SWF Previews when uploading Dreams

cannot upload

Sunday, May 23, 2010 by skyzyk | Discussion: Skinning

The other day I submitted a Dream "Sunrise At Blue Lagoon" and it wouldn't accept my SWF file.

Could you please include guidelines for submitting .swf preview? I tried several times each time making it smaller until it was 256x126. Still would not save, reverting to the same screen, each time I pushed Submit. I could see the progress bar and all. Can someone explain the proper way or size please?

skyzyk aka Gary

 

Hankers
Reply #1 Sunday, May 23, 2010 1:42 PM

It would be easier if you keep it to one post on the same question.  Hopefully someone will be able to answer your question soon and if it requires a response from Stardock as to what kind of file is acceptable for a Dream you will probably need to wait until Monday for an answer.

Ausvet
Reply #2 Sunday, May 23, 2010 1:44 PM

Width should be 256, height is around 144 approx yours should be fine - it mainly is as a reult of the aspect ratio of the original video in the Dream, file size should be less than 2 Mb though.

Sometimes there are problems so I upload without the swf file then edit it later when accepted, at least in the old site you could do it that way without being sent back to moderation but with the new site I have not had to resort to that yet.

CarGuy1
Reply #3 Sunday, May 23, 2010 4:04 PM

For some reason someone thinks you can create a working preview of a dream in a file size of less than 2mb. On small dreams it's possible, on a  larger dream, forget it.

While you can make a short one that does not loop, in my opinion it's a waste of time. I've seen some short preview videos lately that suck and do not show a good representation of the whole dream. Those do more harm than good and can actually cause a user to not download.

Up until the new site went live file size was never an issue, now it is. It needs to be changed back to a reasonable size limit. I would think that 25% of the dream file size wouldn't be too much to ask for, would it?

Frogboy, if you read this...what's your opinion?

Ausvet
Reply #4 Sunday, May 23, 2010 4:55 PM

 For all Carguy said; preview videos often too choppy, blurred, solarized and/or unlooped within present constraints.

I.R. Brainiac
Reply #5 Sunday, May 23, 2010 7:01 PM

iwas only able to include 30 seconds of a 4 minute dream...and i think it was 7 mb. (on the old site)

 

I may have done my flash wrong I dont know...but I wasnt impressed with flash at all and it leaks memory badly.(in or out of a browser)

skyzyk
Reply #6 Monday, May 24, 2010 8:30 PM

 

Hankers
It would be easier if you keep it to one post on the same question.  Hopefully someone will be able to answer your question soon and if it requires a response from Stardock as to what kind of file is acceptable for a Dream you will probably need to wait until Monday for an answer.

 

You are right and I am sorry. I saw there was no replies and thought I had posted it in the wrong forum. I will delete the other one. Sorry for the inconvenience

skyzyk
Reply #7 Monday, May 24, 2010 8:32 PM

Thank you to all for your input.

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