SlideShowPro for Flash is a component for the Flash authoring application. It is available in both ActionScript 2 and 3 languages, and is compatible with Flash MX 2004 and up.
After installation of the extension, SlideShowPro for Flash is available in Flash's "Components" panel, which is opened in Flash MX 2004 by selecting Window > Development Panels > Component Inspector, or Window > Component Inspector in Flash 8 and higher. To begin creating a slideshow, you drag SlideShowPro for Flash from the Components panel to the Stage of your FLA. This creates an "instance" of SlideShowPro for Flash in your movie for you to modify.
Instances of SlideShowPro for Flash on the Stage are in "Live Preview" mode; a special state for visualizing parameter modifications in real time (see right). Any parameter (with a visual nature) that's modified in the Component Inspector will be automatically reflected in the instance's Live Preview. When a SWF is published, you effectively exit Live Preview mode, but the instance of SlideShowPro for Flash contained inside will use all of the parameters you assigned while editing in Live Preview.
The Component Inspector panel (see left) is the user interface for customizing nearly all of SlideShowPro for Flash's options. Open the panel in Flash MX 2004 by selecting Window > Development Panels > Component Inspector, or Window > Component Inspector in Flash 8 and higher. Then select the instance of SlideShowPro for Flash on the Stage. The panel will fill, in alphabetical order, with all of the available parameters. You will use this panel many times throughout this guide.
All slideshow content is loaded from outside published SWFs containing instances of SlideShowPro for Flash. The "glue" between the SWF and your content is a separate XML file, which is a simple markup document that tells SlideShowPro for Flash how many images you have and where they are. You may create and load your own XML file, load Media RSS feeds, or load content from our content management system SlideShowPro Director.
That, on a basic level, is how SlideShowPro for Flash works. Next up, an overview of the component's main interface elements.
