FAQ
Frequently asked questions
“Is the Flash CMS built with Flash?”
Yes. Otherwise it would not be possible to use the exact same fonts, font sizes, textfield sizes as in your final website while editing.
“Who is the Flash CMS designed for?”
It targets the flash designer/developer who creates full flash websites where design is crucial (fonts, font sizes, font colors, picture sizes etc.). You have full control of what the final user is going to see: From a simple “one textfield only” to a large, multi-language setup with loads of pictures and different content versions.
“What system is required?”
It requires MySQL > 4.1 and PHP > 5. For uploading pictures, the imagemagick plugin is preferred, but it also works with the GD Library.
“My flash website is already built. Can I still use the Flash CMS?”
Yes. You don’t have to start from scratch and build your website upon a special CMS framework.
“Why is it a backend solution?”
As a backend solution, the Flash CMS is completely decoupled from your flash website. This is a core feature of this CMS: you are free to build your websites the way you like and connect the Flash CMS later.
“Why not using XML to store the content?”
MySQL is much faster than XML, especially when you search and filter data. And by using MySQL it is a piece of cake to have a picture gallery that contains hundreds of pictures, whereas in XML it gets really slow if you try to handle 50 pictures in one XML file.
XML is used where it makes more sense: to define the Flash CMS menu bar and the slot layouts.
“What ActionScript version is used?”
The current version of the Flash CMS is written in AS2. But as it is a backend solution, you can build your website using AS3. In fact, at the time being, the code that loads the content into your website is written in AS3, so your site has to be in AS3. It would be possible to port the loader class to AS2, but I will only do this if there is a strong request.
“What language is supported?”
The ServiceCenter (which only you have to handle, not your clients) is english. The CMS menu (”File”, “Edit”, etc.) is defined by you in an XML file, so you can use whatever you like. The rest is stored in two XML files (language0.xml for german and language1.xml for english). If you like you can create a new one in french or italian! 
“Can my clients add new pages and navigation menu items?”
No. But it also would not make sense, because you control the final website. If your client needs more content pages, it is a matter of a view minutes for you to add them, in your website and in the Flash CMS. Remember, the Flash CMS is not created for the final user but for you as the designer/developer.
“What does it cost?”
The Flash CMS costs € 69.00 for the basic version and € 159.00 for the full version. It is licensed per domain.
“Why is it not Open Source?”
Simply put: If it was open source, I could not spend that much time on it. It would freeze in this state.
The price is ridiculous if you think of how much more value your clients get and how much time you can save. It’s up to you how much you charge your clients for the CMS, but it will definitly be more than € 159.00!
“Is a demo version available?”
Yes. In fact, it is not a demo version but a full version with some restrictions. If you buy it later on, you don’t have to re-install anything. You will get an additional file which you upload to your server.
“Do I get assistance from you?”
Just ask me if you need help. Show me your current project, what has to be editable, and I can setup the Flash CMS and create the so called slots for you. Remember: Once you have your first Flash CMS up and running, the second one will be a snap!
More Questions?
Let me know!
Cheers,
Christian
