BannerZest Flash animation tool released

Aquafadas has released BannerZest 1.0, a new Flash presentation application for Mac OS X. The tool allows creators to turn images into a gallery, a navigation banner, or a slideshow in a series of steps. BannerZest ships as both a standard edition and a pro version. The pro edition adds advanced publishing options, workflow enhancements, and specific Pro templates. The tool integrates with popular javascript media viewer applications that let the user visualize high resolution versions of each of the banner images.

Aquafadas says "Flash-based animations require zero understanding of Flash and in fact, users don't even need to own Flash. Everything has been pre-integrated into the BannerZest application."

Uploading content via FTP or to a .Mac account is supported from within the BannerZest application. To integrate a banner on a page, users paste a code snippet that BannerZest automatically generates.

The tool requires Mac OS X Version 10.4.11 Tiger or later, is a Universal Binary for PowerPC and Intel and needs Flash Player version 9.0.45 or above.

A single user license for BannerZest Pro is priced at $130. Standard is priced $50.

Source : http://www.macnn.com/

How do I… Use Flash animation to duplicate the marquee tag effect?

Most Web designers and developers are glad that the marquee tag is dead and buried. However, if you have a boss or a client that is insistent upon using the marquee tag in a Web site, you do have an option that allows for a lot more control in the looks and functionality of a line of scrolling text. CSS can’t help us here unless you incorporate a rather knotty chunk of JavaScript, so I’ll show you how to create the marquee tag effect using animation and a few lines of ActionScript in Flash CS3.

The marquee tag is one of the more infamous HTML tags. It was a tag that was never fully supported by the W3C. As the name implies, text enclosed by the marquee tag scrolled from right to left when displayed in a Web browser. It was only supported by earlier versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer and was incompatible with Netscape. However, IE7 will still display the tag, as will recent versions of Firefox and Safari.

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To be or not to be Flash

Should your website be in Flash or in HTML? The answer can make a difference to your business.

Flash Pros:

There are many compelling reasons for getting your website designed in Adobe/Macromedia Flash. Flash presentations are cool, have pizzazz and are great multimedia experiences.

• Animations:
  Flash websites are ideal for such businesses as real estate that need to show moving panoramic views, virtual tours of a property, or stages of development from the plans morphing to a finished apartment building. Real estate presentations are often for a short period, the time it's expected to take to sell the property. The real estate agent sends the visitors to the website and doesn't depend on casual searchers finding it on Google.

Flash animations are good for demonstrations of moving parts, or of tutorials. In fact anything requiring animation is often best produced using Flash.

• Multimedia:
  Videos display on websites better if converted to Flash. Visitors are not asked to download a pluggin for thier browser.

Flash files usually take some time to load, but this is not a problem if a visitor has been directed to look at the Flash website for a reason. Maybe the visitor has already expressed an interest in the subject of the presentation, e.g. a real estate property, and wants more detail. Maybe the visitor wants to see a tutorial, or a demonstration. Such visitors are captive audiences so they do anticipate the wait.

Flash Cons:

• Slow loading:
  Visitors who are not captive audiences, are often not prepared to wait for Flash files to load, or are frustrated by the wait. Some websites are totally in Flash, even moving from one web page to another taking much time. Some visitors may make the choice to not wait and are then lost to the website.
• Search engine listing:
  Search engines index websites on the words in the website's text. If the words are in graphic format (such as a Flash SWF file) instead of text format, then search engines cannot see them. If you can't copy and paste the words from the browser into Notepad or Word, then the text can't be read by search engines either.
• Search engine ranking:
  Search engines rank websites on their order of relevance to a visitor's search query. If a website has little or no text then it is not as relevant as websites with a lot of text. Such websites need a great number of other websites linking to them, often hundreds, in order to be ranked as relevant to a search.

We know of a business owner who insisted, against his designer's advice, on his website being totally in Flash. He was jubilant when it did appear on Google as a new site for three weeks. His jubilance turned to despair when the website then disappeared out of sight.

Javascript can display movement, fade in photos and slide shows. CSS and javascript provide good navigation systems. We use Flash in websites, but only to animate something which needs animation and which won't delay loading the home page. We never replace text with Flash.

Conclusions:

• If the website needs animation, but is aimed at visitors who are directed there by specific marketing, a real estate display, a technical demonstration, or tutorial, then there are good technical reasons for the website to be built in Flash.
• If the website needs animation, but is aimed at visitors searching the web, then only the animation should be in Flash. The home page especially should not be in Flash, but should have all the text required for a search engine's indexing.
• Who are the targets of the website? Captive audiences don't mind waiting. Casual searchers may quit waiting and go look for other 'user friendly' websites.

About the Author
Ken McKay is an Australian website designer for small businesses. More information on web design is available at platypus websites - www.platywebs.com.au

Play a Macromedia Flash animation in PowerPoint

If you have an animated graphic that was created with Macromedia Flash and saved as a Shockwave® file (.swf file extension), you should be able to play it in a PowerPoint presentation using a specific ActiveX control and the Macromedia Flash Player. To run the Flash file, you add an ActiveX control to the PowerPoint slide and create a link from it to the Flash file. You also have the option of embedding the file in the presentation.

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The Difference Between Flash and Shockwave

Flash and Shockwave software applications cover a lot of the same ground, and they are produced by the same company, but there are a few significant differences. Most of these are directly related to the origins of the two file formats. Director, the software application used to create Shockwave files, has been around for a long time, longer than the Internet in its current form. It was originally developed to create dynamic content for CD-ROMs, and it is still used for this purpose. As dynamic content has become more popular on the Internet, however, updated versions of Director have included more features that tailor Shockwave files for use on the Web.

Flash, on the other hand, was built from the ground up for use on the Web. Macromedia adapted Flash from Future Splash Animator, a vector art animation program. Macromedia's version was tailored specifically for transmission over phone line connections. So at their heart, Flash and Shockwave have two different specialties. Consequently, they have a number of contrasting strengths and weaknesses:

• Flash files load more quickly than Shockwave files.
  
• Shockwave is more versatile. You can create more complex games, more elaborate interactivity and more detailed animation.
  
• You can use more types of files with Shockwave. You could, for example, import a Flash file into a Shockwave movie, but it doesn't work the other way around.
  
• Flash is more universal. More than 90 percent of Web users have the Flash plug-in installed, while a little less than 60 percent have the Shockwave plug-in.
  
• Flash creation software is cheaper. Director costs a little less than $1,000, while Flash costs about $400.
  
• Flash is an open-source format. Anybody can see how it works and is free to adapt it for their own purposes. Director uses a compiled file format, so it is extremely difficult to modify the program.

With each software update, the two formats move closer and closer together. Shockwave has better Web capability with each version, and Flash gets more versatile. Eventually, the two formats will probably be merged into one comprehensive format that encompasses the best qualities of each.

Source : http://computer.howstuffworks.com/web-animation6.htm

Protecting flash source code

SWF Protect v1.6

No artist whether a singer, painter or even a writer likes to have his/her work stolen and reproduced with minor changes and then claimed as an original by the unscrupulous usurper. But at least in the real world, brick and mortar environment, an artist can at least get his grievances addressed, and get duly compensated for his or work. There are pretty stringent laws like intellectual property rights to that protect works of art and culture against plagiarism and theft. So some policies and laws are there to protect the works of artists and musician, which makes plagiarists and copycats a little weary of stealing works of other people.

But this however, is restricted only to the offline environment. Log onto to the net, and you will realize the absolute wilderness you have entered. The rich bounties information and art are there for the taking. It's a complete free for all and nobody gives a damn, as to whose work he is lifting. Downloading images and animations form the net is as easy as 1-2-3…. So there nothing one to protect his/her works. Legally speaking, there is very little one can do to protect his or her prized works. So if you are so keen to protect your creations, then just keep them away from the net. But by doing this, you will be effectively depriving millions of people from appreciating your talent. Appreciation that could have earned you thousands perhaps hundred of thousands in income, the problem here is that by displaying your work on the net, makes it vulnerable to theft.

So if you have designed an excellent flash based site or beautiful animation to drive up the amount of traffic to your website, it won't take long for crooked souls to steal your flash source make a few minor changes and pander them as their own. There's nothing you would be able to do prevent the travesty. With flash decompiling software programs so easily and readily availing, even a complete novice can rob you of your creations and your countless hours of hard labor, money and talent will be drained away in a jiffy.

But there are a few things you can do to protect your flash animations. All you have to do is to encrypt your animations in such a way, that they can't be decompiled and reused. For doing this, you can use the SWF Protect v1.6. It's a powerful and unique software that will encrypt your flash pages so perfectly that any attempt to download and reuse it will be thwarted. Moreover, encrypting an average flash file takes little less than ten seconds

It's very easy to use the software. And once you have encrypted your flash animations and images, you can upload them on your website, without any fear of them being lifted or stolen. It's practically impossible to lift flash images that have been encrypted with SWF Protect v1.6. Anybody who tries to use decompiling software will only down a pile of utter gibberish and nonsense; which will be absolutely of no use to them whatsoever. With this software you can easily beat powerful and commonly used decompilers like ASV 5.21, SWF Decompiler 3.6 Build 70208, Imperator °FLA v3.5.1 and several others. SWF Protect v1.6. is perfectly compatible Macromedia Flash 8. It is truly an amazing software, priced so modestly that you won't have to think twice, before purchasing them.

Paul
Swfprotect.net

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Title Pros and Cons of Using a Flash Web Site

Almost anyone can build web sites, but if you want to catch the attention of your web visitors, you may want to consider using a flash web site. A flash web site can deliver an interactive experience to the user by incorporating different elements like motion, sound, graphics, and video.

Flash web site development has come a long way since its inception in 1996. Seven out of the ten most popular sites on the web incorporate flash, and more than half a million web designers and developers regularly use flash to build web sites. But like everything, there are pros and cons to using a flash web site.

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DreamWorks Animation Reports Second Quarter 2007 Financial Results

For the quarter ended June 30, 2007, DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. reported total revenue of $222.5 million and net income of $61.8 million, or $0.60 per share on a fully diluted basis. This compares to revenue of $74.9 million and net income of $13.7 million, or $0.13 per share on a fully diluted basis, for the same period in 2006.

"The strong financial quarter was driven primarily by the performance of Shrek the Third, which was the biggest domestic opening for an animated film in the history of the movie industry," commented Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks Animation's CEO. "Despite the unprecedented level of competition, the film's blockbuster success demonstrated the strength of our flagship property and the value of the Company's overall franchise strategy."

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Flash Design for a More Dynamic Web Presence

If you have been running with a basic website since the inception of your online presence, you may want to look into developing something a bit more dynamic. Today’s World Wide Web is full of competitors. Your competition is doing what you are doing on the web, but they may be doing it better. The key is to stay up on the latest technology and to not be afraid to try new things on your site. Obviously, you want to do a bit of market research before you plunge ahead with an entire new set up, but if you get together with any of the fine Denver flash development experts available, you can get some wonderful ideas for how to do a lot on your website with a few changes.

Flash design has been around for a while now, though most website owners who are not computer professionals do not really know what it is. You may have downloaded the Macromedia Flash Player for free in order to see movie previews, company presentations, or music videos, but you may not be familiar with flash technology beyond that daily use. Flash development, Denver web design, or systems development teams are all capable of telling you more about flash.

Basically, your website is probably written in HTML, a code that is used to tell the computer what to display on the screen. There are other codes gaining popularity now, but the older ones are still constructed with HTML. This code language allows the computer to display images and text in a static manner. In other words, you can display an article or a photograph, but not a cartoon or a moving title. HTML is limited to fixed positions.

If you want a more dynamic site, you need to move beyond this language and enter the world of flash. So many websites online include some form of flash today that it is unusual for a large company not to have something in motion somewhere in the site. You can make text, images, and animations move around on the screen. But this is just the beginning.

Before flash really took hold, programmers used GIF images or java applets to create movement on the screen. GIF images are simply loops of the same images played over and over, and they take forever to load. Java applets are very limited in how they can be used and tend to come with some inherent kinks, such as limited color variability.

But Denver flash development firms can now take you to the next level, by allowing you to play movies, virtual animation, and other dynamic elements on your site. That’s because flash is interactive. Your client can point the mouse at flash animation and make it stop or start, can click and drag it somewhere, or even add to it if the program allows for that. In fact, flash movies are actually easier to create than java applets but allow for much more interactivity.

Flash movies also work with up to 256 colors, the standard for online full-color images. And although the original movies seemed to take forever to load, now that almost all internet users are online with a high speed connection, the flash movies load faster than the old GIF animations.

So talk to a professional flash developer today about how you can make your customers’ online experience more dynamic.

Mr. Morris-Reeves runs NewMediaDenver,an Internet technology company located in downtown Denver, Colorado.Mr. Morris-Reeves is highly respected SEO Expert since 10 years, and he constantly develops and stays current with all the latest SEO and Link Building Techniques.

Flash Templates - Perfect impression with flash templates

Flash is one of the latest technologies to span the globe. As most internet browsers, as well as operating systems, now have flash players equipped, it seems only logical to put a little sparkle into any company website. This is not always as fool-proof as it seems, however. While Flash is a valuable aspect of a website for most individuals or companies, there are some who should consider the decision carefully.

What are Alex Shah is a freelance writer at NxtDomains.com Software and Services which provides Flash Templates ?

Most small businesses who want to incorporate Flash into a website use Flash Templates . These templates are great timesaving, budget friendly measures that greatly simplify website design. All web templates are basic outlines containing design aspects for a website. The uniqueness of the Flash templates is in the actual animated portions of the design.

Flash Templates modify like any other web template, but require additional customization to ensure the Flash portions contain relevant company information. The templates are available through numerous online sources, and the low cost and ease of modification make them the preferred means of designing a professional quality, animated website.

Who Needs a Flash Template?

Most websites benefit tremendously from the Flash elements obtained through the templates. Personal websites, websites in the many of the service industries, adult websites, gaming websites, search engines, and many more are greatly enhanced by the features these templates offer. The proverbial bells and whistles help entice searchers and potential customers into clients and patrons. These websites strongly benefit from templates with large amounts of animation.

Who Should Avoid a Flash Template?

Some businesses do well to avoid the large animations obtained on many Flash templates. These companies or individual have websites which provide products or information that would be diminished by Flash. While these sites are not necessarily the norm, they do exist. For example, a very technical website designed for doctors, engineers, or scientists might not benefit from being designed using Flash elements. The technical patron in a quick pursuit of information could become annoyed with animated aspects of the site. The same could be said for financial institutions. Financial companies as well as law firms tend to be traditional and conservative. These companies might only pursue Flash templates with very small amounts of animation.

Small aspects of Flash such as a short introduction or diminutive animated logo would be a positive addition to any website. The smaller elements of some Flash templates might be perfect to add a dab of something extra to a basic layout. Templates vary significantly in the amount of animation, so obtaining the perfect quantity for any company is simply done.

About Author :

Alex Shah is a freelance artist at NxtDomains.com Software and Services which provides website templates and flash templates

Source : http://www.goarticles.com/

3D - The most versatile tool for Macromedia Flash

Macromedia Flash Swift 3D is an innovatory extension for Flash MX. Swift 3D instantly converts text and artwork into spectacular 3D animations without leaving the Flash interface.

Swift 3D combines user friendly interface, industry standard vector exporter and a full ray tracing rendering engine. It can export to both raster and vector file formats as well as Macromedia Flash (SWF), AI, EPS, JPEG, BMP and others. Neophytes as well as veterans in the field of 3D animation can quickly adjust to this newly discovered craze for creators. They can use pre-built animations, lighting schemes and materials to create a high quality 3D animation to their satisfaction.

The versatility of this tool is brought about by the 13 different styles of the highest quality vector output, vector-based movie clips for smallest file sizes, raster-based movie clips for photo-realistic quality, extensive control over object bevels, sizing and rotation, pre-built materials from the gallery, and a lot more.

3D Vector Realism turns your graphics into pragmatic models with the use of complex shadows, transparency, advanced highlights and reflections into your 3D vector objects. Photorealistic raster output with vectors, on the other hand, tags your 3D Flash work to another rank by introducing raster graphics. To create a life-like depiction, apply bitmap textures to your vector models. You can use your 3D models not only for Flash but with Photoshop, Fireworks and other graphic programs as well. Your model can also be exported to JPEG or on any format that your graphics program will import to have a 3D canvas to explore.

Another vital thing about Swift 3D is that it painlessly upgrade path to a full 3D application. Its SmartLayer Technology automatically separates the exported models into different layers for transparency, reflections, color, shadows, and highlights.

Swift 3D satisfies the creator’s most common 3D needs. In fact, expertise on 3D software is not necessary. It is easy to use and has a wide selection to cater to every creator’s needs. This is about high time for us to create the highest quality output ever available.

Ever since Swift 3D was released more and more satisfied users are giving their feedbacks. Some are using it to design simple flyers, backgrounds up to the most complicated animations and artworks. The possibilities are endless. Try it to experience the enigmatic difference!

Once you’ve tried it you’ll most likely agree with me that it is the ultimate tool for publishing your 3D creations.

About The Author
Maricon Williams Book reading has always been her greatest passion -- mysteries, horrors, psycho-thrillers, historical documentaries and classics. She got hooked into it way back when she was but a shy kid.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.ucreative.com/

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The Benefits of Stock Animation

Does your company need help with an animation project? Stock animation can help. Stock animation is used primarily on the web and on TV. They are used to present information, to entertain and to keep the viewer interested in what is happening. They are used across many industries from news organizations to engineering firms. Because of the great need for animations many companies have begun to sell stock animation to help streamline the creative process.

Most animation projects are time intensive and require a lot of creative thought and energy. Stock animation help reduce the time, thought and energy that is needed for a project. Stock animation is often used as a starting place for the animator. The animator will then build on the animation to get the desired result. Stock animation is also used as a background for other creative elements. Suppose that you want to make your own DVD. Do you have the skills to make a quality animation for the background? If not you could use a stock animation to help make your DVD look like it was professionally done. Stock animations can be used as backgrounds to make on screen text more interesting. News companies use this all of the time to make plain text more interesting.

Formats

Stock animation comes in several different formats. Each format is suited for a different purpose.

Animated Gifs

Gif stands for graphics interchange format. These are the small and often annoying animations that you see on web pages. You can find thousands of stock animations in this format for free download on the internet. The quality of these animations is usually very poor as they were designed to be compact for use on the internet. Generally you should stay away from this type of animation, except for a very few cases, as they often annoy the user.

Flash animation

Flash animation is the most versatile of all the formats as they can easily be converted for use on TV or DVD. Flash uses vector graphics which means it stores most of the information about the animation as a mathematical formula instead of pixel by pixel, frame by frame. This is useful because it can be scaled easily to fit any size that is needed. Stock animation for Flash is harder to find and will usually cost money. However, they can save a lot of time.

Composite animation

Composite animations are created by combining several different animated elements together to create the finished product. These animations tend to be very high quality and very visually appealing. They are often used for TV because of their high quality. You will almost always pay a premium price for these animations. But, you will get what you paid for. Composite stock animation can give your project a very professional and creative look very quickly.

Each stock animation format has its use. The type of project will determine the best type of stock animation. If used wisely, stock animation will save time and energy. Stock animation will also give your projects the professional look that you want.

Justin Grover- 10xMarketing � More Visitors �More Buyers �More Revenue, if you would like to find quality stock animation for Flash please visit Cartoon Solutions.

Source: http://www.articlealley.com

The Benefits of Flash Animation

Websites of today have improved immensely regarding technological and artistic aspects. Websites are no longer limited to text and pictures. Cutting edge websites of today provide an effective mix of audio and visual information. Websites can also pull in resources from other programs such as spreadsheets, charts, and Power Point presentations.

Power Point presentations have been used as the main method of presentation for many offices for the past several years. Power Point presentations are easy to create, are portable, and the Power Point program is affordable. Why not take your Power Point presentation to the next level by turning it into a web presentation?

How do you turn your Power Point presentation into a web presentation? The answer to this question may be different then what you have done in the past. In the past you may have provided a link on your website to your Power Point presentation. Users clicked on the link and watched the basic Power Point presentation. This method provided the information to the customer, but did not provide an "experience".

You can convert your Power Point presentation to a Flash presentation in order to create an "experience" for your customer. "Flash" technology is accepted by 98% of the world which makes it a viable technological resource. Flash turns your basic Power Point presentation into a multimedia experience that you can share on the Internet.

A robust Flash program that you can use is "Articulate Presenter". You can peruse their website at . Articulate presenter enables you to add audio and interactive video elements to your presentation. These features spice up your presentation and engage the customer more effectively.

It doesn't matter whether you have 10 or 110 slides because the Articulate Presenter will build a multimedia presentation for you. This program is designed so that anyone, no matter how technology savvy they are, can use it. This program will create multimedia presentations that work on any type of Internet connection speed from hi-speed internet to a dial-up connection. In addition, you can create CDs using this program.

The Articulate Presenter is often used in Internet commercials, seminars, and home study course creation. Another advantage is that after a customer views your multimedia web presentation you can automatically send them to your web page. Your customer will be more likely to purchase a product immediately after watching the web presentation so take advantage of this window of opportunity.

Use the power of Flash to add pizzazz to your web presentations. Flash enables you to reach your customers by stimulating their senses and tugging at their emotions. Show your passion and enthusiasm for your product through a multimedia presentation. Your customers may just jump on your bandwagon when they witness your dedication to the product, service, and customer satisfaction.

About The Author: Matt Bacak became "#1 Best Selling Author".Discover The Secrets http://promotingtips.com/

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_23603_15.html/

3d Animation

3D animation deals with electronically produced computer-generated 3D imagery used in motion graphics and digital special effects. In this case, the animator creates a design style or concept that tries to visually interpret and convey the required information using both new and traditional animation techniques.

The 3D animator will have to be well-acquainted with 3D animation applications and software, film and video production techniques, production processes, digital special effects, art and design movements and methodology, typography, styles of performance and dramatization, film and broadcast genres, technical scripting, health and safety regulations for the film and broadcast industry, and an understanding of budgeting and scheduling processes.

The job of the 3D animator is to design and realize original concepts, character and content creation. The animator, therefore, is responsible for devising and communicating creative ideas and accurate technical information. They have to provide the client with detailed estimates of costs, and work within the budget and schedule.

Each assignment will have different demands. So it is imperative that the animator should have a good knowledge and experience of animation software and broadcast processes, as well as a broad knowledge of technical scripting and digital technology used in broadcasting. The designer must be able to respond with innovative concepts and practical solutions for each assignment. The assignments may be of any kind, from designing a spinning top to re-creating mythical weapons.

To succeed in 3D animation, one must have a thorough understanding of computer-generated processes and applications to be able to achieve creative responses to design briefs within the restrictions of budget and deadline. He/she will be required to possess a passion for design, good communication skills and a good understanding of broadcast, special effects and character animation. Last but not least, he or she must enjoy working as a team member under pressure.

In addition to being able to demonstrate high standards of computer-generated imagery and animation techniques you will need to have a good knowledge of art and design movements and imagery, creative problem solving and innovation, and the understanding of how to deliver design concepts and processes.

Free Animation provides detailed information on Animation, Free Animation, Flash Animation, 3D Animation and more. Free Animation is affiliated with Wholesale Art Supplies.

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_31473_13.html

VCL to Animate 3D Features for Yash Raj Film & Walt Disney

Tata Elxsi has announced that its animation and visual effects arm Visual Computing Labs (VCL), will provide animation for Yash Raj Films' collaboration with the Walt Disney Co. to create a series of original, exclusive 3D-animated feature films. The first in the series is, ROADSIDE ROMEO, directed by Jugal Hansraj, slated for release in 2008. VCL claims this will be India's first original full-length 3D animated film.

As part of the alliance, VCL will bring its animation capabilities to this and other future projects, in close collaboration with YRF's creative team. The two studios have enjoyed a close working relationship with VCL having done all of the visual effects for YRF films, including FANAA, KABUL EXPRESS and DHOOM 2. VCL pioneered "virtual-set" methodology for Indian cinema in DHOOM 2, the largest special effects work done to date for any movie in India the company claims

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