"FlashMe2" - better and smarter

[boxig]

Hi all members.

I know you like flash, especially as welcome page before your presentation or as scrolling credit list when show is finished. I know also that many member use it and some had some difficulties with the configuration tool. So I made a new utility, with very easy configuration tool and very similar to the original "FlashMe". That's why it's called "FlashMe2".

I like to thank to Ron West and to Alan Thacker for their great help if finding my bugs and giving useful ideas. The first "FlashMe" has some features which "FlashMe2" don't have, so you can still use it too, and get ideas from the very good Demo which Marcovelo made when he was helping me with "FlashMe" (thank you Marco), and last but not least, Al Robinson who helped me a lot.

Be sure to read the Help file, which you can open while using the tool and follow all steps.

So here are very few words about "FlashMe2":

"FlashMe2" is a separate version similar to "FlashMe" with few changes as:

Hide cursor option during Flash Playing.

Curtain Effect exit option when full screen.

Display full screen on any screen size.

Copy Flash and show files to working folder.

Quick button for full screen.

Run your show from the flash.

Content:

1. General information

2. Configuration Tool

3. Synchonized mode show

4. Minimum Requirements

5. Legal, Disclaimer and License

6. Contact

1. General information

======================

The purpose of this utility is to enable adding a little action to your show. It is not intended to be used massively but mainly to add an introduction on first slide, run credit list at the end of show (like in the movies) or some text effect in middle of show. Among the effects you can use are:

Text effects (wav, explode, type, slide etc)

Image effects (zoom, rotate etc)

(this depend on your Flash program).

It is very simple to add a flash onto your show by "Run external file" command but it is not so easy to fit your flash so it will not be noticed as being not part of the show.

First you have to make your flash. You can use any flash program but if you don't want to make any complicated effects and just make some text effect or other simple image effect you can use "Swish 1.5" (not Swish 2.0) which is very simple to use and very cheap to buy.

The main difficulty in integrating the flash with your show is to find the right position where to open it and the right time you need to give the slide where you use it. You will overcome this by testing it on your hard drive and making the necessary changes. It can look very complicated on first try but with a little practice you can master this tool and achieve great effects.

Since you can't use transparent flash with this utility, the best results are when you make the flash background color and your slide color to be the same, or use same image of the slide in your flash. The most easy effect to make is a text effect on your one colored first slide.

The utility comes with a "Configuration Tool". In this tool you will write all the information the utility needs to follow your instructions. It will create a text file called "Flash.txt" in the same folder. This text file is very simple, containing 13 short lines. You can make your own "Flash.txt" file (new file) with Notepad if you like not to use the "Configuration Tool" but do not edit files created by the tool. Below is a detailed explanation of each step of the "Configuration Tool".

You can't use a flash file with one frame only so you can always check how many frames your swf file has by using the "Check Frames" button on the "Configuration Tool".

Another utility included is "Screen Ruller" which can help you find locations, distances and positions on screen. This has its own help button.

I want to thank Marco for his great contribution working with me on the first version of this utility and the great work he put in his excellent demo for FlashMe. Also thanks to Al Robinson who helped me bring the Configuration Tool to it's final stage.

This utility is a Donationware, which means, you don't have to spend money if you don't want. But I will be very thankful for any donation which can help me keep my web site. Also I expect people who are using my utilities in projects that help them make money to make me happy too. This utility can be customized by me for bigger projects.

2. "FlashMe2" Utility Configuration Tool

========================================

There are maximum 12 short steps, depending on your configuration. If for example you want to display your flash in a full screen, than you have only to decide how many loops you want your flash to run. When you click on "Make Configuration File" button, a box will open and you will be asked to write your preferences. Notice that once you make a mistake you will have to start again (don't worry, it is one minute to finish your configurations).

Mostly your flash will not have loops as it will be used for welcome screen at start or for credits at the end. The loop can be used for any small flash which you run in the middle of show.

Step 1:

Do you want to hide mouse cursor during flash ?

Step 2:

Do you want your Flash to run your show when exit ? You can run "FlashMe2" from your first slide to display a welcome flash animation but you can also run your flash first and then "FlashMe2" will run your show.

Step 3:

Write name of your show. Do not add the exe.

Step 4:

Give time for show to load. If you write 10 then your flash will tell your show to run and exit. If you write any positive time (milliseconds like 3000 for 3 seconds) then your flash will wait that specific time, after telling your show to run, and then close. You can use this option to avoid empty screen in your show upload time.

Step 5:

Do you want your flash file to run full screen ? If Yes, then you auto jump to step No. 10. If No, then you go to next step. If you choose FullScreen you will have option to add Curtain Effect (whole flash movie scrolling up and disappearing) when exit. Write 1 if you want or leave the "No Curtain Effect" if you don't.

Step 6:

Write width in pixels of your Flash movie. You can resize your flash by writing smaller or bigger size. In other words, you can display your flash in any size you want.

Step 7:

Write height in pixels of your Flash movie. You can resize your flash by writing smaller or bigger size.

Step 8:

Write the X position of your flash on screen. You can choose between "Center", "Top-Left", or "Any Number', which means you write the number of pixels from left edge of screen. If you choose "Center", which means your flash will be displayed on center of screen, you auto jump to step No. 10. If you choose "Top-Left" , which means your flash will start from top-left corner of screen, you auto jump to step No. 10. If you write a number, you go to next step.

Step 9:

Write the Y position of your flash on screen.

Step 10:

How many loops you want your flash to run. Notice that flash will close when all your loops are done, unless you gave another instruction in another step. If you scroll your flash and it exit screen frame then not all loops are played. Notice that if you scroll your flash and write smal number of loops (depend on your flash) it may stop looping before end scrolling and exit screen.

Step 11:

Choose direction to move your flash movie on screen. You can choose between "Right", "Left" (both will move Flash on screen Horizontally), "Up", "Down" (both will move Flash on screen Vertically), and "No-Scroll'. Notice that small number of loops can terminate your flash before reaching screen frame.

Step 12:

Speed of scrolling. Bigger number will make it move faster. Use numbers between 1-10.

When finish, your configuration file "Flash.txt" will be created (and over-run previous file).

Quick button:

============

One click to make a configuration file that will run your flash full screen only one loop, will hide the mouse cursor and will not run your show (to use on first or last slide)

Check Frames button:

===================

With this tool you can check how many frames your swf file has. Notice that if your file has only one frame the "Exit" feature will not work so don't use such files. From this tool you can also copy the swf file to utility folder.

Screen Ruller

=============

Can help you find locations, distances and positions on screen. This has its own help button.

Copy Flash File button:

====================

Browse and copy a swf file to utility folder. The file will be renamed to "Flash.swf" as needed for the utility.

Copy exe File button:

====================

Browse and copy exe file to utility folder. The file will keep its original name.

Important !

=========

You must rename your flash file to "Flash.swf". Put your flash file together with the configuration file (Flash.txt) which will be created by this tool, and the utility (FlashMe2.exe) in same folder and check how your flash behave before distributing it. If you use Full Screen your Flash dimentions must be in screen ratio, better 800x600 otherwise there will be white strips at the edges.

In General:

==========

If you want to use more then one time the utility in one show, you will have to make two sets (folders), each include the utility, the flash file and the configuration text file. You will have to specify the path to the utility on the "Run external file".

Explanation about all lines in "Flash.txt" file:

=================================

Line 1: Width in pixels of your Flash movie.

Line 2: Height in pixels of your Flash movie.

Line 3: The X position of your flash on screen can be a number or "Center" or "Top-Left".

Line 4: The Y position of your flash on screen can be only a number.

Line 5: Number of Loops.

Line 6: Direction to move your Flash movie on screen can be: "Right', "Left", "Up", "Down", "No-Scroll".

Line 7: FullScreen or No FullScreen.

Line 8: Speed to move your Flash movie on screen can be any number from 1 to 20.

Line 9: RunShow or Do not RunShow.

Line 10: YourShow.exe

Line 11: Delay flash exit time.

Line 12: Hide or show mouse cursor during flash.

Line 13: No Curtain Effect when exit on full screen, or 1 for Curtain Effect

Notice: Only advanced user should change this manually since writing mistakes can result in malfunction.

3. Synchonized mode show

=========================

Warning for "synchonized mode": Because FlashMe is an external program independant from PTE, it makes no sense to call it in a synchronized show. Real rendering time of a Flash movie depends on CPU power, graphic card, and the movie itself (size, framerate, complexity). Moreover, it may result in unexpected behavior and can disturb the show and PTE itself.

4. Minimum Requirements

========================

Macromedia Flash version 6 or above must be installed on client system (98% of internet users are already "Flash enabled").

CPU: 500 Mhz and above, depending on the Flash animation you want to use. Fullscreen movies are extremely demanding.

"FlashMe2" is a Donationware.

Please let me know of any bug or new idea.

Enjoy

Granot

[Guest guru]

Thanks Granot! I will check your FlashMe2 as soon as possible.

[Ronniebootwest]

Granot has done it again! The first Flashme utility was good, but this revision is so much better. I was privilaged to be able to help a little with the testing of the beta version of FlashMe2 and I am absolutely certain that you will all love this utility. If you haven't yet played around with 'flash' (swf) intro's to your slide shows, then you must give it a try because it will add a third dimension to your shows. I have used the expensive version of the Swishmax software but have recenty taken Granot's advice and downloaded the 'SWISHLITE' software from the same stable - it is good and it is cheap. Couple this with the excellent FlashMe2 utility and you will be producing professional shows in no timr at all.

Thankyou Granot, what would we do without you.

Ron West

[atomiton]

Why Swish 1.5 and not 2.0?

[boxig]

atomiton,

Welcome to our forum.

Swish 1.5 is old version but, in my opinion, if your needs are not much, it is easier to use and cheaper. I have versio 2.0 also but almost never used it. I found that you can make almost same things, and have more control on what you are doing. If you don't want to make very advanced movies or don't want to spend time on making your flash, better use 1.52.

[alrobin]

Granot,

Thanks for all your efforts on this utility. As you know, it's the one which I find the most useful. I will give the new version a whirl as soon as I get a chance.

[tgpbug]

Wow, is this easy to use or what. Thank you for flashme2! One tech question though. My flash seems to start over or loop even though I selected 1 loop in the setup. While the pte is loading the flash starts again and freezes at about the 5th frame. This image just hangs there untill the pte show starts. Setup wrong?

[boxig]

tgpbug

With which program did you make your Flash ?

Please zip in a folder the flash swf file, Flash.txt file, and the project file of your flash and send it to me. In the meantime try same configuration with another flash file and then with another pte show to see if you get same results.

(don't forget to zip before you send)

Granot

[tgpbug]

Granot

I'm using swish2.0 I,ve sent you my files(145meg zipped)

[boxig]

I,ve sent you my files(145meg zipped)

145meg zipped !!!!!!!!!!

Please don't do this to me..... this is worse than SARS or AIDS !!!

Just send swi file and txt file.

H E L P ! ! !

[boxig]

Hi all, - important notice !

Since Ron West has found a small bug (thanks Ron) I had to make some changes as to exit time. Now it will be after XX frames and not after time or loops as before. This change was needed to fix the bug and to give you more control over your flash display since you can display it up to any frame you want (for example: if you make a flash with your logo or show name at the first 1-50 frames and credits at the 60-100 frames, you can show same flash once before show till a frame 50 and once at end of show till frame 110. Notice that utility needs few extra frames time from the minute it realize you reached the exit frame to the minute it execute the Exit command. That's why you need to add to your flash some extra frams at the end and at any place you will exit, in this example, after frame 50).

I uploaded the updated version and now working on the new HELP file so you will still have the old Help, which means,all about loops and exit time (in milliseconds) is not relevant any more. The configuration tool will ask you after how many frames you want to exit flash and no more questions about loops or time.

If you find any unseen bug or problem please let me know. I will upload updated version with updated Help file when done.

Thank you

Granot

[Ronniebootwest]

There have been a few small problems with this utility but I am very happy to say that Granot has now solved all the problems and I am very happy with the final results. I have created an opening flash for the introduction to my slide shows and it all works perfectly. Give it a try, I am sure you will like this utility.