# FlashSkins Flash Player - Instructions

## Downloaded Files

When you download one of the Flash Players from FlashSkins you'll receive the following files:

- instructions.html - This file.
- demo.html - This file contains the HTML code to demonstrate a Working Version.
- playlist4.xml - This file contains the 'Playlist' instructions for your Flash Player.
- flashSkins****.swf - This file is the Flash Player to be added to your webpage.
- flashobject.txt - This file allows you to cut and paste the Object element to your webpage.
- music/MP3 files - These files are demo media files that play in the demo. Add your MP3 here.
- graphics4.txt - This determines which 'skin' image you use.
- fsd.css - Stylesheet for HTML pages (not important here).

NOTE: If you've downloaded a Player without 'colour matching' they'll be a number of 'skin' image files (png) also included. You'll need to copy the name of the 'skin' image file you want to use into the file named 'graphics4.txt'. Flash will then load this 'skin' into the player. Open the file 'graphics.txt' in a text editor and you'll see it has the name of one of the image files by default, replace this file name with the one you would like to use.

## Testing the Demo

Load 'demo.html' (double click) to your Web Browser. You should see the Player, fully functioning, in your Browser. The Player file (SWF), the xml file and the demo media files are all working together correctly.

By looking at the 'source view' of the 'demo.html' file, you can see how the Flash file (SWF) has been added to the webpage (more on that later).

## Getting Your Video or Audio Files to Play

All you need to do to get your video files (FLV) or audio files (MP3) to play, instead of those supplied in the demo, is to add your media files (FLV/MP3) to the same directory (folder). Then open the XML Playlist file (playlist.xml) in a plain text editor (not MS Word) and change the file names to match yours.

NOTE: With the MP3 Player, you can change the 'artist' and 'trackname' values too.

Now if you load the 'demo.html' in your Web Browser again, you should see/hear your video or audio files playing instead of the demo files.

## Adding the Flash file (SWF) to Your Webpage

The last thing is to get the Flash file into your webpage. The simplest way to do this is to insert the 'Object' HTML element to your existing webpage, in the position where you want the Flash Player to appear. NOTE: Your webpage and all the files you've downloaded must be in the same directory (folder). Excluding 'images' directory and 'fsd.css'.

If you open the 'flashobject.txt' file you'll see the 'object element' code that can be cut and pasted to your webpage.

From the 'flashobject.txt' file, highlight all the code and paste it to your webpage.

NOTE: You'll notice in the 'flashobject.txt' file that all the name/value pairs are repeated twice (image above), so if you change any of these make sure you change both. These repeated values exist to allow greater compatibility.

There are other ways to add Flash to your webpage. These include 'Flash Detect' methods that use Javascript to detect the visitor's Flash Plug-In version. Visit AListApart for all the most popular methods and their pros and cons:

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/flashembedcagematch

## Upload Files to the Web

Once you've added the Flash Player to your webpage you're ready to upload (via FTP or other) all the files to the Web. Just remember to include the SWF file, the playlist XML file and all your media files - FLV or MP3.

## Notes:

With our Video Players (FLV players) you must encode your FLV files to match the dimentions of the player you've downloaded. For example, 320 width x 240 height or 160 width x 120 height.

For more info go to: www.flashskins.co.uk