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Create Flash header or slideshow on WordPress easily with Flashfader plugin

August 5, 2007 – 9:03 pm | by Miriam Schwab

My Flash skills are non-existent, so when a client requested some kind of Flash header where the images fade out and in, I was happy that I remembered that I had once come a across a plugin that creates Flash slideshows.

Flashfader plugin lets you easily create Flash slideshows and place them almost anywhere on your blog.

How to use Flashfader:

  1. Extract the files and upload them to the plugins directory. There are two files: flashfader.php and flashfader.swf. Both have to be in the root directory of plugins, and not in their own folder.
  2. Install Flashfader.
  3. Go to Manage > Flashfader. The following screen appears:
    Flashfader screen shot
  4. Here you can customize the appearance of the slideshow:
    1. Width/Height: define the width and height of the slideshow. If you upload pictures that are bigger or smaller than this size, they will be automatically edited to the size you define here. So if you want to have complete control over how your pictures look in the slideshow, select and width and height, enter them here, and make sure all your images are exactly that size.
    2. Background color: This is the color that will appear before your first image fades in.
    3. Fade Order: your images can either appear in a selected order, or randomly. Enter 1 if you want your images to appear in the order you define. Enter 2 if you want the images to appear randomly.
    4. Image display time: This is how long each image appears for before it fades out.
    5. Imag2image fade time: This is how long the fade between pictures takes.
    6. XHTML-valid flash embed: You can state whether you want the embed code to be XHTML-compliant. I found that it worked fine when XHTML-compliant.
  5. Save your settings.
  6. In the next part of the screen, you upload the images you want to appear in the slideshow.
    Flashfader screen shot
  7. If you set the Fade Order in step 3 above to sequential, you do not need to worry about the first column of numbers. If you did select to have a sequential slideshow, you can easily change the order by entering numbers in the middle column in the above picture.
  8. Save your work.

You now have a completed Flash slideshow. But how do we get it to appear in the header of the site, or in any other part.

Integrating your new Flash show in your site

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  1. 10 Responses to “Create Flash header or slideshow on WordPress easily with Flashfader plugin”

  2. By Mike on Nov 18, 2007 | Reply

    You have a great site. I am trying to install the flash header and at the bottom of your site it says “Integrating your new Flash show in your site” Where do I find this information? Thanks

  3. By Miriam on Nov 19, 2007 | Reply

    Hi Mike - you’re right! I didn’t realize that I never completed that post. Unfortunately I won’t have time to complete it for the next while, but I’ll try to get to it as soon as I can.

  4. By Spanner on Feb 6, 2008 | Reply

    Hi there. Excellent plugin - looks superb!

    I was wondering if there was any way to add a feature (bearing in mind I know precisely nothing about code) so each picture in the slideshow had a link to a post or page within the blog?
    So like, my first picture links to a post about that picture, my second links to a different post relevant to picture 2, etc.?

    Thanks for your help.

  5. By Miriam Schwab on Feb 6, 2008 | Reply

    Hi Spanner - You can’t do what you’re asking with this plugin, but check out this post: http://wordpressgarage.com/tips/giving-each-wordpress-post-a-thumbnail-and-display-the-thumbnail-on-the-home-page/. It describes how to give every post its own unique thumbnail image, which could theoretically be a big image, and you could add links to that image too. But that may demand understanding code…

  6. By Seth on Mar 19, 2008 | Reply

    You left us hanging?!?

    Where’s the rest of the post?

  7. By rinogo on May 6, 2008 | Reply

    @Spanner: If you want to have the images link to pages on your site and/or display text and stuff, check out featurific.  (http://featurific.com)

  8. By alex on May 31, 2008 | Reply

    Hello,

    it is a useful plug-and I did it just to test my WordPress blog in the sidebar in Blog Pics installed, but the amount I can not change the images.

    The value jumps repeatedly 185×60 px.

    I have also already in the flash fader administration is trying to change, nothing happens.

    Can someone help me? Thank you in advance.

    Greetings Alex ..

  9. By rinogo on Jun 2, 2008 | Reply

    Oops - I meant http://featurific.com/ffw . That’s a better page to hit up - it has the wordpress plugin on it.
    Have a great day! :)

  10. By Rich on Jul 10, 2008 | Reply

    @alex: were you having those problems with Featurific, or with the Flashfader plugin?  If you need help with Featurific, I’d be happy to help you.

  11. By t on Aug 27, 2008 | Reply

    hey there…. where´s the rest of your post? :(
    the most important for me is to know how can i create a flash header with this plugin… can you finish this post…would be so great.
    thanks

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