LAKE APPLET TUTORIAL.

Thanks to David Griffiths the inventor of the magical lake.class file that makes the water ripple.   I am going to make the instructions as simple as possible with out talking about Directories and Sub Directories.  I am using Front Page 2000 for my web design and Paint Shop Pro for resizing my images/pictures.  We have only two files to download and save,  the lake.class and picture/image.  We will save the two files in our website folder, click lake.class to get the lake.class and Here to get the picture/image file.  Then click on the back arrow at the top of your screen to return to the tutorial.  Don't forget to save both files in your website folder or the same Folder.  Next we have to make a webpage,  do this the same way as you make any webpage, the lake.class,  picture/image and webpage must be in the same Folder.  Next highlight the script below and right click with your mouse on the highlighted script,  a screen will open up,  click on copy with your left mouse.  The size of the picture/image is 250 pixels wide and 182 pixels high,  what I do is double the height and subtract 20, giving a size of 250 x 344.  If you use your own image/picture there are only three things you can change in the Applet Script, width, height and the name of your image/picture which are in black.  If you don't put the border tags that are in green in the same position as in the script below you will get a gap between your applet and the bottom of your border.                                                        

<table border="5"><tr><td>
<applet code="lake.class" width="250" height="344">
<param name="image" value="birds.jpg">
</applet></td></tr></table>

Open up Front Page 2000 and then your webpage, move your curser to were you wont to place your applet on your webpage,   left click with your mouse on insert at the top of your screen,  a screen will open up, example below,  click with your left mouse on HTML.

 

Another screen will open up,  example below, put your mouse were the X is and click with your right a screen will open up,  click on Paste with your left mouse,  click OK with your left mouse.

 

Click on Preview at the bottom of your screen.  If you get a grey strip the full width at the bottom of your applet,  reduce the height of your applet.

Congratulations you have just made your fist Lake Applet.

This is what  your Lake Applet will look like.

Cropping your images. 

When cropping your image/picture make sure to crop all the water out from the image/picture foreground,  if you leave part of the water ( dead water) in the foreground you can see the effects in the examples below left.  If we are going to animate rippling water then we should animate all of it,  I have seen many beautiful applets spoilt because of the (dead water).  The applet on the left  has been cropped incorrect (dead water),  the example on the right is how the applet should look.  To view the image/picture of the applet on the left click HERE and to view the image/picture of the applet on the right click HERE.  If I can be of any help you can send me an email by clicking HERE but please read the instruction properly first.

 

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