Using the Flash Player Detection Kit

**sportzguy933** · 10-18-2005, 05:43 PM

Hi. I downloaded the Flash Player Detection Kit from Macromedia.com. I would like to use express install, but have 2 questions:
What about people without any version of Flash Player? Will they see the express install? Should I add another method?
and
How do I actually apply it to my Flash movie? Should I make a new scene before/after the loading and have the express install?

**rdoyle720** · 10-18-2005, 05:54 PM

The likelihood that they'll have a version of the Flash player is pretty high. Flash comes as part of most major browsers. Odds are if they don't have Flash, they purposely removed it and won't be interested in installing it to view your site anyway.

**sportzguy933** · 10-18-2005, 06:05 PM

Good point

. Isn't it only compatible with fp 6+ though? (Probably a stupid ?? too). Also, how do I put the express install into my Flash Document?

**tonypa** · 10-19-2005, 03:52 AM

Express install only works if they already have player 6+. For people with player 5 or no Flash player at all you can use Flash detection scripts from
publish settings >> html >> detect flash
This creates javascript functions in the html code and generates message if viewer does not have Flash player.

Sorry, I have not yet used express install myself so dont know how exactly you use it.

**sportzguy933** · 10-19-2005, 02:55 PM

bumpbumpbumpbumpbump

**tmoore935** · 10-19-2005, 03:04 PM

I have installed the flash detection kit.(not the express as I couldn't figure it out.) The site is http://www.diversioncentral.com. (The site is unfinished and mostly experimental). Then I unistalled the flash player on my laptop to test it and it does work. But the swfs still appear in large squares with the small little square in the upper lefthand corner. (hope that makes sense.) How could I make it go to a different page altogether with the links to install flash player? I tried the pic.jpg as the suggested alternative but it does not replace the swf when no player is found. it posts the pic and the broken swf at the same time. I ask this because I seem to have seen it done this way on other web sites.--Thank you

**sportzguy933** · 10-19-2005, 06:06 PM

Possibly because you're using MX, but that is kind of wierd. Macromedia should have made a better description.

**tmoore935** · 10-19-2005, 06:17 PM

I am using flash 8 from studio 8. I published the index swf as flash 8. I used the video at
http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/fla...detection.html

**pelsar** · 10-20-2005, 04:35 AM

BUMB....because I'm look as well to figure out how to use it....

**sportzguy933** · 10-20-2005, 02:50 PM

I'm going to try putting the badge after the preloader.....I'll post my results.

**tonypa** · 10-23-2005, 04:46 PM

I tried to add express install and it is really confusing and not easy at all. The fla from Flash detection kit doesnt mention anything about the variables needed to be passed from html code. It is also missing all the stuff to be shown when update fails. Not to mention it does not work properly if you have player 8.5 installed. I am not impressed at all

Is there still need for step-by-step tutorial on how to make express install work on your own movie? I could throw together little explanation on how it can be done if someone is interested.

**tmoore935** · 10-23-2005, 05:09 PM

I belive that I got mine to work. I think my problem was that I used tables created in dreamweaver. my site is http://www.diversioncentral.com/

Here is what I did. Please comment if you find any flaw.
1. Got the flash uninstaller from macromedia for my laptop and got rid of the flash player.
2.On my main pc I used flash 8 pro and clicked the flash 8 settings and said "detect flash settings. "
3. In the html for the flash in the body (not for java) I changed it and added a pic. it is as follows (it was a wild azz guess for me)

var alternateContent = 'Alternate HTML content should be placed here.'
+ 'This content requires the Macromedia Flash Player.'
+ '<center><a href=http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflash/>Get Flash now<BR><BR><BR><img src="read_me.gif" width="400" height="200" alt="get flash" border="0" align=""></script></a></center>';

4. I uploaded the pic and the new html file.
5. tested on my laptop and the loading pic came up and seems to look right. (yeah!)
6. This was tested on xp. I don't have 98 at the moment and have no access to a mac. I figure if someone has not gotten SP2 yet, then they are going to find more problems then having no flash player. But I need to test on win2000 and 98.

Any comments? I am wide open for suggestions. I would rather have a page that only takes one click and the player is loaded, which goes back to my own page.

Also, were do people get flash 8.5? Is this beta???

Thanks for the help

**tonypa** · 10-23-2005, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by tmoore935

Any comments? I am wide open for suggestions. I would rather have a page that only takes one click and the player is loaded, which goes back to my own page.

Also, were do people get flash 8.5? Is this beta???

Maybe you wish to add picture for the bowsers with no script support too, its in the noscript section:

<noscript>
// Provide alternate content for browsers that do not support scripting
// or for those that have scripting disabled.
Alternate HTML content should be placed here. This content requires the Macromedia Flash Player.
<a href="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflash/">Get Flash</a>
</noscript>

You can get Flash player 8.5 from
http://labs.macromedia.com/
You need to download Flex2 and it installs player 8.5 too. But its still in alpha, not even beta.

**tmoore935** · 10-23-2005, 05:48 PM

Thank you,
So do you think this is a good way to detect flash players? I will change the java script. (not even sure of how to turn it off in IE so as to check).

As for flex 2, I will ignore it for now.

**tonypa** · 10-23-2005, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by tmoore935

Thank you,
So do you think this is a good way to detect flash players? I will change the java script. (not even sure of how to turn it off in IE so as to check).

Yes, I am using basically same script too

Except I had to rewrite it little in DetectFlashVer function because
(versionNum >= reqVer)
does not work correctly if you set reqRevision higher then installed revision even if your minor version is lower.
(for example you require player 8.0.22 and user has player 8.5.11 then it returns false because it looks only for 22>11 and not that 0<5).

Here is tutorial, hope it helps someone:
http://www.tonypa.pri.ee/express/tut01.html

**sportzguy933** · 11-26-2005, 04:09 PM

Ignoring it too :group hug:. They basically DESTROYED Flash!!!! They put EVERY SINGLE IMPORTANT and USED ActionScripts into a class....!!!!! I hate MM for this!

**matt_cardiff_uk** · 02-16-2006, 12:18 PM

I noticed a Javascript issue which resulted in validation failure.

It was becaause var-- was used to decrement a variables value.
just replaced with var = var -1 and it flew through the validator ok.

Has anyone else had dealing with validation?

**tonypa** · 02-16-2006, 12:51 PM

I dont know about validator (I know very little about javascript), but I recently got message from MM-Adobe saying they are planning to update the Flash detection kit.

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