Petition for Macromedia to improve the Macintosh Flash Plugin.

**SJT** · 07-06-2002, 07:59 AM

Hmm,

Psychlonex, maybe we should scrap these results and scale down the load on the player to show the results better.
I think alpha tweens of bitmaps are usually the most obvious to the naked eye.
Maybe a couple of those?

**icculus22** · 07-06-2002, 08:47 AM

i am running os 10.1.5 on a B&W G3 400 with 192 RAM on a 2 Mbps dsl connection

on high: 19.193 secs @ 14.849fps
code test : 74

**me2222** · 07-06-2002, 10:17 AM

hi there.
be carefull with those benchmark tests!
a movie set to 21 fps will play with a max of 20 fps on mac (the bug!)
i suggest to make two movies, one for mac with 31 fps (will play with a max of 30fps) and one for win pc with 30fps.
also simplify the tests.

i made some tests for my own and found out that like sjt says the biggest problem is caused by setting _alpha of symbols other than 100%. when bitmaps are involved it really gets bad.
for example make a movie of about 700x400px, put a fullsize bitmap as background and then put a fullsize bitmap symbol over it and tween its alpha from 100 to 0%. or move a 50% alpha bitmap across the background and so on.

i also think that actionscript is not that big problem.
using this plugin v4 versus v5 actionscript test you can compare plugin v5 versus v6. on my system there's a big increase of actionscript speed in v6.
http://www.fatorcaos.com.br/flash5tests/speed_1swf.html

ciao
m

**psychlonex** · 07-06-2002, 12:01 PM

Sjt -
Sounds like a good idea. I'll see if I can add some more bitmaps and alpha tweens to it. The way it's setup now, it starts with a series of shape-tweens with some color tween thrown in for good measure. Then it has some actionscript that takes 20 circles filled with bitmaps and bounces them around as they fade out, then it starts over, so this is running continuously throughout the whole movie. Then It has a second tween over the top of the first, so we now have 20balls, 2 shape tweens, and some keyframe animation all going at the same time. I think adding a few more bitmaps with alpha might be in order, it's just a matter of where to put them. Also there are some other folks on some other boards using it as well, and I don't want to change it and have wasted their time!

Me2222 -
I guess I've misread the bug!! I thought I should use 21 for macs? I've been doing almost all of my stuff at 21 and it seems to be working well. When the mac starts to slow down, I know I need to lighten up on the alpha tweens and such.

So in theory, my movie should play at 20fps max on the mac, with the bug taken into account?

I don't really like the idea of having 2 seperate movies for macs and pc's - seems like more trouble than it'd be worth. I've done a few tests, running the movie at 20fps, 18, 21, 31, etc. I've noticed that my best fps is still about 12, regardless of which setting I use. It actually gets a bit lower the higher I go, like at 31, I get about 10fps.

-- I've added a bitmap alpha/motion tween at the beginning. I haven't uploaded it yet, I will upload it as a new file at this url -

http://www.conciousriddims.com/flashtester/index2.html

It's still at 21 fps. When running in stand-alone, and in chimera, without doing anything(start and finish) it stays between 20 &22. The image tween stays at about 8. Have a look at both if any of you have the time and let me know if you think the newer one is any better!

Psx

Also - some numbers from the first test -

Celeron 600 overclocked to 750MHz
458MB
WinXP Pro

IE6.0, player 6,0,39,0
-----------------------
Graphics test (quality high):
14.64 @ 19.467 fps
Code test:
83

IE6.0, player 6,0,29,0
-----------------------
Graphics test: (quality high):
14.487 @ 19.672 fps
Code test:
84

Mozilla 1.0, player 6,0,21,0
-----------------------
Graphics test (quality high):
14.082 @ 20.238 fps
Code test:
87

Mozilla 1.0, player 6,0,39,0
-----------------------
Graphics test (quality high):
14.017 @ 20.332 fps
Code test:
88

**Runes_Tooth** · 07-07-2002, 11:41 AM

Well, be glad you have flash or even a flash player. I'm still trying to get Macromedia to port to linux.

**snuifkip.com** · 07-08-2002, 11:21 AM

a new beta-version
testing it tonight
http://tempest.macromedia.com/airwolf/

Username : betabits
Password : flex475
more information
http://radio.weblogs.com/0106797/2002/07/02.html#a162

sven.goewie

**psychlonex** · 07-08-2002, 12:23 PM

Hey - good call. I kept trying to edit one of my posts a few days ago to mention the beta-player, but the forum wasn't letting it happen. All of my tests have been with the 39 player.

**SJT** · 07-08-2002, 12:26 PM

This beta release is much improved by the standard of the test, but bizarrely in IE and Chimera, but not NN 7.0p1:

Player 6.0.39.0, original test (non bitmap-alpha).

High:
15.074s @ 18.906fps
Code:78
IE 5.2

High:
17.376s @ 16.401fps
Code: 76
Chimera 0.3.1

High:
36.224s @ 7.8677fps
Code: 40
NN 7.0p1

I can't figure this out, both NN and Chimera are branches from the Mozilla tree...could this be to do with quartz rendering? i'm not sure if NN has quartz enabled.
Or does Netscape use it's own built in player? (which would be nuts...)
[Edited by SJT on 07-08-2002 at 12:50 PM]

**freesoul** · 07-08-2002, 09:57 PM

It is really frustrating when you have learnt some scripting and you start being proud of yourself and suddenly all that dissappears and takes the fun away of learning it any longer just because you find out: ooh it's not working with Mac and Explorer.

**psychlonex** · 07-08-2002, 10:30 PM

SJT -
I agree, in that the new player is much better. I've some more numbers: (recieved via email)

Powerbook G4 500MHz MacOS 9.2.2
Flash Player MAC 6,0,39,0

Using IE 5.1:
Graphics test, High, 14.645 secs @ 19.460fps
Code test: 85

Using Mozilla 1.0:
Graphics test, High, 16.765 secs @ 16.999fps
Code test: 73

Using Netscape 4.75:
Graphics test, High, 14.61 secs @ 19.507fps
Code test: 85

Seems to do being doing better in os 9 than in X. I'm lead to believe that is a combination of X's as-of-now slow graphics rendering. It's not hardware accelerated yet. 10.2 is supposed to take advantage of the graphics processor.

I'll try to get someone from one of the mac boards whose running the developer version to test it out.

freesoul -
Don't get too depressed. Check out the faq at the top of the mac board. At the very worst you'll learn alot of stuff on this project by getting it to work well on both platforms. Then you'll already know all of that on the next project.

or, you could just switch over to mac... then you'll know it'll run without having to worry at all

**me2222** · 07-09-2002, 03:11 AM

no speed improvement for me
mac g4 450 mp, os9.2.2, ie5.14

plugin 6.0.29.0:
quality high
15.481 secs @ 18.345fps
80

plugin 6.0.39.0:
quality high
15.427 secs @ 18.409fps
80

but what is more important with this beta is that it seems to have fixed a lot of bugs. especially the POST bug fixing is cool.

**psychlonex** · 07-09-2002, 03:23 AM

Good point. Masking device fonts I believe as well!
Can't complain about that.

Psx

**tayotarek** · 07-12-2002, 05:47 AM

Very good idea....

I usually work with 2 platforms.
But I would definitely like very much not to deal with a PC, coz I simply love macs....

so tick me in....

**em_city** · 07-12-2002, 03:31 PM

Count me in.

JasonTheNailBitingBandit

**logrey** · 07-13-2002, 09:15 AM

Definitely. Faster Mac Player=More Flash Developement We Do.

-Greyson Purcell
University of Iowa
--------------

btw, love Flash Communication Server! Keep it up Macromedia!

**ghorricks** · 07-17-2002, 07:52 AM

There are many issues which need addressing for the Mac and if Macromedia want us to abondon the Mac in our design then all they have to do is say so rather than leaving me with explaining to my boss that I cant do anything about the Mac's POST problems.

Check out the Player List or Pay for an entry here
http://www.mirrorfantasy.com/frame.htm

and you will see what I have to put up with.

You can blame it on Microsoft and Netscape and anyone else that you care to Macromedia, but at the end of the day - It's your responsibility to make sure that each browser is capable of running right. I'm getting sick and tired of getting headache off people at work.

Gavin Horricks

**snuifkip.com** · 07-17-2002, 08:12 AM

version 40 is up in the meantime ...

sven
ps check http://www.petitiononline.com/daniel1/
[Edited by snuifkip.com on 07-18-2002 at 03:37 AM]

**surfergrl** · 07-17-2002, 12:07 PM

Yes please

Kathryn Dawes

**Gizzard** · 07-18-2002, 03:27 AM

Need more speed

**sichi** · 07-19-2002, 07:33 AM

TiG4 Powerbook + airport + wireless future + flash plug in = major let down.

Help us Macromedia - you are our only hope.

Thread: Petition for Macromedia to improve the Macintosh Flash Plugin.

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