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What tool should I use?

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by cmorrow

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I am wanting to develop a new feature on my web site that has a picture of my products and the end user can customize the color choices based on a pre-defined color pallette.

Essentially:
1) The customer clicks on a color in the pallette,
2) They click on (fill) a portion of the product (defined by the lines),
3) The portion changes color (the borders constrain the colors)
4) They could continue to do this until their color choices are determined
5) Then, they press submit and the order is mailed to us with their color choices.

I am considering Macromedia software, but am at a loss as to which one would be used. Any help on this would be great!

Thanks,

CSM

3 replies

by name removed by request

From my experience of internet user, I more see the full image of a product being changed when selecting a new color. This can be achieved very easily as long as you're using a dynamic language such as PHP or ASP to build your pages.

If you really only want to change the color of a specific part of the product, I see three solutions:
1) Macromedia FLASH: This is the only technology that provides this kind of flexibility I believe while not requiring coding skills. Still you will have to learn to use it, not complicated but can not be achieved without a bit of time.
2) If you have some coding skills and/or if your website is already developped using ASP or PHP, then I would code it. PHP can generate an image and the related HTML Image map code to obtain the results that you're looking for. To implement this solution, a web server, PHP and a text editor (I recommend Editplus.com) is enough.

Depending on the shape of your products both the above mentionned solutions might not be applicable. Then the only and, well, easy solution is to get as many images of your product as required to match all the different possibilities of color and region filled. In this scenario, the only use of HTML forms and images maps would be sufficent.

by jj1196

Macromedia's MX suite - particularly Flash MX - would be an easy decision for your problem.

It has been used exactly as you're describing for years on commercial website and it pushing the envelope of creative interaction.

For an easy reference to the sometimes confusing number of MX (or Adobe) tools, I remember it this way (only addressing Macromedia now):

Fireworks: create/edit web graphics and pictures
Flash: create vector animations, rich interface, audio, video, stunning 'drawing-the-user-in' power

Freehand: create professional layouts (and storyboards) for web (flash/fireworks integration is great) or print

Dreamweaver: professional-grade html editor (and also integrates very well with fireworks and flash files). I use it to navigate web folders, view source code, integrate with various outbound environments (testing, production, etc.).

--m

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