Needed Preparations: Dreamweaver Version

Nutshell summary (the steps below in a nutshell):

• Create a Dreamweaver Site
• Create and save a new HTML page in your site, or open an existing HTML page in the site.  You will insert the slideshow into this page.

First, you must have defined a Dreamweaver site to hold your files.  This ensures that all file references can be properly constructed, and the necessary supporting files copied into place.  If you're not familiar with what a Dreamweaver site is, you can learn about how to set one up (called "defining a Dreamweaver site") by viewing this helpful video tutorial on Adobe's site: http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/dreamweaver/articles/lrvid4050_dw.html .  

Once you have the Dreamweaver site defined, open an existing HTML page within the site or create a new one and save it within the site.  It can be any type of HTML page - e.g. PHP, Coldfusion, ASP, .NET, etc; there are no requirements for the page type beyond just being an HTML document.  The file must be saved within the site's root folder.

Tip: Some users get confused and try to insert a slideshow into one of the dynamic data template files (accessed by selecting File > New > Page From Sample > XML Flash Slideshow v4.  This won't work properly; the dynamic data template files are only for advanced users who are integrated dynamic data sources.  Instead, use a normal HTML page.

Needed Preparations: Standalone Version

Nutshell summary (the steps below in a nutshell):

• Have a single folder that holds all of your sites files, folders and assets.  This is called your site's "root folder".
• Have an existing HTML page somewhere inside your site's root folder (or one of its subfolders).  This can be a page you just created, or an existing one that already has content.  You will insert the slideshow into this page.

You must have a single folder that holds all of your site's files, including webpages, images, audio, video and any other assets.  This is called your site's "root folder".  The page you intend to add the slideshow to must be somewhere within this folder or one of its subfolders.  This page can be an existing one that already contains content, or a new one that you create specifically to hold the new slideshow.  It can be any type of HTML page - e.g. PHP, Coldfusion, ASP, .NET, etc; there are no requirements for the page type beyond just being an HTML document.

Tip: Some users get confused and try to insert a slideshow into one of the dynamic data template files (accessed by selecting File > New > Page From Sample > XML Flash Slideshow v4.  This won't work properly; the dynamic data template files are only for advanced users who are integrated dynamic data sources.  Instead, use a normal HTML page.

How the Slideshow Files Work (both versions) + General Tips

Each slideshow has a unique XML configuration file, while sharing a common SWF and javascript file.    The javascript file handles all embedding of the SWF and enables the various javascript-to-XFSv4 communication paths.  The XML configuration file defines the appearance (layout, colors, etc.) of a slideshow, as well as the image galleries to be displayed.  When you insert a slideshow, a block of slideshow HTML is created and inserted into the page.    This block is required for the slideshow to be displayed.  It embeds the slideshow SWF in the host HTML page, passing all of the configuration information including the path to the XML configuration file and any additional XML data sources.  The slideshow HTML also passes parameters which define global appearance settings (such as the background color, opacity, and image) as well as the appearance of the slideshow while the external configuration data is being loaded.

Tip: You cannot view the slideshow SWF directly.  Doing so will result in an 'Unable to load XML' error being shown.  The slideshow must be viewed from within an HTML page, due to the required configuration information which is passed by the slideshow HTML code.    Without this information, the slideshow is unable to be displayed.

Tip: When you insert a slideshow, all of the file paths are written to the XML configuration file.  They are relative, however, to the HTML page which holds the actual slideshow.  Because of this, you cannot simply drag-and-drop or copy-n-paste a slideshow from one page to another unless both pages are in the same directory.  Moving a slideshow to a page in a different directory will result in "image failed to load" messages, because the paths will be incorrect.

Tip: Copying and pasting a slideshow will result in two slideshows which reference the same XML configuration file.  This will result in edits of the one slideshow affecting the other as well.  If you wish to duplicate a slideshow, you should instead re-run the Insert Wizard.  You will be given the option to copy the configuration of an existing slideshow when creating the new slideshow.