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Using Flash to Load a Random Image

Free Flash Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to load a random image onto your web page. Every time a user browsers your page a new picture will display. This can be used to make your site look fresh and dynamic or to deliver different messages or ads campaigns.

I sometimes use this system to deliver images in the head section of the pages in this site. It is very powerful as the same Flash Movie can be used to control all the pages on the site. If I want to change the images that are displayed I simply delete my current group of images and replace them with the new ones. If I want to change the number of random images that are displayed (that number can even be 1) all I need to do is change a single line of ActionScript in the Flash Movie and upload the new version of Flash Movie. That single change may take only a few minutes but it will effect thousands of pages on the webwasp site. There is no need to change any HTML on individual pages.

The ActionScript used in this tutorial is very simple and consists of only four lines. So for those of you wary of ActionScript, don't worry.

For this tutorial you'll be making something like this:

Example: Download the Flash file Beg 041

To change the image press your Browser's Refresh button (F5).

Note: I have loaded a series of 25 pictures (of my home town: Auckland, New Zealand). The images are displayed at random so occasionally the same image will be displayed twice in a row. Obviously the more images in your series, the less likely they are to repeat.

Click by Click: If you would like to view this tutorial without all the notes: Click by Click