Time delay loading for swf files and images
Q. How can I make an image or swf file load after a specified number of seconds?
A. Use the simple but effective flash_timer.swf file by Sam Burdge. Whoopeee!
Ever wanted a particular Flash movie or image to load up / start playing after the rest of your page has loaded, or after a set amount of time? This tutorial, and the support files provided with it will make it very easy indeed. The flash_timer.swf file will load a swf or image into your page after a number of seconds that you specify.
Example:
Check out this basic example to see a swf (called test.swf) load after a 10 second delay: Example 1
You can view the source code of the example to see how it works.
Usage:
- Download the source files using the link below, and unzip the archive.
- Embed the swf file 'flash_timer.swf' into your webpage. In my example I have used the swfObject method to embed the file, but you can use whichever method you prefer. For more information about this you can check this useful tutorial by Jeroen Wijering.
- Set the height, width & background colour of the swf according to those of the file you want to load in.
- Pass the two variables that the file requires to work: myswf – the file that will be loaded & mysecs – the number of seconds delay before the file is loaded. You can pass the variables in the url string, for example:
flash_timer.swf?myswf=my_movie.swf&mysecs=5
(This will load the movie 'my_movie.swf' after a 5 second delay.)
You can also pass the variables as flashvars, for example:
flashvars="myswf=example.jpg&mysecs=10"
(This will load the image 'example.jpg' after a 10 second delay.)
I hope you find this useful, if you do or if you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment on this page (no emails please, I won't reply unless you are offering me hard cash!!). The flash_timer.swf file is only 1kb, so it will not effect the overall loading time of your page, it can be embedded at any height/width dimensions and works from flash player 7 upwards.
Download Source:
The download contains the all important flash_timer.swf plus a working example (index.html). The size of the zip is 6kb. Enjoy!!
Excellent, excellent, excellent! spectacular! stupendous!
Was exactly what I was looking for.
And does exactly what you said it would do!
Can’t say that about many other things I’ve downloaded - including stuff I’ve paid for!
Good show!
Great tool - well done. One issue however: how can I prevent my video from repeating / looping continuiously. I have tried setting &loop=false as part of passing the swf filename and I have set it in the calling code as well but it ignores them. See the code below:
I have the same problem as Wayne Moran. I would like the flash to run only once, as the constant repeating would detract from the sight and prevent the point of the flash from being made.
Works perfectly… Amazingly simple…see http://www.hotmix.org
Excellent work !.
Its working fine. But I have placed my own swf insted of yours (test.swf). That is not working. Can you suggest a solution.
So, if I understood this:
I have a webpage, I want it to download the page files that are not flash files first, so clients be able of start reading stuff and see some light weight images, so once the files be downloaded say 5 secs, as it is rather light stuff, then I would like the flash file to start being downloaded, because clients will be busy reading and watching other stuff while the flash file downloads, is that correct????????
Great tool.
@ Wayne Moran and Nathan: This is not a problem of the swf file from Sam, it must be a problem of your swf, which loops.
Bye
George
I cannot get this to work on a LAMP server. Any ideas?
I am a total noob at times, more an artist than a webmaster. I’m trying to plug this in with no success. Could I get a hand with this, I’m plunking it in to a div cause I have a heavily layerd page. Thanks.
what is the function of the “8″ in the string? it seems to be a variable, but for what?
thanks.
Hi Sam, Sorry but I’m being very dumb… I follow the logic but can’t seem to apply it to my situation!
I’m using a javascript call on a swf music player.
Happy to send a donation to a fellow Brit to get it working
Thanks,
Peter
var options = {};
options.mediaPath = “images/stories/audio/lifestyle_mono.mp3″;
options.firstColor = “b7b7b7″;
options.backColor = “3E2D23″;
options.strokeColor = “3E2D23″;
options.autoPlay = “true”;
var params = {};
params.allowScriptAccess = “always”;
swfobject.embedSWF(”images/stories/audio/LWMusicPlayer.swf”, “player-holder”, “45″, “21″, “9.0.0″,false, options, {}, {});
Fabulous! You rock man, quick question, is there a way i can have a background image displayed until it starts showing the movie?
I am trying to implement this on my site and everything works great except there is a giant black box in the space where my movie will be once it loads. Is there a way to have an image there instead, that will then be replaced once the movie loads? How would I do this…
Thanks! <3
I have links on my flash file (set with .xml file). They don’t work with flash_timer.swf. Do you have any ideas why?