Macromedia Generator 2

Richard Price

Macromedia's Generator 2 is an impressive looking program that allows you to automate the process of generating images for a web site. It is probably easier to think of it as an add-on for Flash 4. If you don't have Flash 4 you can't use Generator 2.

These Generator authoring tools are available in Flash 4 and from the Macromedia web site. Using these templates with Flash 4 you can create, preview, and test sites with dynamically generated content.

Generator 2 also includes server components for handling content. There is an Offline server component for creating Generator content without a Web server. This runs from a command line.

The Online server component enables the generation of Flash 4 movies through your Web server. You also get JRun, a Java servlet that allows you to pass information via the Java servlet protocol.

Any designer, unfamiliar with Flash 4, who thinks they are suddenly going to be creating dynamically updated graphics and text, could be in for a shock. There is a learning curve involved.

Firstly you need to know how to use Flash 4, and you need to know something about using and creating data sources.

Generator 2 goes a long way to making the process easy and contains a number of enhancements. A Generator Objects palette and a Generator Inspector make it easy to create objects and specify their properties.

In a nutshell, you create Generator 2 templates using the Generator 2 extensions that are installed in Flash 4 when you install Generator. Creating the templates involves the following steps.

• Create the generator objects. Do this by dragging them from the Objects palette onto the Flash 4 "stage".
• Specify any variables. Variables let you insert text into a Generator template when the content is created.
• Create the data source. This data source can be a comma-delimited text file, text output from an HTTP or FTP request, a result set from a Structured Query Language (SQL), or a user created Java class. You can also use data stored directly in the template --- a good way to test what you are doing.
• Choose the Generator output. You can create JPEG, PNG, QuickTime 4 or GIF files as well as Flash Player movies.
• Preview and debug the template. A debugging report helps you correct errors and make corrections.
• Process the template. Copy it to a web server along with any other associated data sources and external content.

For those of you familiar with previous versions of Flash and Generator, there are a few problems. Generator 2 is not compatible with Flash 3. Flash 4 is not compatible with Generator 1.x. Generator 1 templates are functional with Generator 2, but parameters specified in the Settings box are not preserved.

For a program that offers all the sophistication they claim, I felt the documentation was a bit on the thin side. The program is aimed at empowering designers without programming experience, yet the documentation presumes you already know and understand many advanced programming concepts.

Providing a few examples to work through would make it a lot easier for people to understand. I found the Macromedia web site more helpful.

The Generator Support Centre at www.macromedia.com/support/generator contains the latest information, technical notes, advice, examples, tips and updates. You can also download a trial copy of Generator 2.

By Richard Price, Editor, EnergyME.com

For information on getting a product reviewed email richard@energyme.com