the value "flashfile."

This will produce one file with a picture of the sun if the user has logged in after noon and another with the picture of the moon if they have logged in before noon. The time is obviously based on the Domino server's time. However, with a little tweaking of JavaScript, a good developer could easily get the current Web user's local time.

Now you can go and Flash your Domino sites!

How difficult is Flash to learn? Check out a site done by a good friend of mine after completing just nine hours of classes on Flash. It's at http://www.triode.com.au/~dursun. In order to prove my point on how easily a few keystrokes can lighten up your existing Web site, the next section covers creating a Flash file.

Creating a Flash file
If you wish to try this, just download the trial version of Macromedia Flash 5 (at http://www.macromedia.com).

Well, let's start with an easy example. Suppose you want the words "LOTUS NOTES" to change (or morph) to "DOMINO," and at the same time, you want the word "POWER" to slide across the screen to form "DOMINOPOWER."

Terminology
Before we begin, you'll need to know a few of the elements of the interface, shown in Figure C.

FIGURE C


You'll need to understand what these interface elements are. Roll over picture for a larger image.

The stage is the rectangular area where the movie plays. The stage is also where you compose individual frames in a movie. The timeline is where graphics are animated over time, and it displays each frame in the movie. In the timeline, you work with frames and key frames. A key frame is a frame in which you define a change in an animation or include frame actions to modify a movie. Symbols are the reusable media assets of a movie. Think of these as your images.

All the other menu options you'll be using work the same way they do in any other graphic program.

Let's go!
Start up Flash and create a new document/movie. Make the work area a comfortable size or just use the default setting. To change the work size, choose Movie from the Modify menu and then enter the desired width and height and click OK. I used 200 wide by 100 high.

Morphing
Now, click in the work area (the stage) and type "LOTUS NOTES." Make the font a nice size so it's easy to work with. Now, hold down Control-B. This breaks apart the object or text.

Right-click on frame 10 and choose Insert Key Frame. Press Delete to clear the text out of that key frame.

Now make the word "DOMINO" the new text to morph into on your new key frame. After you're done, hold down Control-B to break apart your new text.

Right click on frame 1 and choose Properties. Go to the Tweening tab and choose Shape from the pull-down menu. Now select Angular and click OK.

Now we want the word "POWER" to slide across the screen and join up with "DOMINO."