MatchWare Mediator was a popular multimedia authoring tool known for its visual, event-driven approach to creating interactive content. While it natively exported to HTML, Flash, and CD-ROM formats, its “Export to Flash” feature became highly valued by beginners who wanted to create animations, interactive menus, and web games without writing complex ActionScript code.
Here is a complete beginner’s guide to creating Flash content using MatchWare Mediator. What is MatchWare Mediator?
MatchWare Mediator is a visual authoring tool that uses a drag-and-drop timeline and icon-based programming. Instead of typing lines of code, you build projects by arranging objects (like text, images, and videos) on a page and attaching “Events” and “Actions” to them.
When Flash (.SWF) became the standard for web interactivity, Mediator introduced a powerful Flash export engine. This allowed everyday users to create high-quality Flash animations and applications visually, bypassing the steep learning curve of Adobe Flash Professional. Key Features for Flash Creation
Visual Page Layout: Design your interface exactly like a PowerPoint slide or a desktop publishing layout.
Event-Driven Architecture: Create interactivity by assigning triggers (e.g., Mouse Click, Page Load) to specific results (e.g., Play Animation, Go to Page).
Vector and Raster Support: Import standard images or utilize Mediator’s built-in shape tools to keep Flash file sizes small.
Timeline Control: Easily manage complex animations, transitions, and audio synchronization. Step 1: Setting Up Your Flash Project
When you open Mediator, you need to configure your document specifically for web deployment.
Create a New Project: Select File > New and choose a blank project.
Set Page Dimensions: Standard Flash banners or interactive elements usually require specific pixel dimensions (e.g., 800×600 for a mini-game or 728×90 for a leaderboard banner). You can adjust this in the Project Properties panel.
Choose Your Background: Set a solid color, gradient, or import a background image to establish your workspace. Step 2: Adding Objects to the Page
Mediator allows you to populate your project with various multimedia elements via the Insert menu:
Text: Create titles, paragraphs, or interactive input fields.
Images: Import JPEG, PNG, or GIF assets. (Tip: Use transparent PNGs for clean, overlapping layouts).
Shapes: Draw buttons, panels, or borders directly within the software. Step 3: Creating Interactivity (Events & Actions)
The true power of Mediator lies in its intuitive Event/Action system. To make an object interactive: Select the object (for example, a custom button image). Look at the Properties or Events panel. Add an Event (e.g., Mouse Click).
Drag an Action into that event (e.g., Go to Page 2 or Play Sound).
Through this system, you can easily build complex navigation menus, quiz systems, and interactive presentations without ever seeing a line of code. Step 4: Animating Objects
Flash is famous for smooth animations, and Mediator achieves this through its built-in animation properties:
Transitions: Apply entry and exit effects (like fades, slides, and wipes) to text or images when a page loads.
Path Animation: Draw a line on the screen and assign an object to follow that path over a specified number of seconds.
Show/Hide Triggers: Create dynamic pop-up windows by setting objects to be invisible initially, revealing them only when a user interacts with a specific element. Step 5: Exporting to Flash (.SWF)
Once your project is complete, translating it into a Flash file takes just a few clicks.
Go to File > Export (or click the Export icon on the toolbar). Select Flash (.swf) as your target format.
Configure Flash Settings: Optimize your image compression and sound quality. Lower quality settings will result in a smaller file size, which is ideal for faster web loading times. Click Export.
Mediator will generate the .swf file along with an accompanying .html file, allowing you to instantly preview your creation in any browser equipped with a Flash player plug-in. Best Practices for Beginners
Keep File Sizes Low: Flash content relies on fast loading times. Compress large images before importing them into Mediator.
Use Pages Strategically: Instead of cramming everything onto one workspace, break your project into multiple pages (e.g., Home Page, Info Page, Contact Page) to simplify your workflow.
Test Frequently: Use Mediator’s “Run Project” preview feature often to ensure your interactive buttons and animations function exactly as intended before final export. Conclusion
MatchWare Mediator serves as an excellent bridge for beginners looking to design interactive media. By removing the barrier of complex programming languages, it allows creators to focus entirely on layout, design, and user experience—making Flash generation an accessible, visual, and highly rewarding process.
To help you get started on your first multimedia project, let me know:
What type of project are you building? (e.g., a website banner, an interactive presentation, a simple game)
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