The BoxedArt Guide to Using Website Templates

How to Change Text and Links in a Flash Template Using the txt File

These instructions detail how to edit a Flash template that uses an external txt file to populate its text and links, and are not applicable to Full Flash Sites that do not use an external txt file. For information on editing the text, links, and content of a Full Flash site, see:
How to Change the Text in a Flash Template Using Adobe Flash
How to Add or Change Links in a Flash Template using Adobe Flash

In a template package that includes a .txt file it is not necessary to make modifications using the Flash program -
all you need is a simple word processor such as Notepad.

Open Notepad. Choose File>Open and browse to the .txt file for your template package.

A .txt file that comes with your template package looks something like this:

name=YOUR COMPANY NAME&slogan=SHORT SLOGAN HERE &rep=replay&button1=HOME&button2=HELP&button3=REVIEWS&button4=DISCUSSIONS
&button5=INSURANCE&button6=ABOUT
&url1=#&url2=#&url3=#&url4=#&url5=#&url6=#&iurl1=#&iurl2=#&iurl3=#&iurl4=#enddata=1

To customize the text that will display in your Flash movie, you simply replace the words in the .txt file with your own words. For example, select/highlight the words YOUR COMPANY NAME in Notepad and type in your new text.
Do the same for the menu button titles. For example, if you want the first button in your Flash movie's menu to say ABOUT US instead of HOME, select/highlight the word HOME and replace it by typing ABOUT US. 

The &rep=replay option: This is your rewind button. When your viewer clicks this button, the Flash movie begins playing again from the beginning.

Putting in links for your menu buttons requires the same procedure, only here you replace each # that follows the url= in the .txt file.
For example: when your site visitors click on menu button 1 and you want them to be taken to an About Us page in your web site: 
1. locate in the .txt file the &url1=# 
2. replace the # with your page's actual URL, including the full pathway. 

Your modified link for button 1 will read: &url1=http://www.yoursite.com/aboutus.html

Template packages for Flash Intro movies also contain in their .txt files these additional link options:

&skipurl=# When clicking this link, your viewer skips the Flash Intro and is taken to a page in your website.
Your modified link for this could read: &skipurl=http://www.yoursite.com/homepage.html

&finurl=# When the Flash Intro movie finishes playing, your viewer is automatically taken to a page in your website.
Your modified link for this could read: &finurl=http://www.yoursite.com/homepage.html

Be careful to leave all & signs and = signs where they are in the .txt file or Flash will not be able to read the .txt file correctly. 

You will not be able to change the font, color, size or style of the words in your Flash movie using this .txt file method.

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