FilmStrip banner

Preview:

The IAB Filmstrip enables enhanced creative story-telling capabilities within a single ad creative. Advertisers submit just one300x600 Filmstrip with five different segments. The Filmstrip is then served through the IAB UAP 300x600. Simple engagementfeatures – scroll, click, hover, and touch – allow the user to explore all 5 segments of the 300x600 creative. Component is provided only in Action Script 3 version.

Filmstrip can moves down one subsequent frame one of three ways:
a) End user interacts with 300x600 area and navigating to another page that serves the same unit
b) End user uses the scroll wheel on their mouse or horizontal browser bar
c) End user manually clicks on the next frame button at bottom of 300x600

1. Make 5 swf panels with content. It is highly recomended to read the specs before creating panels.

2. Create the main Filmstrip swf file:

     a) Create new standard banner file with dimensions 300x600
     b) Drag the Adform Filmstrip component on the stage from components panel:



     c) Customize available settings and graphic appearance of the component:


 

     Animation Time (s) - Specify the duration of scroll animation in seconds. (0.6 by default)
     Motion Blur - Enable/Disbale (true/false) motion blur. (true by default)

      d) Export the swf file
      e) Prepare settings.xml file according to following example:

<root>
      <filmstrip>
        <panel source="Panel1.swf">
          <previousText></previousText>
          <nextText>Goto Slide 2</nextText>
        </panel>
        <panel source="Panel2.swf">
          <previousText>Goto Slide 1</previousText>
          <nextText>Goto Slide 3</nextText>
        </panel>
        <panel source="Panel3.swf">
          <previousText>Goto Slide 2</previousText>
          <nextText>Goto Slide 4</nextText>
        </panel>
        <panel source="Panel4.swf">
          <previousText>Goto Slide 3</previousText>
          <nextText>Goto Slide 5</nextText>
        </panel>
        <panel source="Panel5.swf">
          <previousText>Goto Slide 4</previousText>
          <nextText></nextText>
        </panel>
      </filmstrip>
    </root>

     f) Test the banner

Note: filmstrip component size - 21285 bytes.

Note: for uploading such banners please contact technical@adform.net

Banner templates

Once the banner is created you are can save this banner as a template by clicking Project --> Save as template  in the top meniu:

Then enter the template name and it will be added to Adform Creative Toolkit templates list.

For creating banner from templates follow to Project --> Create from template  in top meniu. You can select either custom templates or Adform's templates.. Simply select the required template, enter a project name and click the „Create“ button. Among Adform templates are the most common rich media banner types (e.g. Expanding + Video, Standard Polite and etc.). These are listed under the „Adform Templates“ tab (image below):

 

Widget banner

Social Medias and Networks are inseparable from modern peoples’ lives. The main difference from standard Medias and Networks is the fact that users can decide what content goes on the Social site. What is more important, people share multimedia, articles, news from around the Web with friends, colleagues. This makes the content even more noticeable.

Adform Widget Banners allow you to increase the target audience by making it possible for Web surfers to share banners on their Social Medias and Networks. This in turn will generate more traffic to the Advertiser site and increase the return on investment – it can all be monitored by using Adform Reporting tools.

Below you will find detailed instructions on how to create widget banners.

Note: currently widget feature is availabe for standard, video, floating, expanding and tear back banners.

1. Follow to Content --> Widget in top Menu.

2. Now you are ready to set up a widget:

3. Section “Details”:

Sharing ad:

  • None– current project banner won’t have widget.
  • New– Adform Toolkit will create new standard banner which will be shared (default dimensions - 300x250).
  • This ad– current project banner will share itself (available only when banner is Standard or Video type).

Title (required)– shared application name which will be the default title suggested to the user on networks that support such titles.

Description (optional) - this string will be used as the description of the widget where appropriate (e.g.  when posting on Facebook newsfeed the content of this parameter is added to the description field in the share dialog).

Preview image (optional) - an image that will be used as your widget's preview image on all the networking sites which support such previews (such as Facebook). By default, if this parameter is not set, Wildfire will automatically create a preview for your widget.

4. Section „Destinations“:

Note: it may take several seconds to update the widget in the preview window after you have made any changes. Also, the preview window is not available for Flash version CS3 under Windows OS.

5. In the „Layout“ section you are able to customize several options related to widget objects: social network logos, code box and etc.

6. In the section „Themes“ you are able to change widget visual appearance: select and edit default themes.

Note: you are allowed to change widget’s background color only if “Classic” theme is selected.

7. Click „Save & Exit“ button, Adform widget component and share button will appear on the stage:

8. Once compiled, you will be able to share the banner across supported social Medias and networks by clicking on the “SHARE” button:

Note: whenever user interacts with a widget component, it automatically fires a report event to Adform backend.

9. When banner is finished it can be tested (clicking button “Preview) or ZIP file created for uploading to Adform system (clicking button “Export”).

10. More info about widget component can be found here.

Tear back banner

Tear Back Flash Banners (also known as Peel Back Banners) consist of two Flash files. A collapsed Flash banner resides in the upper right or left corner of the web page. When the user clicks on the collapsed banner, it tears down the page to reveal the full expanded banner. There are no limitations for the size or content of both – collapsed and expanded banners. Below you will find instructions for creating Tear Back Flash Banners.

1. When creating a tear back banner you will first be asked to define some details:

  • Enter project and banner (collapsed and expanded) names
  • Set project and banner (collapsed and expanded) locations
  • Choose ActionScript version
  • Set normal and expanded banners dimensions
  • Select/deselect default clicktag (more info about this option can be found here)

2. The second dialog asks for settings:

  • Position: banner position in the page.
  • Wmode: available transparent, opaque or window.
  • With Landing page target, a landing page can be opened in a new or the same window or frame.
  • Expand type: banner peels away either on roll over or click.
  • Collapse type: banner closes either on roll out or by clicking the Close button.
  • Auto show after: time period in seconds when the banner should auto-show and/or auto-close.

3. The methods of creating and assigning actions are the same as for Standard banners. In case the Tear Back banners must have close buttons, Adform Creative Toolkit inserts such button automatically.

4. When the banner is finished it can be tested (by clicking the “Preview" button). ZIP file can be created to upload to the Adform system (by clicking the“Export” button).

Polite banner

Heavy rich media banners can significantly slow down the loading of the Media site. Therefore creative agencies have less creative freedom. As a solution, Adform recommends using polite banners. Polite banners allow the campaign banner to be almost unlimited weight as a flash file of very little weight replaces the original banner during the Media site loading.

1. Follow to Content --> Polite mode.

2. Once the Polite mode dialog is opened, there are three options:

  • None – the banner will not be of polite type
  • ActionScript – the creative toolkit generates the actionscript code:

The main idea of this code is that there is implemented event listener function and when a page is fully loaded - function handlePageLoaded is called. This method is very useful for video banners – to start video streaming only when page is fully loaded.

  • JavaScript – this method is based on such scenario: when page is loading – light weight image file is displayed and when page is fully loaded – the main SWF banner replaces image. Currently only images may be polite source.

4. When the banner is finished it can be tested (clicking the button “Preview) .ZIP file will created to upload to the Adform system (clicking the button “Export”)

Dynamic content banner

Adform Creative Toolkit allows creating a universal Flash banner which can dynamically change according to content definitions in Adform system. When using ad messages, there is no need to physically alter the banners when the changes need to be applied to text or graphics. Below you will find detailed instructions on how to create banners with dynamic content.

Note: currently dynamic content feature is availabe for standard, floating, expanding and tear back banners. Also synchronized banners are not allowed to have dynamic content.

Important! Dynamic content objects must go throughout the whole banner timeline.

Dynamic text

1. Create dynamic text field and give it an instance name (e.g. TestField):

2. Follow to Content --> Ad Message:

3. Assign values to textfields and click Save:

4. When banner is finished it can be tested (clicking button “Preview) or ZIP file created to upload to Adform system (clicking button “Export”).  Later in Adform system it's allowed to change values of dynamic text fields.

Dynamic graphics

1. Create a MovieClip object and give it an instance name (e.g. TestGraphics):

2. Follow to Content --> Ad Message.

3. Assign values to MovieClip objects and click Save :

Note: image will not be stretched if it has bigger size than assigned MovieClip.

4. When banner is finished it can be tested (clicking button “Preview) or ZIP file created to upload to Adform system (clicking button “Export”). Then in Adform system it is availabe to change values of dynamic graphics.

Dynamic fonts embedding

When you specify a font for a TextField in your application, Flash Player looks for a device font (a font that resides on the user's computer) with the same name. If it doesn't find that font on the user's system, or if the user has a slightly different version of a font with that name, the text display could look very different from what you intended.

The main limitation to using embedded fonts is that embedded fonts increase the file size or download size of your banner. To lessen banner size, fonts should be loaded dynamically.

Loading fonts dinamically

1. Follow to Content --> Ad Message and select tab „Font assets“.

2. „Font assets“ window shows you already created font assets: names and sizes.

3. Click button „Create new“:

4. Click the „Create“ button.

5. A new Font asset has been added to the „Font Asset“ list. Now it is possible to delete existing font assets or create new ones.

6. When banner is finished, you must Export the project and upload project ZIP file to Adform (more info about project export in section „Banner export“).

Video Extender

Preview:

Video Extender is a single file Expanding banner format with dragging possibilty (officially supported by MSN). it is possible to expand/extend the banner by simply dragging the button placed on a banner's corner.

Note: currently video extender feature is possible only in Single Expanding banners made with ActionScript 2

1. Create AS2 Single Expanding project (more info about creating Single Expanding banner can be found here)

2. Set the SingleExpanding settings:

  • Expand - custom
  • Collapse - custom
  • Auto show after - 0
  • Auto hide after - 0
  • Expanding delay - 0
  • Expand animation - Any except "None"
  • Collapse animation - Any except "None"
  • wmode - transparent
  • With Landing page target, a landing page can be opened in a new or the same window or frame.

3. Add any content to the banner: graphics, Adform Video Player and etc.

4. Drag ExtenderButton component to the stage:

5. Setup properties of Extender in "Componet Parameters" panel:

  • Button Align - select position of Extend Button
  • Video Containers - enter an instance name of Video container which must be extended

6. Add custom code or events if needed (see ExtendButton component page)

7. The methods of creating and assigning actions are the same as for Standard banners.

8. When banner is finished it can be tested (clicking button “Preview) or ZIP file created to upload to Adform system (clicking button “Export”).

Video Cube

Adform presents new Rich Media type: Video Cube. It consists of two banners:

  • Initial banner
  • Video cube panel

Initial banner is a regular banner and when user rolls over it – there appears video cube panel in the centre of the page. This banner displays rotating video cube which may have different video or standard banners on each panel. Clicking on each panel starts to play banner. Clicking button “Return” stops playing banner – video cube is rotating again. Button "X" closes video cube panel and initial banner is displayed.

1. When creating a video cube banner you will first be asked to define some general settings:

  • Enter project, initial banner and cube panel names
  • Set project, initial banner and cube panel locations
  • Set banner and cube panel dimensions

2. The second dialog asks for video cube settings:

  • Wmode: available transparent, opaque or window.
  • With Landing page target, a landing page can be opened in a new or the same window or frame.
  • Plane size: the size of rotating cube planes.
  • Rotation strenght: strenght of cube rotation.
  • Plane distance: space between cube planes in pixels.
  • Zoom amount: this number defines how many times a video cube plane is zoomed once selected.

Note: these settings will be available for edit later under Attributes > Preferences.

3. After saving these settings you are able to create and assign actions (please see page 6).

4. To assign video or standard banners for specific video cube plane, please follow to Content --> Planes (image below):

3. Then enter cube plane title and choose video or standard banner (select .adf type files from  „Adform Creative Toolkit“ projects. Banner must be made with ActionScript 3):

6. The banner can be tested by clicking the “Preview” button and when it’s finished - ZIP file can be created to upload to Adform system (by clicking the “Export” button).

Two files Expanding banner

1. When creating an expanding banner from two files you will first be asked to define some details:

  • Select the Expanding banner type.
  • Enter project and banner (collapsed and expanded) names
  • Set project and banner (collapsed and expanded) locations
  • Choose the ActionScript version
  • Set normal and expanded banners dimensions
  • Select/deselect a default clicktag (more info about this option can be found here). If the Default ClickTag field is left blank, the banner will be created without a clickTAG.

2. Under the Settings tab, select the following options:

Expand behavior – select type of expanding banner. Possible choices:

  • Normal – regular expanding banner
  • Pushdown – site content will be moved down on banner expansion
  • Side-kick – site content is moved to right or left on banner expansion (check banner preview)
  • Floating – collapsed panel will be as Floating banner. When such type is chosen it is a must to set banner's position on the page. Also it is possible to close collapsed panel - more info about it at paragraph 4th of this page
  • TakeOver(MSN) – banner which meets MSN specs for expanding banners

Expand direction - select direction of banner expansion. If you select position "Custom" you are able to set specific position (in pixels) of Expanded part by simply entering X and Y values.

Clicking the Edit in Browser button will open new window in your browser where you will be able to preview and change Expanding banner position.

Wmode and Banner align – select possible values.

Expand Type – select action which triggers banner expansion. Possible choices:

  • RollOver
  • Click
  • Custom – more about this condition in 3rd paragraph of this page

Collapse Type – select action which triggers banner retraction. Possible choices:

  • RollOut
  • Custom - if banner has default Adform Close button then banner will collapse only on this button click. In other case please read 3rd paragraph of this page

Auto show after (s) – if banner needs to expand automatically on page load set time period in seconds when banner should expand. Minimum possible value – 0.1

Auto close after (s) – this feature works only when Auto Show after value is not zero.

Expand delay (s) –expand delay in seconds, usually it‘s zero.

Expand time (s) (active only when Side-kick or Pushdown type is selected) – expand animation duration in seconds, usually it‘s zero.

Collapse time (s) (active only when Side-kick or Pushdown type is selected) – collapse animation duration in seconds, usually it‘s zero.

With Landing page target, a landing page can be opened in a new or the same window or frame.

 

Keep collapsed source visible if it's enabled then the initial collapsed content of the banner will be visible on expand as well.

Enable Side Kick animation (active only when Side-kick type is selected)if it's disabled then banner expands instantly. Otherwise, banner is hidden under the mask which expansion can be animated too.

Finally, click the Create button.

3. If you need banner to expand/collapse on specific action, you should call such functions:

Expand:

a) In case you are using ActionScript 2:

import flash.external.ExternalInterface;

this.expandButton.onRelease = function():Void
{
  try
  {
       ExternalInterface.call('ADFExpand',_root.adId);
  }
  catch (e:Error)
  {
  }
};

b) In case you are using ActionScript 3:

import flash.external.ExternalInterface;
btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, onClick);
function onClick(e:MouseEvent):void
{
        try{
                   ExternalInterface.call('ADFExpand',
                   LoaderInfo(stage.loaderInfo).parameters.adId);
        }catch (e:Error) { };
}

Collapse:

a) In case you are using ActionScript 2:

import flash.external.ExternalInterface;

this.closeButton.onRelease = function():Void
{
  try
  {
       ExternalInterface.call('ADFClose',_root.adId);
  }
  catch (e:Error)
  {
  }
};

b) In case you are using ActionScript 3:

import flash.external.ExternalInterface;
btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, onClick);
function onClick(e:MouseEvent):void
{
          try{
                 ExternalInterface.call('ADFClose',
                 LoaderInfo(stage.loaderInfo).parameters.adId);
          }catch (e:Error) { };
}

4. If expanding banner is Floating type then it is possible to close collapsed panel by calling such function:

a) In case you are using ActionScript 2:

import flash.external.ExternalInterface;

this.closeButton.onRelease = function():Void
{
  try
  {
       ExternalInterface.call('ADFSuperClose',_root.adId);
  }
  catch (e:Error)
  {
  }
};

b) In case you are using ActionScript 3:

import flash.external.ExternalInterface;
btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, onClick);
function onClick(e:MouseEvent):void
{
          try{
                 ExternalInterface.call('ADFSuperClose',
                 LoaderInfo(stage.loaderInfo).parameters.adId);
          }catch (e:Error) { };
}

5. The methods of creating and assigning actions are the same as for Standard banners. In case that Expanding banners must have close buttons, „Adform Creative Toolkit“ inserts such button automatically.

6. When banner is finished it can be tested (clicking button “Preview) or ZIP file created to upload to Adform system (clicking button “Export”).

Single file Expanding banner

1. When creating a single file expanding banner you will first be asked to define some details and settings:

  • Enter the project and banner names
  • Set the project and banner locations
  • Choose ActionScript version
  • Set the expanded banners dimensions (collapsed banner dimensions will be set in the Adform System)
  • Enter/clear a default clicktag (more info about this option can be found here). If the Default ClickTag field is left blank, banner will be created without a clickTAG.

2. Under the Settings tab, enter the following information:

Expand behavior – select type of expanding banner. Possible choices:

  • Normal – regular expanding banner
  • Pushdown – site content will be moved down on banner expansion
  • Side-kick – site content is moved to right or left on banner expansion (check banner preview)
  • Floating – collapsed panel will be as Floating banner. When such type is chosen it is a must to set banner's position on the page. Also it is possible to close collapsed panel - more info about it at paragraph 6th of this page.

Wmode and Banner align – select possible values.

With Landing page target, a landing page can be opened in a new or the same window or frame.

Expand – select action which triggers banner expansion. Possible choices:

  • rollOver
  • click
  • custom – more about this condition in 4th paragraph below in this page

Collapse – select action which triggers banner retraction. Possible choices:

  • rollOut
  • custom - if banner has default Adform Close button then banner will collapse only on this button click. In other case please read 3rd paragraph below in this page

Auto show after (s) – if banner needs to expand automatically on page load set time period in seconds when banner should expand. Minimum possible value – 0.1

Auto close after (s) – this feature works only when Auto Show after value is not zero.

Expand delay (s) –expand delay in seconds, usually it‘s zero.

Expand time (s) – expand animation duration in seconds, usually it‘s zero.

Collapse time (s) –collapse animation duration in seconds, usually it‘s zero.

Expand animationdefines which animation to use when banner is expanding. If “None” is selected then user has to define animation himself.

Collapse animationdefines which animation to use when banner is collapsing. If “None” is selected then user has to define animation himself.

Enable Side Kick animation (active only when Side-kick type is selected)if it's disabled then banner expands instantly. Otherwise, banner is hidden under the mask which expansion can be animated too.

When ready, click the Create button.

3. Adform Creative Toolkit automatically drags and drops SingleExpanding component to the stage's top-left corner. It takes area and position equal to collapsed.

E.g. if you are creating expanding banner 160x600 to 300x600 and expanding direction - "left", you must change SingleExpanding component's position as follows:

4. If you need banner to expand/collapse on specific action, you should call such functions (when Expand behaviour is set to custom):

Expand:

a) In case you are using ActionScript 2:

import flash.external.ExternalInterface;

this.expandButton.onRelease = function():Void
{
  try
  {
       ExternalInterface.call('ADFExpand',_root.adId);
  }
  catch (e:Error)
  {
  }
};

b) In case you are using ActionScript 3:

import flash.external.ExternalInterface;
btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, onClick);
function onClick(e:MouseEvent):void
{
        try{
                   ExternalInterface.call('ADFExpand',
                   LoaderInfo(stage.loaderInfo).parameters.adId);
        }catch (e:Error) { };
}

Collapse:

a) In case you are using ActionScript 2:

import flash.external.ExternalInterface;

this.closeButton.onRelease = function():Void
{
  try
  {
       ExternalInterface.call('ADFClose',_root.adId);
  }
  catch (e:Error)
  {
  }
};

b) In case you are using ActionScript 3:

import flash.external.ExternalInterface;
btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, onClick);
function onClick(e:MouseEvent):void
{
          try{
                 ExternalInterface.call('ADFClose',
                 LoaderInfo(stage.loaderInfo).parameters.adId);
          }catch (e:Error) { };
}

5. Also it is possible to listen expanding events:

  • EXPAND_START - when banners starts to expand
  • EXPAND_END - when banner stops to expand
  • EXPAND_UPDATE - while banner is expanding
  • COLLAPSE_START - when banners starts to collapse
  • COLLAPSE _END - when banner stops to collapse
  • COLLAPSE _UPDATE - while banner is collapsing

More info and examples can be found here.

6. If expanding banner is Floating type then it is possible to close collapsed panel by calling such function:

a) In case you are using ActionScript 2:

import flash.external.ExternalInterface;

this.closeButton.onRelease = function():Void
{
  try
  {
       ExternalInterface.call('ADFSuperClose',_root.adId);
  }
  catch (e:Error)
  {
  }
};

b) In case you are using ActionScript 3:

import flash.external.ExternalInterface;
btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, onClick);
function onClick(e:MouseEvent):void
{
          try{
                 ExternalInterface.call('ADFSuperClose',
                 LoaderInfo(stage.loaderInfo).parameters.adId);
          }catch (e:Error) { };
}

7. The methods for creating and assigning actions are the same as for Standard banners. In case Expanding banners should have close buttons, „Adform Creative Toolkit“ inserts this button automatically.

8. When the banner is finished it can be tested (clicking the button “Preview). The ZIP file created by clicking the button “Export” can be uploaded to the Adform system