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[Metrov8]

Hi

I'm creating interactive, all-flash CD Roms on PC that must be cross-platform for PC and Macs.

I'm using CD Everywhere to make the CDs autorun and cross-platform.

The CD works perfectly on my PC. It autoruns and goes full screen, no problem.

However, on Mac OSX, autorun doesn't happen [even though Quicktime is installed]

Also on the Mac, the first screen goes full screen, but then the following screen shrinks to about 1/3 size, then all the screens/movies stay that size, and nothing returns to fullscreen.

Both autorun and fullscreen worked on earlier Mac OS's, but there seems to be a problem with OSX. All help appreciated; I'm contractually obligated to get this to work.

[Metrov8]

I've contacted CD Everywhere, and they have now informed me that they don't support Mac OSX.

1 -- Does anyone know if autorun is possible on Max OSX? I've yet to see it.

2 -- I've been able to get Flash to go [and stay] full screen on Mac OSX by creating a 'base' swf in level 0, then loading all subsequent .swfs into level 1. Everything stays fullscreen this way.

BUT now none of my code works?!?!?!

Originally, everything was loaded into level0, and the code works perfectly.

Suggestions re: this much appreciated.

Thnx, M

[setso]

...sorry i'm lost...

what about normal fscommands in a new layer on first frame

fscommand("fullscreen", "true");
fscommand("allowscale", "false");
fscommand("showmenu", "false");

sounds to easy to be true but don't know why it shouldn't
work on MacOS-X, it does well on OS-9.

Actually i'm doing a CD-project for mac and pc, too and
have no problems with that. More problems to bring the
browser automatically to the front without pc tools.

Autoload works on the mac but shouldn't be off on any
machine, to tell the truth. On the Mac Quicktime can
handle the switching (in the Quicktime Controlpanel)

[Metrov8]

Originally posted by setso
Actually i'm doing a CD-project for mac and pc, too and
have no problems with that.

I'm using the FS Command you prescribe.

Are you working with FlashMX?

Does your CD need to work in Mac OSX?

There are huge [carbonized] changes in these programs.

Do you use CD Everywhere to make your CD cross-platform? How else can you do it? Burn it on a Mac? I know the process, it's very involved.

Since I've posted this, I've discovered there are serious problems with the FlashMX / Mac projector.

It's a big mess. I just bought a Mac to try to get it straightened out; still in the middle of it.

Thnx

[setso]

...hello !

No my projector does not need to run on MacOS-X and that
for some time to go. (say one year ?) Don't know about
all that carbonised stuff. OS-9 introduced a Carbonlib
which runs also on Mac-OS 8 (MX projectors are running
on Mac-OS 8-8.6 with CarbonLib just thrown into System-
folder /dropped onto systemfolder installs automatically/
it's a standart sytemextension/no retart needed !)

You might should get a crossplatform production setup.
Dual SCSI-ZIPs for setting up project files and final cross-
platform burning (hybrid) are a major help if you
want total control (or was it recall ?) It seems that
scsi on the pc is a must for exchanging data with macs.
(for a long time scsi was the standart bus for macs)

Anyway..shouts to recall systems&arnold if you see him.

[macmarts]

hi, you'll need to burn the hybrid cd from a
Mac, using Toast Titanium or something similar.

-in toast, you need to choose "Custom Hybrid"

-then in the general menu choose "Create Temporary Partition..." make it the size you need. A new partition icon will appear on your desktop.

-copy all your PC and Mac files on that partition

-In Toast's interface, choose your Mac and ISO volumes (both will be the same volume, your "Temporary Partition")

-When selecting each volume, you'll get settings for choosing your autostart file on the Mac, and on the PC side you'll be able to specify your "naming settings", which should be "Joliet" to make sure your file names aren't truncated.

-you are done; burn your cd, which will be cross-platform.

by the way, I'm having the same "loadmovie-levels" problem on all Macs (OS8-9 included).

Since Flash MX is out, the second movie to load shrinks the screen and collapses the projector to the left side of the screen.

in Flash 5, the problem was that, as the second movie would load, there was a brief moment when you were returned to the desktop (leaving the projector), before the second movie would load.

Creating an empty "container" flash file, containing only the fscommands and a single, empty movieclip into which the general content was loaded (using telltarget/loadmovie, level1), solved the issue.

so far, that trick doesn't work reliably with Flash MX/MacOS 8-9...

any help will be appreciated...

thanks,
[Edited by macmarts on 07-25-2002 at 10:28 AM]

[Metrov8]

Hey Martin,

Thanks for you tip re: burning cross-platform CDs.

1 -- Can you tell me, by using your method, if I can also make the CD 'autorun' on OSX?

2 -- I have resolved the shrinking screen problem. It occurs on ALL Macs because there is a bug in the FlashMX/Mac projector. I spent a week on the phone with Macromedia. They both admit there is a bug, and at the same time pretend they know nothing about it.

Nonetheless, they helped me with a workaround...You must create a sort of 'base.swf' that always resides in level0 with fullscreen commands. The base.swf automatically loads your interface, and your interface buttons must load everything into level1 or higher. That's the only way the Mac projector with stay fullscreen.

I had to modify all code to work in level1 instead of level0 for which it was originally written. Basically, most, but not all instances of _root had to be changed to _level1, and new Sound() had to be changed to new Sound(this).

Let me know if you have more questions about it.

Metrov

[macmarts]

Hi Metrov8!

one last note regarding my custom hybrid method:

-when inside you toast interface, you can click again
on your Mac volume and you will see the entire content of your Mac "partition". you can then delete all the pc-only files that might be there, like the "autorun.inf" and pc icon, etc. The same applies to the pc side: click the ISO volume and you can delete your Mac-only files that are there. The result will be a cleaner-looking cd partition for each platform, without useless-irrelevant files.

-another great thing about this method is that Toast will write only once to your cd the files used by both platforms: for example, if your project is 150 megs and all files are used by pc and Mac, your cross-platform cd will use only 150 megs on disk, not 300 megs of redundant files.

pretty cool... this can be a life-saver if you have a huge project, with big video files taking up lots of room, or if you are outputting your project on a mini-cd, that has less disk space to work with.

i contacted one of my guys that's pretty reliable regarding cd-burning issues, and he assured me that the described method for creating autostart cds will also work in MacOSX.

apparently, cdrom autostarts are still handled by QuickTime in MacOSX (as in MacOS 8-9), so technically there are no reason for the method not to work...

i'll be able to confirm that sometime next week, when we create a new Mac beta of our current cd project, and by then i should have the company's ibook with me to test the MacOSX autostart.

you also said:

"I spent a week on the phone with Macromedia. They both admit there is a bug, and at the same time pretend they know nothing about it."

=)!!

the "base.swf" workaround seems largely similar to my "emptymovieclip" method... am i right?

one thing is for sure: we are currently wrapping up a big
flash-based cdrom project, and this loadmovie bug has just provoked the cancelation of the Mac version.

i'm a Mac guy myself and i am working on a Mac, but it is simply too dangerous and tedious for us to re-script all the games, applications and submovieclips of this project on new levels to accomodate the Mac bug.

hopefully Macromedia will resolve the issue shortly...

ttyl
[Edited by macmarts on 07-26-2002 at 01:17 PM]

[FlashAaron]

I've created plenty of cross-platform CDs, yet now that I'm trying to get things upgraded to OSX I am having problems.

Any suggestions?
I've checked both apples and roxios sites with no results..... thanks guys.

[macmarts]

hi FlashAaron,

please elaborate. give us details about the problems
you're having.

-is your standalone player done in Flash or Director?

-my Director guy says that the Director 8.5.1 for Mac upgrade adds MacOSX compatibility... this could help solve some issues...

...now let's hope for "Flash MX.01" for Mac to solve the loadmovie problems!!

=(!!

[FlashAaron]

Sorry, I should have elaborated:

I created a projector and exe from Flash 5 on my G4 running OSX and OS9.2(Flash 5 runs from Classic).

I burned a hybrid CD using Roxio's Toast 5 Titanium (created a temp partition for the flash files and clicked autostart and chose the correct file). I upgraded my Toast because of this issue hoping it would be the answer.....the results were less then expected (tho I like the new interface).

I have a .inf file to launch the windows .exe.(works great on 98 and 2k, still need to test XP and ME - any thoughts?)

I can browse the cd on OSX and launch the projector manually, but that is not what the client (in this case my boss) really wants. If I had a concrete answer to give him regarding this issue it would help. Documentation from Apple or Macromedia?

[macmarts]

hi again FlashAaron,

the next thing i would try in your case would be to
output the flash file from Flash MX, running inside MacOSX, in the hope that the problem is a MacOSX / Flash 5 compatibility issue.

this being said, please note that i have no tangible proof so far that autostart is actually working in MacOSX.

i will know more next week, when i have the ibook with me.

ttyl

[Metrov8]

///the "base.swf" workaround seems largely similar to my "emptymovieclip" method... am i right?

Yes.

//it is simply too dangerous and tedious for us to re-script all the games, applications and submovieclips of this project on new levels to accomodate the Mac bug.

I had no choice. My CD MUST work on PC and Mac, including OSX. I had to modify all the script. Believe me, it is quite elaborate AS written for highly interactive learning games. But it turned out to be not too bad. It mostly involved changing _level0 to _level1, and new Sound() to new Sound(this). Using the new 'change/find' feature in MX at least made this easier.

//hopefully Macromedia will resolve the issue shortly...

I've had subsequent conversations with a Macromedia engineer who also claimed to know nothing of the FlashMX/Mac projector problem. He asked me to send him a .fla so he and his guys could re-create the problem. I did, and haven't heard back from him yet. However, another tech support supervisor said MM had no plans to fix anything until the next release of Flash!

Macmarts, please let us know what you learn in your OSX autorun tests. That's my next little mountain to climb, getting autorun to work.

thnx, Metrov

[macmarts]

hi Metrov8,

yes i'll let you know how my tests go...

in the meantime, can you try to output the flash file from Flash MX, running inside MacOSX, in the hope that the Autostart problem is a MacOSX / Flash 5 compatibility issue?

so far it's my best bet to make the Mac projector
OSX compatible...

drop us a note if you do proceed with the test
before i do...

ttyl

[Metrov8]

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking, however in previous tests, I've created my .swfs using FlashMX in OSX, and the same shrinking screen phenomenon occurs.

I've run a Flash 5 CD on OSX, and it forces the Mac into Classic OS9 mode.

I'm a PC user, and have never burned a CD on Mac. As soon as I get Toast set up on my [newly acquired] Mac, I'm gonna dive into that whole new world [I've printed out your instructions. I hope they work, ie, I hope they're all there. I may have more questions.] I've never tried creating autorun for Mac period. But Toast is supposed to set it up automatically, right?

[macmarts]

hi again, you said:

"I'm not exactly sure what you're asking, however in previous tests, I've created my .swfs using FlashMX in OSX, and the same shrinking screen phenomenon occurs."

this will not solve the loadmovie bug in FlashMX; as mentioned elsewhere in the thread, this is a general issue that Macromedia is (partially) aware of. What we are trying to solve here is creating an autostart cd that works with MacOSX.

you also said:

"I've never tried creating autorun for Mac period. But Toast is supposed to set it up automatically, right?"

actually no... you'll need to follow my instructions above,
and after you create your Temporary Partition and copied all your files to it, you need to choose your Mac and PC (ISO) volume in Toast, which are the same volume, your Temporary Partition.

when you choose your Mac volume in Toast's interface, you'll get a menu setting that lets you choose your "Autostart" file. The Autostart file you need to choose is your Mac Projector file, which should be at the first level of your partition, along with the autorun.inf
and PC projector .exe file.

Also note that for some strange reason your Mac Projector file must have a name of 11 characters or less.

ttyl
[Edited by macmarts on 07-29-2002 at 10:28 AM]

[Metrov8]

Hey macmarts,

Did you ever get autorun working on OSX? I got my new G4, and did my first custom hybrid burn [according to your instructions].

Everything works great EXCEPT autorun on OSX.

If I start the Mac in OS9, autorun works ok.

I'm burning with Toast 5.1.4 on Mac OSX 10.1.3

Please report: thnx a million

metrov

[macmarts]

Hi Metrov8,

i never tried creating an autostart file on MacOSX myself, because my Mac is too old to run it and when
i have the company's ibook i have tons of work to do
on it... never got around to trying it.

i posted the autostart question on this board:

http://forums.osxfaq.com

it's a great OSX resource. hopefully someone will
have more info for us. in the meantime, maybe you
can go there in browse the boards, who knows... maybe the answer is there somewhere...

keep us informed of your progress,

[FlashAaron]

Has anyone contacted Apple or Roxio about this issue?
Neither site has any info about it - but Im sure people have asked.

[Metrov8]

I've posted on http://forums.osxfaq.com

waiting for a reply

SOMEONE'S gotta know something