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Building Preloaders and Progress Bars in Macromedia Flash


Joshua Hirsch

Joshua Hirsch

Minister of Technology
www.bigspaceship.com

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. What to Think About When Designing Your Preloader
  3. Putting Theory into Practice: An Example
  4. Testing
  5. Loading Additional Content
Created:
14 February 2005
User Level:
All

One of the unique features of web content built with Macromedia Flash is the ability to control when and how the content loads. When loading a heavy HTML page, the user is usually stuck looking at a blank window until the content starts appearing. Flash allows for the creation of animated preloaders, which give the user precise information about the progress of the loading process.

A simple rectangular progress bar or percentage indicator will do the job, but why stop there? A preloader should be given just as much love and consideration as the rest of the site content, especially on a site that is trying to evoke a mood, or create an immersive experience. If a preloader is engaging enough, the user won't mind waiting for content, and the time it takes to load will seem shorter.

The preloader is the first element someone will see when visiting your site. You can make a good first impression by welcoming your visitors with a snappy preloader.

Requirements

To complete this tutorial you will need to install the following software and files:

Macromedia Flash MX 2004

Tutorials and sample files:

Prerequisite knowledge

Basic knowledge of ActionScript 2.0

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About the author

Joshua Hirsch is the Minister of Technology at Big Spaceship, an award-winning creative firm with a focus on entertainment and consumer lifestyle brands. During his time at Big Spaceship, he has developed Flash sites and games for clients, including 20th Century Fox, Dreamworks, Paramount, Miramax, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures, Sony Electronics, and Gucci.