I downloaded a website template from hostgator and I'm viewing it in dreamweaver. It consists of 2 different folders - with flash & without flash. The 'with flash' contains .fla & .swf files with text embedded and the 'without flash' contains .jpg & .gif files with text embedded. It doesn't make sense to me that you would have these in a so-called 'template' where you can't customize the text to fit your own site. I read on a previous DP post (now I can't find it) that if you had the flash software (which I don't), you could modify the text in flash files. But is there a way to modify text in a .jpg or .gif file ?? Or does someone know where to get good website templates that don't have text embedded in images ??
Heh, for the normal images, you only need an image editor. There are many free ones out there, the most advanced being GIMP (but takes forever and a day to learn, like Photoshop), as well as simpler ones like Picassa. There is usually an image editor of one sort or another be default on your computer. Any of them that has basic tools will let you change the text-- though this is easiest with a programme that can use layers. For the Flash files, yes, you cannot change the .fla's without Flash. Suxors, but that's how it is. I don't buy templates-- I see a design I like and copy it, writing my own (better) code. The .swf's cannot be changed at all (maybe there's a programme out there that converts the .swf's illegally to some video-editable file), they are the Show-only version of the .fla's. And, even if you know someone with Flash, it's not easy to just jump in and change stuff-- you have to learn Flash too. If you have a Windows machine or a Mac, you could download the free trial of Flash at the macromedia/adobe site. It's good for 30 days. You could try to learn as fast as you can so you can change this one Flash template.
Some flash templates will actually use an XML file to feed the data into the swf. But you are still very restricted to how you can customize the site. The data structure cannot be changed. I had a client that HAD to have a certain template and it just sucked. Sucked for appearance, usability and especially SEO. Stomme poes is right on all counts about you having to learn flash. If the template doesn't have the .fla file, you're stuck using what you have. There are programs that decompile swf files, but I haven't found one that's overly reliable or accurate.
I recommend these places for templates: o Interspire -- http://www.interspire.com o Bravenet -- http://www.bravenet.com o Coffee Cup -- http://www.coffeecup.com