FrontLook Chameleon for FrontLook Super Theme Designer Packages from DPA Software, Flashation Flash Menu Builder from Flashation.com and JumpStart Advanced 3rd Grade from Knowledge Adventure
By Howard Berenbon
FrontLook Chameleon for FrontLook Super Theme Designer Packages from DPA Software
Last month I reviewed FrontLook Super Themes packages for use with Microsoft FrontPage. This month I cover another package from DPA Software that allows you to modify the colors of the Super Themes templates for more Web page design variations. FrontLook is an excellent package allowing you to add a more professional look to your Web site designs in Microsoft FrontPage. With FrontLook Chameleon, you can modify the color schemes of their templates adding more variety to your designs.
After a quick installation from a single CD and then running FrontPage 2002, I found two new additions to the Format menu: Image Chameleon and Theme Chameleon just below the Shared Borders button. The Chameleons include a collection of 15 Chameleon themes and Web art. Clicking on Super Themes opens a list of the installed Super Themes you can preview. Once you’ve decided on a Super Theme (from a dozen variations per package), click OK to start the installation process, and in a matter of seconds your new site structure will appear. If you’re modifying an existing site, this process may take a few minutes depending on the number of pages in your design.
To work with FrontLook Chameleon and FrontLook Super Themes you should have a working knowledge of FrontPage 2000 or 2002, like the basics of starting a new Web design, adding text and graphics, links and more. To modify a Super Theme, begin by clicking the Theme Chameleon button in the Format menu. A new page will appear with access to all Super Themes installed on your computer in a window on the left with brightness, saturation and hue controls at the bottom used to modify the theme’s colors. Also in view is the Theme Chameleon Quick Reference Card with 7 simple steps to theme color modification. You have the option of editing the colors of a current Web designed with a Super Theme or editing a single page. You’ll see the name of the Super Theme at the top, and the names of all the graphic elements below with check boxes. Select the graphics you want to modify in that theme and then use the slid controls at the bottom to make your changes. Since you have the option of changing one element at a time, you can customize a Super Theme with several different color variations.
When you’re done with your modifications, use Save As button to save the modified Super Theme scheme using a different name so you won’t affect the Super Theme you’re using to make a new one. It’s fairly simple to use Chameleon, but if you need extra help, access the help file from the Chameleon window. Now, to apply this new Super Theme to a Web site design, open a Web in FrontPage and select the Super Themes button in the Format menu. On the left, pick the newly modified Super Theme and click OK to install. Image Chameleon is simple: it allows you to modify the colors of any of your Web images.
FrontLook Chameleon sells for $29.95 and require a multimedia PC, Pentium 200 MHz or faster processor running Windows 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP and Microsoft FrontPage 2000 or 2002. For more information, or to order, visit DPA Software.
Flashation Flash Menu Builder from Flashation.com
Flashation is a neat little flash menu button builder available from Flashation.com. This is an easy-to-use flash utility that can help you add some pizazz to any Web site design. Once installed, just double click on the program icon on your desktop and you’re on you way to building better buttons. It offers over 80 pre-designed styles you can customize with color, size, layout, animation and sounds. When you’re satisfied with your design, you can easily create an SWF flash file to include in your Web site project. Flashation sells for $23.95.
JumpStart Advanced 3rd Grade from Knowledge Adventure
Knowledge Adventure keeps improving the quality of its educational products. Every year the CDs offer more content and improved activities, but this year I think they’ve outdone themselves with JumpStart Advanced 3rd Grade. This title is packed with 55 activities on 3 CDs. It will keep any 3rd grader (ages 7 to 9) busy for days. The earlier JumpStart titles have been known to keep my girls occupied for hours, but this title has so may activities, the description needs to include days. You’ll probably have to bring food to the computer to keep your kids going. I’ve done that.
After a quick CD installation, and signing in, kids will travel in time to solve the puzzle of Mystery Mountain. They need to snoop around secret rooms and find 25 mischievous robots programmed by Polly Spark to change history. CD 1 covers 3rd grade fundamentals: math, history and science. CD 2, Far Out Field Trips, offers arcade-style games with history, art and science themes. CD 3, Mystery Club Vol. 2, Gadget Games, offers just that: more learning by way of fun arcade-style video games with great graphics, music and sound effects.
You’ll start the adventure in the 3rd grade classroom, but not until after a visit from a robot named Botley created by Polly’s father to keep an eye on her. Then you follow Botley to Polly’s Mountain Mansion where your mission begins, searching this three-level labyrinth for robots finding adventures in every room. Here’s a rundown of some of the games and activities, designed as a complete 3rd grade curriculum: Explore the Biosphere, Biosphere Maze, Time Machine, Secrets of Science, Skate to the Finish, Downhill Derby, Start Climbing, Peddle the Wild Rapids, Musical Tone Decoder, Nature Analyzer, Ripped-Off Rubies, Rescue the Racehorse, Decipher the Clues, The Jumbo Electro Generator, What’s Cooking in the Kitchen, The Kitchen Door, The Robot Feeder, The Painting Gallery, The Music Player, The Shrink-O-Matic, The Fantastic Voyager, What’s Up in the Observatory, Black Hole Blaster, The Alien Signal Decoder, Far Out Star Chart, and more.
With 3 CDs, JumpStart Advanced 3rd Grade is a bargain at $29.99. Becky, my 8-year-old daughter actually spent a few days exploring, she did eat at the computer a one point. But, I did make her take a break for dinner. She thought the program was great except she had some trouble with the biosphere.
JumpStart Advanced 3nd Grade sells for $29.99 and will run on any multimedia PC, Pentium 266 MHz or faster, 64 MB RAM with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP and a 12x CD-ROM drive. It also runs on a Power Mac G3 266 MHz or faster with 64 MB RAM and a 16x CD-ROM drive.
Howard Berenbon
Software Companies Mentioned
DPA Software
W327 S4150 Spring Ridge Court
Waukesha, WI 53189
Phone: 262-968-1940
Fax: 262-968-1942
Flashation.com
Knowledge Adventure, Inc.
19840 Pioneer Avenue
Torrance, CA 90503
Phone:1-800-545-7677
URL education.com
