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Thread: Dilema.....need help selecting 3rd party projector

  1. #1
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    Dilema.....need help selecting 3rd party projector

    I need to figure this out really quickly...any help is appreciated!

    I am doing a kiosk for a BIG show and my flash stage is set at 1280x1024. I used this resolution because the native resolution of the LCD screen in the kiosk is 1280x1024 and therefore it provides the sharpest image. Problem is, I need to send this product out on cd as well. I am using th FScommand to set the projector to full screen, but on any normal 4:3 aspect ratio resolution such as 1024x768 I get black bars on the sides of the screen and the image is distorted (squashed). I need to find a 3rd party projector which can create an .exe which can scale to fit the user's resolution and aspect ratio exactly without black bars.

    From a quick read of the chat's it seems SWF Studio and Flash Studio Pro are the crowd favorites. Here's what's important to me:

    1. Obviously the exact fit feature in an .exe
    2. It has to be rock solid stable! No crashing or bugginess! This show and cd are going to be viewed by TOP MEN.
    3. It has to have no performance slowdown vs. the normal plash player and hopefully not too much slowdown when scaling.
    4. Good tech support (long hours/days and helpfulness without fees)
    5. It has to allow me to do a bunch of other neat stuff later on when I have time to play with it for real
    6. I know this probably doesn't exist, but a player that can scale jpegs as well as powerpoint (no jaggies) would be incredible!!!

    Thank you so much for the help in advance!!!

  2. #2
    Banned By GMF Wannabe Gambini's Avatar
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    Hey,

    My app is Flash Studio PRO but allow me to offer some questions to your answers:

    1. Obviously the exact fit feature in an .exe

    Both Flash Studio PRO and SWF Studio offer DirectX resolutions for fullscreen playcback which can sometimes help to get rid of the image "jaggies"

    2. It has to be rock solid stable! No crashing or bugginess! This show and cd are going to be viewed by TOP MEN.

    Again, both Products have many users and both software vendors work hard to ensure this! In the case of Flash Studio PRO, you can read the testimonials at http://www.multidmedia.com/testimonials

    3. It has to have no performance slowdown vs. the normal plash player and hopefully not too much slowdown when scaling.

    Both programs use the Flash OCX to render the SWF. On older Win98 Systems this can sometimes cause a slowdown, but on more post Win2000 machgines, this is not a problem. Again, DirectX fullscreen mode can help to speed things up to You may wish to consider www.***********.com as this does not depend on the Flash OCX.

    4. Good tech support (long hours/days and helpfulness without fees)

    Again, both MDM and Northcode offer great support. Please refer to above testimonials link for MDM Support Praise. Also, check out the Flash Studio PRO Community at www.mdmforum.com

    5. It has to allow me to do a bunch of other neat stuff later on when I have time to play with it for real.

    Ok, here I'm going to plug Flash Studio PRO - FSP has over 300 FSCommands and some awesome additions which no other software has available at present. Control your projector from any wireless device, connect to any database, enable your joystick - the list is endless! Check out http://www.multidmedia.com/software/...o/features.php

    6. I know this probably doesn't exist, but a player that can scale jpegs as well as powerpoint (no jaggies) would be incredible!!!

    Again, DirectX mode can often help!

    Conclusion... Both apps are great and I suggest you download both and have a play - time permitting ofcourse! I hope this helped

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    More questions

    Gambino, since you work for Flash Studio, let me ask you a few more questions which I had trouble getting answers to on the MM website. Can you comment as to your products abilities in these areas:

    When I say scale to fit I mean I want Flash's Fullscreen FSCommand to cause the movie to fill the screen even if it means altering the aspect ratio of the movie. For example if I author a 800 x 100 movie and use the fullscreen FSCommand, I want the projector to stretch the movie out to whatever resolution the user is using at runtime. In and html flash movie this is called exact fit. It leaves no black bars on the sides of the screen.

    What do you mean by saying Direct X handles jpeg scaling. Does the user need to have a particular version of Windows, Dirext X, or video drivers installed for this to work?

    Can a PDF file be embedded in a projector?

    Can you check for internet connectivity?

    Can the projector process Quicktime movies imported into flash or exported from Sorenson Squeeze as .swf files (like the Flash player can)?

    Can you animate the shape of transparent projectors on the fly?

    Can someone click through the transparent areas of the projector to whatever is behind it?

    Can you detect focus being given to and leaving the projector window?

    Can you detect and manipulate other windows on the desktop (like Director's BuddyAPI plugin)?

    Can you drag and drop files onto your projector in runtime?

    Can you access windows save dialog boxes?

    Can you access applicaions print commands?

    Can you detect and change color depth in Windows?

    Can you detect the presence of and version of Quicktime player or Media Player?

    What is your standard tech support? Do you have phone support and a number for US customers or is it email/bulletin board support only? What are you hours of operation(Eastern USA) and fees if any for phone support?

    Thanks again!!!

  4. #4
    Banned By GMF Wannabe Gambini's Avatar
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    I want the projector to stretch the movie out to whatever resolution the user is using at runtime.

    No problem, you can select "Maximized" from the Flash Studio PRO interface and then either select "keep aspect ratio" or not



    Does the user need to have a particular version of Windows, Direct X, or video drivers installed for this to work?

    The user will need DirectX 8 or higher installed. Download the FlashBlast example from http://www.multidmedia.com/downloads and you'll see what I mean about better handling



    Can a PDF file be embedded in a projector?

    Yes!



    Can you check for internet connectivity?

    Yes!



    Can the projector process Quicktime movies imported into flash or exported from Sorenson Squeeze as .swf files (like the Flash player can)?

    Yes, you can load external SWF files. You can also load external AVI and MPEG movies directly into the Projector!



    Can you animate the shape of transparent projectors on the fly?

    You can use masks to creat organic shaped projectors, and change the mask during runtime - you can also use sub-masks to punch holes through your projector



    Can someone click through the transparent areas of the projector to whatever is behind it?

    If you use masks to create organic shapes or transparent areas, yes you can! http://www.multidmedia.com/downloads has a demo of this (top most download)



    Can you detect focus being given to and leaving the projector window?

    Not at present, but we're adding new features all the time!



    Can you detect and manipulate other windows on the desktop (like Director's BuddyAPI plugin)?

    Yes and No. You can launch any other winodw in a variety of ways (hidden etc) and then manipulate those.



    Can you drag and drop files onto your projector in runtime?

    Yes!



    Can you access windows save dialog boxes?

    Yes, you can bring up the browse file and borwse folder dialogs.



    Can you access applicaions print commands?

    Not at present, but you can print any Variables from within your Projector.



    Can you detect and change color depth in Windows?

    Yes!



    Can you detect the presence of and version of Quicktime player or Media Player?

    You can access the registry, so if you know the registry string of any application, you can check it's existance on the system.



    What is your standard tech support? Do you have phone support and a number for US customers or is it email/bulletin board support only? What are you hours of operation(Eastern USA) and fees if any for phone support?

    We offer great email support with very fast replies. We also have technical support line (which can be found at http://www.multidmedia.com/support) which operates between 09:30 - 19:00 GMT

    Phew! I hope that helps
    Last edited by Gambini; 05-27-2003 at 04:25 PM.

  5. #5
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    Very impressive response time Gambini! Overall I'm also very impressed with the product too!

    Just to clarify a couple things:


    [QUOTE]

    Does the user need to have a particular version of Windows, Direct X, or video drivers installed for this to work?

    The user will need DirectX 8 or higher installed. Download the FlashBlast example from http://www.multidmedia.com/downloads and you'll see what I mean about better handling

    Is it necesary to have Direct X 8 for all uses of the projector or only if you are using DriectX features like joystick and scaling? By the way, I'm assuming that asteroid demo was using Direct X to scale the asteroids which were jpegs?

    Can a PDF file be embedded in a projector?

    Yes!

    Embedded inside of an html page and then embedded in the projector, or by itsel? I'd like to simulate what Integration New Media does with their PDF xtra which allows you to import a pdf and then control it within Director. But I want to do it in Flash. Will I have access to the acrobat interface within flash and will I be able to use Actionscript to control the PDF (turn pages)?


    Can the projector process Quicktime movies imported into flash or exported from Sorenson Squeeze as .swf files (like the Flash player can)?

    Yes, you can load external SWF files. You can also load external AVI and MPEG movies directly into the Projector!

    So if you import a Quicktime into flash or through Squeeze the user will still not need to have Quicktime player installed? I'm assuming for AVI and MPEG they'd have to have Media Player installed right?


    Can you detect and manipulate other windows on the desktop (like Director's BuddyAPI plugin)?

    Yes and No. You can launch any other winodw in a variety of ways (hidden etc) and then manipulate those.

    I meant detecting if say a Windows explorer window is open. What type of window are you talking about and what can you do to it once it's created?


    Can you access applicaions print commands?

    Not at present, but you can print any Variables from within your Projector.

    So I can't print what's in the projector or on the screen?


    Can you detect the presence of and version of Quicktime player or Media Player?

    You can access the registry, so if you know the registry string of any application, you can check it's existance on the system.

    Is there some type of universal string for each Player or do I need to know a specific string for each platform and player version?

    Finally, how often do you release new features? And what do you think sets Flash Studio Pro above SWF Studio?

    Thanks once again!
    Last edited by Macromind; 05-27-2003 at 05:15 PM.

  6. #6
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    Hey,

    DirectX is only required for using the DirectX resolutions and Joystick.

    You can use the flashstudio.browserload command to load HTML pages or PDF files. This will include the Acrobat reader interface, but you can customize the position and scale of it.

    If you export to SWF via Sorenson, then you can load the SWF as you would normally. Yes, AVI and MPEGS require Media Player to be installed.

    There is a command called flashstudio.exec_adv which allows you to load any program or file in a specific manner (ie. Hidden, system priority etc) - you can then kill or close this window using additional commands.

    You can only print variables inside the flash projector using the flashstudio.printvar command. The usual Flash print commands work fine to print the actual projector area.

    For many programs there are a universal string - many can be found by doing a search on google groups.

    We release new features on a very regular basis - just check out the responses we have on our forum at www.mdmforum.com or even this FK thread here: http://www.flashkit.com/board/showth...hreadid=378908 - check out the number of features we have added with each new release.

    As for the Flash Studio PRO vs swf studio question - well, as mentioned previously, both products are great and it's kind of like Freehand vs Illustrator - everyone has their personal preference.

    Personaly, we think Flash Studio PRO is the most powerful SWF2EXE application available (ofcourse, we would!) - our clients use it to create commercial applications which they then sell on - that speaks volumes. You have many features which you just can't get anywhere else - such as Joystick, Remote Projector control, Projector to projector file transfer and Instant Socket Communication

  7. #7
    Banned By GMF Wannabe Gambini's Avatar
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    By the way, give the Flash Studio PRO trial download a whirl - it's completely free for non-commercial use so no need to worry about expiring software - http://www.multidmedia.com/software/flashstudio

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    Think of all my questions as good advertising Here are a couple more:

    Can Flash Studio Pros send other running applications (and itself) to the top or bottom of the window z-order (even if they weren't spawned by the projector)?

    Can I sync MPEG and AVI video to cues in the flash timeline like I can with imported Quicktimes?

    Will using MPEG and AVI instead of traditionally imported Quicktimes improve my performance and allow me to do more Flash animations in the background since I am not using Flash to process/decode the video?

    Can I access embedded PDF and Web Browser print and save functions?

    Can I save a partof the projector window as a bitmap?

    Man I owe you a beer Just know that your helpfullness speaks volumes about your companies cutomer service!

    I'll probably download it tomorrow and give it a try!
    Last edited by Macromind; 05-27-2003 at 09:21 PM.

  9. #9
    FK's Official Mac Hater jasonsplace's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Macromind
    Think of all my questions as good advertising Here are a couple more:

    Can Flash Studio Pros send other running applications (and itself) to the top or bottom of the window z-order (even if they weren't spawned by the projector)?

    Can I sync MPEG and AVI video to cues in the flash timeline like I can with imported Quicktimes?

    Will using MPEG and AVI instead of traditionally imported Quicktimes improve my performance and allow me to do more Flash animations in the background since I am not using Flash to process/decode the video?

    Can I access embedded PDF and Web Browser print and save functions?

    Can I save a partof the projector window as a bitmap?

    Man I owe you a beer Just know that your helpfullness speaks volumes about your companies cutomer service!

    I'll probably download it tomorrow and give it a try!
    Make sure that you download and try SWF Studio also from http://www.northcode.com/
    It can do all of the things that you have discussed with Gambini as well as everything that you asked about in your last post. I am unsure if MPEG's or AVI's will give better performance or not but it can do everything else. I have used the command to save part of the screen as a bitmap quite a bit. One limit to both products that is usually ignored until it is too late though is that if the computer doesn't already have the Flash player installed, the user that you are logged in as must have administrator rights or the projector will crash. Bottom line if you want to use a third party tool, they are all similar enough that you should just download both and see which you like using better.
    I hope this helps!
    Jason
    Jason L. Wright
    I'm not that hard to imitate. Just make some random negative claim at Apple or anything else for that matter and then have nothing to back it up.

  10. #10
    Banned By GMF Wannabe Gambini's Avatar
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    Can Flash Studio Pros send other running applications (and itself) to the top or bottom of the window z-order (even if they weren't spawned by the projector)?

    Not at present, although you can choose to keep the projector on top always.


    Can I sync MPEG and AVI video to cues in the flash timeline like I can with imported Quicktimes?

    Yes and No. Because you are loading video from an external source, it is based upon the spped of the system how quickly the video gets loaded. However, you can load the video at the start of your projector, and then use the flashstudio.mpplay command to start the file cued up on any frame you like.



    Will using MPEG and AVI instead of traditionally imported Quicktimes improve my performance and allow me to do more Flash animations in the background since I am not using Flash to process/decode the video?

    Using external video certainly does help to speed up the whole projector, but remember that your video will play over the top of everything else.



    Can I access embedded PDF and Web Browser print and save functions?

    You can with PDF's as the acrobat reader inteface is also included. Not at present with the browser.



    Can I save a part of the projector window as a bitmap?


    Yes! You can save any part of the desktop or the projector.


    Man I owe you a beer Just know that your helpfullness speaks volumes about your companies cutomer service!

    Many thanks - make mine a Bud! Hope you enjoy the download

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    One limit to both products that is usually ignored until it is too late though is that if the computer doesn't already have the Flash player installed, the user that you are logged in as must have administrator rights or the projector will crash.
    Thanks Jasonplace.

    Gambini, why does the user need to have flash player installed? Isn't the player embedded in the projector I create with Flash Studio Pro? If not how do I get around this? I am going to be sending this CD to a bunch of people who are not necessarily computer friendly. Do I need to detect Flash Player on their system and then prompt them to install it if necessary? How would I go about doing that?


  12. #12
    FK's Official Mac Hater jasonsplace's Avatar
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    The Flash Player is in fact embedded into the projector. When the projector is run, it attempts to install the Flash Player. For some reason, you must have administrator right to install it. If you don't have the rights, it will fail silently. I have never seen it happen but have heard of many occasions where it has.

    As for changing the z-order of applications, SWF Studio has all of the following commands to do this:
    fscommand("App.BringToFront", "sCaption");
    fscommand("App.Kill", "sCaption");
    fscommand("App.Maximize", "sCaption");
    fscommand("App.NoTopmost", "sCaption");
    fscommand("App.Restore", "sCaption");
    fscommand("App.SendToBack", "sCaption");
    fscommand("App.Topmost", "sCaption");

    You just replace sCaption with a string that appears in the title bar of an application (ie: Microsoft Word would be "Microsoft Word"). You can probably figure out what each of the commands are for and if not they are documented very well in the SWF Studio help files.
    Jason L. Wright
    I'm not that hard to imitate. Just make some random negative claim at Apple or anything else for that matter and then have nothing to back it up.

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    Thanks for the info on swf studio.

    The Flash Player is in fact embedded into the projector. When the projector is run, it attempts to install the Flash Player. For some reason, you must have administrator right to install it. If you don't have the rights, it will fail silently. I have never seen it happen but have heard of many occasions where it has.
    Would a normal projector created with Flash also try to install the player? If so, this is a universal problem with any .exe creted using Flash. If not, then I might reconsider using one of these third party products. I can't take those kind of risks. Then again if there were a workaround.....

  14. #14
    Banned By GMF Wannabe Gambini's Avatar
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    Hi, ok, let me explain.

    The Flash OCX is the flash Plug in (ie. what you install to view Flash Sites)

    The Flash Player is only available if you have either specificaly downloaded it from macromedia.com or have Flash MX (or earlier versions) installed. The player is the official wrapper for viewing SWF files which are not in a HTML page.

    So, back to Flash Studio PRO and SWF Studio - both these products use the Flash OCX to render the SWF in their own Players, so the OCX is required on systems, but both apps allow you to package the OCX into your projectors, so if the end user does not have it installed, the projector will silently install it.

  15. #15
    FK's Official Mac Hater jasonsplace's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Gambini
    So, back to Flash Studio PRO and SWF Studio - both these products use the Flash OCX to render the SWF in their own Players, so the OCX is required on systems, but both apps allow you to package the OCX into your projectors, so if the end user does not have it installed, the projector will silently install it.
    Correct me if i'm wrong but I was told that it would only install if you had administrative rights. Making a projector through Flash won't have as many features but also will not have this problem.
    Jason L. Wright
    I'm not that hard to imitate. Just make some random negative claim at Apple or anything else for that matter and then have nothing to back it up.

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    Ok I get it. I'm hoping there's some type of work around though. For example maybe if you could have the pojector warn the user that it is going to install the player and then tell them that this will only work if they are logged in with admin account?

    Wonder if someone has posted a workaround for this issue.

  17. #17
    FK's Official Mac Hater jasonsplace's Avatar
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    There is a thread over on the forms at northcode.com where the creator of SWF Studio was going to allow you to create a custom dialog box if the user CAN'T install the player. It was supposed to be implemented in 2.0. SWF Studio is now on 2.1 so i'd assume that it is there but am unsure of how to use it. The thread is here:
    http://www.northcode.com/forums/show...ighlight=admin
    Jason L. Wright
    I'm not that hard to imitate. Just make some random negative claim at Apple or anything else for that matter and then have nothing to back it up.

  18. #18
    >Would a normal projector created with Flash also try to install the >player? If so, this is a universal problem with any .exe creted >using Flash. If not, then I might reconsider using one of these >third party products. I can't take those kind of risks. Then again >if there were a workaround.....

    *********** Jugglor doesn't use the the OCX control, it uses the engine in the Projector file. Hence the end user doesn't require the Flash Plugin.

    http://www.jugglor.com

  19. #19
    FK's Official Mac Hater jasonsplace's Avatar
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    But can Jugglor do everything that he asked for...I don't think so...
    Jason L. Wright
    I'm not that hard to imitate. Just make some random negative claim at Apple or anything else for that matter and then have nothing to back it up.

  20. #20
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    Actually for the short term all I need it to do is to allow me to scale the swf to exactly fit any resolution, full screen. Will Jugglor do that?

    I can always get another product later to do the fun stuff when I have time to figure out a workaround for the player install problem.

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