Added Photo Gallery Into Application Without Disruption

Project: Slooh Space Camera

Challenge
Add a major feature to Flash web application without bugs or code havoc

Comments
This was 2003, before Flash micro-architectures and MVC design patterns were well known. But this was a major app, not a microsite, and I had pushed back to get the extra time needed for implementing an MVC architecture.

Performance was a challenge because a gallery could contain many megabytes of images, and many users had slow connections

Actions

• Integrate new functionality into existing scheme of prioritized/pausable modules and event-based messaging
• Preloaded minimum number of thumbnails according to last saved state of app
• After displaying the UI, preload remaining thumbnails and small number of full-size photos using predictive algorithms, and
• Strategic use of animations and reveal effects to give perception of near-instant loading of large images