Hello.
I'm looking to make one big big tutorial style page/thread/something about music. My main idea, has always been PDF files, but I recently started thinking that flash would be much more preferable, if not easier as well.
PDF files, with embeded mp3 files, would be big, clamsy and maybe costly as well (since it would require Adobe). Flash, on the other hand prolly not.
So.
Imagine the following scenario and offer ideas/alternatives/design ideas.
You have some kind of log (dates are refering), which involves lots of text, music scores, and the music of those scores in mp3.
Ideas:
I. PDF. A pdf file, with embeded everything, including pics and mp3s. Acrobat reader has it's own player to play mp3 files, there's no problem with licenses, etc, so it's all fine.
II. Simple html page in forum, or blog, or it's own page. Scores as pics, text as ... text, mp3s as links under the scores. Rather neat, limited design possibilities.
III. Flash. Text is text, probably some graphics (extremely simple), and a player with buttons underneath the scores, or even IN the scores themselves (I've seen it in northernsounds.com).
I could go about, making it in a thread, simple as that, but it would be much better if one was able to download a file and play it, read it, at their own pleasure, or at least have a choice.
I've seen some cool learning methods using flash(google operational amplifier) so I definetely suggest you go Flash. PDF is surely out of the question, due to the speed, and it doesn't seem that good as well.
Speaking personally I'd be much more likely to start looking at a well-made Flash tutorial than opening a .pdf - there's just something committing about clicking a link to a .pdf, but then I don't really know what you're trying to achieve here. Are you trying to write something that people will stumble across and think "Oh, that looks interesting, I'll read that", or are you trying to come up with the best way to deliver information to people who are already wanting to learn from you?
I. I've never seen embedded stuff in .pdf files, and you're pretty much the only person I know who uses them. Are your target audience familiar with the idea that a .pdf tutorial will be more than just text and graphics?
II. HTML can get messy, and its hard to keep everything consistent, but then again its easier to edit individual parts without replacing the entire file.
III. I like Flash, and I reckon you can make really effective tutorials in it if you play towards Flash's strengths. It does depend on how well you know Flash though. The disadvantage is that people can't save a local copy (as easily) to read later, or save out individual pieces of music (unless you make specific links to them). Flash tutorials imply reading online. Of course you could upload an .exe'd version as well.
My personal thoughts.
Music tutorial? Flash all the way. Simply because you can add nifty play buttons and music pieces everywhere and no external player/opener will be needed.
A powerpoint-kind of slideshow tutorial - "like click on little arrow to go to next page" is super easy to make in Flash.
Adding music wouldn't be too difficult neither.
Quote from: InCreator on Thu 04/12/2008 15:04:37
A powerpoint-kind of slideshow tutorial - "like click on little arrow to go to next page" is super easy to make in Flash.
Adding music wouldn't be too difficult neither.
That actually reminded me... I think I once saw a software that converted powerpoints to flash... I think it was basically for presentation things, so probably nothing too fancy.
But yeah, I'd have to say flash too (plus there's a free 30-day trial of CS4). If you plan on using Flashscript (it's scripting language) then know that it was updated to 3.0 with the CS3 release, and earlier versions using 2.something. I believe that 3.0 is more object oriented... but I can't remember. It's been a year since I used it.
~Trent
What about HTML? It can do your basic things with the help of a little javascript. And it will save you money if you don't already have Adobe Flash.