Hi There everyone. I'm new to the forum. I'm self-taught and have made a few websites using HTML and CSS. However I'd like to expand and make a site that has animation - so perhaps moving menu buttons, or images across the screen etc etc.

 

What I would like to know is, what is it that I'm trying to create?! Is it Java or is it just more HTML tricks?

 

Is there a software package like Frontpage etc which animates for you, or is it a learning process?

 

So many questions....any help would be appreciated.

HI,

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Well theirs JavaScript and Flash and SilverLight...

 

I'd learn how to hand code first in XHTML and CSS before you move on to advanced effects.

You have two main options:

 

1. Flash. Costs money (quite a lot in fact). Flash does proper animation - people actually make cartoons for TV with it. Flash can be used at many levels, from simple drag-and-drop animation tool to full-scale programming environment. Your HTML and CSS experience will be no use in Flash, but if you know Javascript, you'll find a lot of Flash Actionsctipt understandable.

 

2. Javascript. Free. Perfectly adequate for making interface elements (like menus) move. Rather than write Javascript from scratch, the best place to start nowadays is with a Javascript framework such as prototype, jQuery or MooTools. Using one of these libraries will save untold hours of frustration.

 

Ignore Silverlight and Java for now - neither is widely used for the kind of thing you're asking about.

 

Having said all that, think carefully about what you're trying to achieve. Animation is not something that will appeal to everyone; a lot of people just want to read a web page, not watch unicorns prancing across it. And there are accessibility issues when using Flash to provide navigation on a site.

 

Hi There everyone. I'm new to the forum. I'm self-taught and have made a few websites using HTML and CSS. However I'd like to expand and make a site that has animation - so perhaps moving menu buttons, or images across the screen etc etc.

 

What I would like to know is, what is it that I'm trying to create?! Is it Java or is it just more HTML tricks?

 

Is there a software package like Frontpage etc which animates for you, or is it a learning process?

 

So many questions....any help would be appreciated.

You have two main options:

 

1. Flash. Costs money (quite a lot in fact). Flash does proper animation - people actually make cartoons for TV with it. Flash can be used at many levels, from simple drag-and-drop animation tool to full-scale programming environment. Your HTML and CSS experience will be no use in Flash, but if you know Javascript, you'll find a lot of Flash Actionsctipt understandable.

 

2. Javascript. Free. Perfectly adequate for making interface elements (like menus) move. Rather than write Javascript from scratch, the best place to start nowadays is with a Javascript framework such as prototype, jQuery or MooTools. Using one of these libraries will save untold hours of frustration.

 

Ignore Silverlight and Java for now - neither is widely used for the kind of thing you're asking about.

 

Having said all that, think carefully about what you're trying to achieve. Animation is not something that will appeal to everyone; a lot of people just want to read a web page, not watch unicorns prancing across it. And there are accessibility issues when using Flash to provide navigation on a site.

 

Nothing much to add but Flash is wonderful, it is the bees knees. I used to use somebody elses Flash on their server and it is so easy to get on with, you can do anything in Flash. But I'm disabled and can't afford it.

 

If your not formally trained in programming forget Java, it is Object Oriented Programming and unless you can afford or have XP or Vista Professional you will have to program from the command line, because their graphical user interface requires professional operating systems.

 

Javascript and JScript are different languages, and as hard as I've looked I can't actually find a decent tuition site and I spend hours thinking of ways to test limitations of code. So how do you test if a browser will render CSS content using before or after.

 

But also since IE uses JScript not everything you do in javascript will work in IE and vice versa.

 

So if you have got the money get FLASH.

For very simple animation, i.e. menu bar animation look into JQuery or a similar JS framework like Mootools, prototype etc.

JQuery Site -> JQuery Fading/Animated menu

 

But as others have said, working on HTML and CSS skills would be far better for the time being. You can make some nice effects using clever css for some simple movement.

Thanks for all the replies. I will have a look at the links and do some more learning.