| Sometimes reinventing the wheel just isn't worth the effort. When you need a creative text effect, check out some of the companies that do this for a living. One thing to note about all these programs is that if the SWF file that you create contains movie clips, interactivity, or sound, you must use loadMovie() to add it to an existing Flash file. If you try to import the SWF file into Flash, the results may not be what you expect. For more on importing SWFs into Flash, see Chapter 5, "Importing, Using, and Optimizing Graphics." All these text-effect tools are standalone applications; you don't need Flash to use them. -
SWfX (www.wildform.com) lets you quickly and easily create more than 200 different text effects that are output in the SWF format. SWfX currently creates 84 Flash 3 (nonhighlighted) effects that can be directly imported into your Flash movies. In addition, SWfX creates 116 Flash 3 effects that can be added to your Flash movie using the loadMovie() method. See Chapter 5 for more information about using externally generated SWFs with Flash. It's available for Windows only, and you can try out an online demo version. -
FlaX (www.flaxfx.com) has 22 different effects that also are very customizable. The program is very intuitive to use as well. You just punch a couple buttons and adjust some sliders. Another benefit is real-time display every time you change a setting. FlaX-generated SWF files can be imported directly into Flash, unless you've added and want to keep a link. You can also save your text animation as your default screen saver. It's available for Windows only, and you can try out a trial download. -
Swish (www.swishzone.com), although a little less intuitive than SWfx, offers the capability of adding sound and basic interactivity to your file. However, if you are planning to import the finished SWF file, remember that the sound and interactivity will not import. Again, loadMovie() is always an option. Swish is available for Windows and Macintosh, and you can sample a trial download.  |
