Flash Help Guys

Character icons used in Flash animations

Sticky Note Flash Icons
The Flash Help Guys animated website addon has been discontinued. Icons below used in the animation are free to download for web use.

See…

Free! Free! Free! Icons
For some free good looking character icons click on the link just above this smattering of text. All icons below on this page are also free for any website use, business or personal. Use your fancy mouse contraption and right click to save any icon on this page bub.


Calendar Chart Painting Chalkboard Paper Clip Cloud House Heart Baseball Smartphone

Note: The application outlined below is no longer available. The following support is for users that may still be using this addon.


2006 IE Update
If you are using the Flash Guys in a .js file this update is not required. If you purchased the Flash Guys add-on before 4/22/06 you may need the IE update to allow the Flash Guys to work without the "click here to activate and use this control" message. This update will involve recoding any HTML page you have added this to. Click below to download. See the "readme-UPDATE.txt" for instructions. zipDownload the IE 4/22/06 update. (.zip)


The Files
The "Flash Help Guys" files can all be found in the downloaded zip file after your order and download is completed. The program files and .mp3 sound file are in the "flash_help_guys" folder. The "Flash Guys" are in the "guys" subfolder of the "flash_help_guys" folder. The "extras" folder includes different mp3 Flash Guy phrases you can use and full sized images for re-coloring. Be sure to do all the steps on your "help-flash_guys.html".

The Flash Help Guys download includes .PSD, .BMP and .TIF files so you can color the background colors, or to change colors on the guys. You are also welcome to use (and edit) the full sized "guys" images on your Allwebco template if you would like.

Click below to see the "Flash Help Guys" folder structure:
Image


Extra Flash Help Guys
Below are some extra Flash Guys not included in the download. Right click on any one of these .jpg image to save them, or, download the zip file below with all these images plus the full sized "non anti aliased" .PSD, .BMP and .TIF files for re-coloring.

Calendar Chart Painting Chalkboard Paper Clip Cloud House Heart Baseball Smartphone

zipDownload extra Flash Guys plus the .PSD, .BMP and .TIF files for coloring. (.zip)


Creating and using your own Flash Guy
The "Flash Help Guys" are standard 50 x 50 pixel .jpg images saved at the "highest" quality using Photoshop software. You can use any standard .jpg image for your Flash Guy and any graphics editing software.
  1. Create a new 50 x 50 pixel image.
  2. Save this image as a .jpg image in your "guys" folder with any name you want. The full save path being "main template folder" then "flash_help_guys/guys".
  3. Edit your "FlashGuys.xml" to point to the new image.


Re-coloring Flash Guys
The Flash Help Guys download and extra guys download include .PSD, .BMP and .TIF files so you can color the background colors, or to change colors on the guys.

Bad colored examples:
Help Icon Coloring Image Image Image Image
Properly colored examples:
Help Icon Coloring Image Image Image Image

Re-color technique #1
Find the "extras" folder inside the "flash_help_guys" folder. Open the "FlashHelpGuys" .PSD, the .BMP or the .TIF included in the Flash Guys download in your graphics software. We have provided 3 files for different graphics editors. These 3 files are identical.
  1. Choose the fill tool and set the background color for your webpage as the fill color.
  2. Choose to fill the white space around all the guys.
  3. Resize this image to 275 pixels wide. (NOTE: Be sure not to save this "FlashHelpGuys" .PSD or .BMP or .TIF image as you may need this at full size later)
  4. Window select the image you want to use and copy this image to the clipboard.
  5. create a new 50 x 50 pixel image. Choose paste on the clipboard.
  6. Save this image as a .jpg image in your "guys" folder with any name you want. The full save path being "main template folder" then "flash_help_guys/guys".
  7. Edit your "FlashGuys.xml" to point to the new image.
Re-color technique #2
Open the .jpg Flash guy in the "guys" folder that you want to use in your graphics program.
  1. Choose the fill tool and set the background color for your webpage as the fill color.
  2. Set the fill "Tolerance" at around 15 and set "Anti-Aliasing" to on. You may have to see your software help to find these fill options.
  3. Choose to fill the white space around your guy.
  4. Save this image as a .jpg image in your "guys" folder with any name you want. The full save path being "main template folder" then "flash_help_guys/guys".
  5. Edit your "FlashGuys.xml" to point to the new image.


Multiple Flash Guys (For experienced users, not supported)
Multiple Flash Help Guys can be setup to have different "guys" and different links on different pages or even on the same page. You will need to use an IFrame for this. This is for more experienced users and we do not provide support for this but we have provided a download below with the files required and paths set in the "FlashGuys.xml" so you can see how this is done. Here are the basic steps.
  1. Make a new folder in your template folder called "flash_help_guys-2".
  2. Copy the entire "flash_help_guys" into this folder. Copy the whole folder not just the files in the folder. See the structure in the sample zip file you can download below.
  3. Place the "framed-page-sample.html" in this zip file into your "flash_help_guys-2" folder. This will be the only file in this folder.
  4. The "iframe-sample.html" and "test-link.html" go in your main template folder.
  5. The "iframe-sample.html" should now be working. Use the source IFrame code from the "iframe-sample.html" on any of your HTML pages.
  6. Edit the "FlashGuys.xml" that is in the "flash_help_guys-2/flash_help_guys/" folder to set the link and "guy" to use.
  7. Use the files in the download below to see how to set this up.
  8. zipDownload Flash Guys multiple setup (.zip)



My Flash Guys images are not working
If you have switched, or created your own Flash Guy .jpg images and they are not showing up on the page here are some possible reasons.
  1. Do not save these .jpg images as "progressive". Be sure to save them as "standard" .jpg images. Try re-saving these images using a "save as" and be sure to select "standard".
  2. You have edited the wrong images or the add-on is not unzipped properly.
  3. The "FlashGuys.xml" is not edited properly with your image name. Double check your work. Download a new "FlashGuys.xml" from the link below on this page.
  4. You have used uppercase letters in the .jpg file names. Remember that hosting is case sensitive! Double check all file names and the "FlashGuys.xml" image list.

Troubleshooting
If you do the steps on your "help-flash_guys.html" and the animation is not working:
  1. Try doing the steps on the "help-flash_guys.html" again from the start.
  2. Your .jpg images may be saved incorrectly. See paragraph above.
  3. Perhaps your "flash_help_guys" folder or "guys" folder in this folder does not exist or is named incorrectly. Check this folder and rename it to all lowercase letters, or create it if needed.
  4. You are testing the wrong HTML page that you added the code to.
  5. You are editing on-line files instead of files on your hard drive.
  6. You have not used ALL the code from the sample pages in the download. Re-do step #2 on your "help-flash_guys.html".
  7. You have an error in the sidebar.js or menu.js file. Click for help.
  8. If you have uploaded: Remember that hosting areas are case sensitive. Be sure all file and link names match exactly. Be sure the "flash_help_guys" folder and "guys" folder inside this folder are both uploaded and are both all lowercase letters.
  9. NOTE: Always make backup files and test after each edit before you go to another edit. You can always delete your backups later.


Download a new FlashGuys.xml
If you have made an error in your "FlashGuys.xml" you can download a new copy.

zipDownload a fresh copy of the FlashGuys.xml (.zip)




Related Topics:
Flash missing problems

Links:
Adobe Flash
Adobe Contribute