Complex Button RollOver/RollOut Effects woth flash MX

Complex Button RollOver/RollOut Effects
by warhero : 24 April 2005
It seems everywhere you look now has some form of complex button. Most buttons that have an animation when rolled over and an animation when you roll out are done with some form of this concept that I intend to share with you.

If you understand basic Flash concepts and just a smidgen of Actionscript, you will catch on in no time.

Here is How

Create a new Flash document.

Open up the document properties by pressing ctrl+j (cmd+j on Mac) and change the stage size to 100x100. Change the Frame Rate to 30.

Rename layer 1 on the main timeline to complexButton. The main timeline should now look like this:




Create a new movieclip by pressing ctrl+F8 (cmd+F8 on Mac). Name it mc_complex.

Double click mc_complex in the library to edit the symbol. Select the Oval Tool(o) and make a 30x30 circle on the stage. In the properties panel set the x and y values for that circle to 0.

Double click the circle to select the Fill and Stroke. Press F8 to convert it to a symbol so we can tween it. Make it into a graphic symbol and name it gr_circle






Still editing the mc_complex movieclip select frame 15 and press F6. This inserts a keyframe. Resize the circle a little bigger than what is there. I went with 40x40.

Right click on any frame between the two keyframes on the timeline and select Create Motion Tween.

Create a new layer and call it actions. Insert a blank keyframe(F7) on frame 15. The timeline for mc_complex should now look like this

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10 reasons why PCs crash U must Know

Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."

You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?

1 Hardware conflict

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.

For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.

If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number.
When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.

Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.

Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.

Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is http://www.driverguide.com" target=_blank>www.driverguide.com. If
the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).

When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.

To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

2 Bad Ram

Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.

But a fatal error caused by Ram might
be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.

One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.

Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.

EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based
programmes.

3 BIOS settings

Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.

Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.

A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.

Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS
setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

4 Hard disk drives

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.

The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).

Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File
System-Hard Disk.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.

Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors

Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.

These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a
look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.

If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.

If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.

Another useful way to resolve
video problems is to go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).

Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

6 Viruses

Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs

Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.

A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a
DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.

An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( www.nai.com). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec ( www.symantec.com).

7 Printers

The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.

If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover
from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.

8 Software

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.

The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and
Windows 2000.

Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from http://www.jv16.org" target=_blank>www.jv16.org
Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.

Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.

Remember to
restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

9 Overheating

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from http://www.computernerd.com" target=_blank>www.computernerd.com or http://www.coolit.com" target=_blank>www.coolit.com

CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be
more stable.

10 Power supply problems

With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.

If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.

It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.

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How to View/Copy Contents of ANY AIO Without Installation

Ever downloaded a big AIO package, and wanted to see the contents before you decide to install? Here's how....

1] Run the app.

2] When the AIO installation screen appears, type %temp% in the address bar, then press "Enter".

3] In the Temp folder you'll see a folder named: ir_ext_temp_????. This folder contains all the files in the AIO package.

4] Now you can view or copy any file in the AIO!

Remember: This only works so long as you leave the installation app open. As soon as you close the installation screen, the ir_ext_temp_???? folder disappears. If you decide not to install the AIO, just close it after you've viewed or copied whatever files you want.

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Boost 56k Modem

A quide to tweak your 56k modem.

Quote:

CAUTION: For experienced users. It is strongly recommended that you back up the registry before making any changes to it. Incorrect changes to the registry can result in permanent data loss or corrupted files.

For Windows 98 & ME:

1. First and most important make sure you have the latest drivers for your modem, from the manufacturer.

2. Open modem properties in Control Panel and under advanced port settings slide both all the way to the right.

3. Set maximum port speed to 115,2000.

4. Open Internet Options in IE and under temp internet files - settings select - Automatically.

5. Under extra settings (where init strings go) put in s11=55 to make your modem dial faster or s10=60 if you have frequent disconnects.

6. Make sure you have a good "clean" phone line, the #1 reason 56K modems don't connect at a good transfer rate is static on your phone line, and remember your throughput is more important than what your connection says it is connected at. If you are connected between 44,000 - 50,000 that is as good as it gets (you are limited to 53,333 by the FCC)

7. Download TCPOptimizer and put in the following settings:
Under the "settings" tab select "dial up" and "custom settings", in "network adapter selection" choose "dial up adapter". Then use the following settings:

MaxMTU - 1500
TCP Receive Window - 8760
MTU Discovery - Yes
Black Hole Detect - No
Selective ACKs - Yes
Max Dup ACKs - 2
Time to Live (TTL) - 128
TCP 1323 Options - uncheck both boxes

"Other settings" tab:
Max Connections per Server - 4
Max Connections per 1.0 Server - 8

Then select "Apply changes" and reboot to take effect.

8. Open your registry (start - run - type regedit) and change the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Class\Net\000X
(where X is a number between 1 and 9)there is a value named SLOWNET, change it from 01 to 00.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\VxD\COMBUFF
it has a value called Start, change its value from 00 to 01.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\VxD\VCACHE
it has a value named Start, change it from 00 to 01.

9. Open your sys.ini file (start - run -sysedit - ME type system.ini) close the boxes until you are at the one with the title C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI, under [386enh] add the line ComXXIrqXXbuffer=4096, XX=Com port your modem is on and Irq assigned to your modem, it should look like Com03Irq07buffer=4096. Then select file - save and reboot to take effect.

*****

COLOR="Blue"]For Windows 2K & XP:[/color]
For 2K & XP users I suggest using Cablenut to tweak your settings due to the fact it installs the AFD parameters and allows you to tweak them. These values utilize memory for buffers that help speed up and stabilize your connection and latency. The following are my suggestions for settings to use in Cablenut:

DefaultReceiveWindow = 8192
DefaultSendWindow = 4096
DisableAddressSharing = 1
InitialLargeBufferCount = 10
InitialMediumBufferCount = 24
InitialSmallBufferCount = 32
LargeBufferSize = 4096
MaxFastTransmit = 6400
MediumBufferSize = 1504
PriorityBoost = 0
SmallBufferSize = 128
TransmitWorker = 32
FastSendDatagramThreshold = 1024
EnableFastRouteLookup = 1
EnablePMTUDiscovery = 1
IgnorePushBitOnReceives = 0
GlobalMaxTcpWindowSize = 8760
MaxFreeTcbs = 2000
MaxHashTableSize = 4096
MaxNormLookupMemory = 5000000
SackOpts = 1
SynAttackProtect = 1
Tcp1323Opts = 0
TcpLogLevel = 1
MaxDupAcks = 2
TcpMaxHalfOpen = 100
TcpMaxHalfOpenRetried = 80
TcpRecvSegmentSize = 1460
TcpSendSegmentSize = 1460
TcpTimedWaitDelay = 30
TcpUseRFC1122UrgentPointer = 0
TcpWindowSize = 8760
MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server = 8
MaxConnectionsPerServer = 4
DefaultTTL = 128
DisableUserTOSSetting = 0
TcpMaxDataRetransmissions = 6
DefaultTOSValue = 92

Also add the following entry to your registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\AFD\Parameters
Add the parameter BufferMultiplier and give it a value of 400 hexidecimal which will make it 1024.

1. First and most important make sure you have the latest drivers for your modem, not Microsoft's, but the one's from the manufacturer.

2. Open modem properties in Control Panel and under advanced port settings slide both all the way to the right.

3. Set maximum port speed to 115,2000.

4. Under extra settings (where in it strings go) put in s11=55.

5. Make sure you have a good "clean" phone line, the #1 reason 56K modems don't connect at a good transfer rate is static on your phone line, and remember your throughput is more important than what your connection says it is connected at. If you are connected between 44,000 - 50,000 that is as good as it gets (you are limited to 53,333 by the FCC)

6. Download TCPOptimizer and put in the following settings:

Under the "settings" tab select "dial up" and "custom settings", in "network adapter selection" choose "dial up adapter". Then use the following settings:

MaxMTU - 1500
TCP Receive Window - 8760
MTU Discovery - Yes
Black Hole Detect - No
Selective ACKs - Yes
Max Dup ACKs - 2
Time to Live (TTL) - 128
TCP 1323 Options - uncheck both boxes

"Other settings" tab:
Max Connections per Server - 4
Max Connections per 1.0 Server - 8


Then select "Apply changes" and reboot to take effect.
Leave all other boxes blank, select save to registry and reboot.

7. Open Internet Options (IE)and under temp internet files - settings select - Every visit to page.

8. Open your Network Connections from the Control Panel – right click on your Cable connection and select properties, if you have the “QoS Packet Scheduler” installed highlight it and select uninstall.

9. Open up regedit, navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace
find the key named {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}. Right click on it and delete it.

Also add the following entry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\PriorityControl

(if PriorityControl is not there, make the value) - on the right hand side right click and select new DWORD value, name it IrqXPriority (X = Irq assigned to your modem), then right click it and select modify and give it a decimal value of 1.

*****

For ALL OS's:
The most important thing to remember about dial up is that the maximum you can download ANYTHING under absolute perfect conditions is 6.7kb/s, so don't be frustrated with your speed, remember it is only 56K (actually 53333). To understand a little better, most dial up connections have a connect speed of somewhere in the mid 40K range, which is very good, so say you connect at 48000, to find your maximum throughput divide that by 8 which gives you 6kb/s, which actually very good for dial up. The tweaks I have provided will help you maximize that throughput as best possible, don't expect super speeds by tweaking your dial up, be happy if you are getting 6kb/s.

FOR FASTER WEB PAGE LOADING:
This tweak will help web pages load faster, it has no real effect on download speeds, just helps your pc look up websites faster thereby speeding up how fast the page loads and making websurfing more enjoyable.

Navigate to this registry entry and change the following settings:

For XP & 2K
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Tcpip\ServiceProvider

For 98, 98SE & ME
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\VxD\MSTCP\Service Provider

On the right for ALL OS's change these entries: (ALL values are HEXIDECIMAL)


Class - 1
DnsPriority - 1
HostsPriority - 1
LocalPriority - 1
NetbtPriority - 1

Write down the current values PRIOR to changing them in case it doesn't work so you can revert back. To change the value right mouse click on the value and select modify and enter the values above once you have done all of them reboot to take effect and see how fast your pages load.

Note:

P.S. If you have a dial up connection I HIGHLY recommend using a download manager, it will help maximize your download speed, resume downloads if you are disconnected and you can even schedule downloads for the middle of the night (it will automatically dial up and download the desired file and hang up when done) when you aren't using your pc.

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