Flash Newbie Complex Problem

[kyiyer]

Hello

Have a project that I am told is best done with Flash but do not know where to
start. I want to put a country map with state boundaries on my website. Each
state will be coloured differently. The color of each state needs to change
according to data in a MS SQL Server 2000 database. So, I need a way of
addressing each state as a separate entity but show one country map. I want to
be able to dynamically change the background colour of each state depending on
the data in the database. I will also want to put one or two small images on
each state and maybe a few characters of text.

Please help. Greatly appreciate it.

Thanks very much

Iyer

[rlc5611]

Take a look at [url]www.sierrabravocharlie/USAStats.html[/url]

Something like that?

[rlc5611]

sorry, that should be [url]www.sierrabravocharlie.com/USAStats.html[/url]

[kyiyer]

Hi

Thanks - yes something like [url]http://www.sierrabravocharlie.com/USAStats.html[/url] -
but I want the map to auto-update from a database - with the state colors
changing depending on the some values in a database. For example, the
background color for the state of Texas could change 10 times in a 24 hour
period - depending on incoming data. From the site I can see that it is,
indeed, possible to target a particular state within a country map and shade it
in a given colour. I'd want certain details to be displayed with the
mouse-over but the background color will not change with the mouse-over - the
background color of each state wil be determined by the data in my SQL Server
database.

How do I proceed to create a map like this?

Thanks very much, indeed

Iyer

[rlc5611]

It is pretty simple really. Make every state a movie clip. Edit each state
movie clip and add a layer and duplicate the frame with the state shape in it
in the empty layer. Make one of the state shapes a button and make the state
shape in the other layer a movie clip. I recommend you give the one that is a
movie clip a generic instance name such as "statearea" this will make it easier
to target later. On the layer that is the button, edit the button and move the
first frame to the fourth frame so that all you have is a hit area in the shape
of the state. Leave the other frames of the button empty. The state shape that
is the button will give you functionality for mouse events and the one that is
a shape you can target and color with action script.

If you want to be a little more efficient on memory, rather than have the hit
area of the button a shape, you could copy the shape that you made a movie clip
in the other layer into the hit state of the button and delete the shape once
the alignment is right. Maybe I am not explaining that part well. If not,
sorry. It is not really required anyway.

The outline of the USA and state boundaries can be on a layer all by itself in
the main timeline above the state movie clips if you have no need to alter the
boundaries in any way.

The above is all you need technically, the rest is action script.

[kyiyer]

Hello

God - that sounds pretty complicated. :-) But I will try and come back with more.

Thanks very much for your efforts.

Best wishes

Iyer

[rlc5611]

It is not complicated - just repetitive. If you like, you can send me an email at [email]robertleecox@hotmail.com[/email] and I will send you a sample of what I am talking about.