Featured Items Flash
Version
1.3.0 (last update on Oct 20, 2011)
Rating
Compatibility
Reviews
1
License
GPLv2 or later
Commercial
Type
Date Added
27 February 2011
Editor's Note
- This extension requires registration to download.
Unlike many Flash extensions, these are fully integrated into the Joomla content management system, so there is no messing about with XML data files, you just choose the articles to display in the module administration. The modules will automatically detect the article images and display them in the slideshow gallery. You can choose to display selected articles, the most recent or randomly selected articles from a category or section, or many other combinations.
The module is also search engine friendly, as the content is initially rendered on your site as html, with the slideshow constructed from this, so search engines can follow the links to your articles as normal.
As well as being compatible with the Joomla core content component, the module supports Mighty Extensions Resources, and the K2 content component. They can integrate with social components such as Community Builder, Mighty Touch and JomSocial, to show images from articles by the currently profiled user.
The display is customizable through the module parameters, it is fully resizable, there is a color picker for the display colors, and a choice of transition effects.
**********News************
Version 1.1.0 adds support for Joomla 2.5
Version 1.2.0 improves the image quality and adds support for the display of multiple images per article
Version 1.3.0 adds support for K2 running on Joomla 2.5
The extension works well and is fairly easy to install and configure. My key gripe is with the resizing algorithm for images that tend to reduce the quality of the flash-rotated image itself. It might well be that the technology required to enhance image resizing is not quite there at our disposal just YET. A generally good module for the purpose put forward.
Owner's reply
Judging from what you say, I think your comments apply to the Featured Items Flash 3D module not this one: http://www.spiralscripts.co.uk/Extension-Examples/featured-items-flash-3d-example.html.
Basically you are right, rotating and animating the image can cause a bit of drop in quality, this is due to the limitations of the algorithm. I spent some time looking for a cure for this, there is not a quick fix for it. You can reduce the problem by making sure it is a good quality image to start with, also introducing a slight blur into the image, and reducing the contrast can help.
I think your rating is somewhat unfair based on this fact alone, with a bit of tweaking of the image it is generally possible to get a pretty good effect.
