Flash on Desktop: Professional sought for answers....

[nydesign]

I am trying to create a desktop app that others can download from my site, and which installs right onto their desktop so it's active right away. They’ll see it on their desktop. It should install on the PCs and Macs, and which is a windowless Flash.
But I want the remote capability to being able to change what they see in my Flash file, meaning, I need to update my Flash symbol definitions immediately, and remotely. So when others launch this desktop Flash file, they'll see updated content.

I am wondering if there are three solutions regarding Flash:

1) I need a solution so windowless Flash files play on a desktop but both (the SWF file and Projector) can be installed from a website in a "single executable file. Unlike the need for: A) a projector install, and B) a file install

2) Is there any solution for swapping a Flash based "symbol", with a URL; that URL being mpeg, jpeg, QuickTime, or Flash file, or even HTML....where Flash treats those URLs just as a Flash graphic “symbol”? Symbols are called-up by Flash from the Library, but I want to call not only images, but a few file types…and not from the Library, but from a URL. Is this possible?

3) Based on the above #2 being possible, can I create a stand-alone "admin console" (web page), that will control my SWF files, and actually change a given URL (symbol)? So if frame 155 calls up a URL, and I wish to change that without opening my Flash file, ca I accomplish this remotely through a web page with some code that controls the Flash file?

Thank you, and I am willing to compensate those who respond if this requires work. Please contact me by email or phone in NY:
516-569-8888 Email: mgisser@nydesign.com

[CyanBlue]

Howdy and Welcome... :)

1) I don't know what you really mean by B) but you can create an installer that your users can download/install your app by executing it...

2) Yes and No... Um... Mostly no actually... You are still limited to what Flash can dynamically load, which basically are JPEG, SWF, FLV... You cannot dynamically load QuickTime or HTML into Flash...
To make the remote update work, you will have to have a routine to check the server to see if there is any updated file on the server, and if it does use that image, otherwise use the image that's stored in the SWF sort of logic built into all your assets... (Or use the new SWF from the server if there is a newer version on the server rather than going through all the assets that you use...)

3) Sure that can be done but it will require good amount of scripting to make it all happen...

[apotropaic]

1) I'm not sure why you would need a projector file and an swf, unless you are loading that swf I guess. But anyway, you can do this without an expensive installer. There are some zip applications that will create something like this for you. It will create an exe that will extract to the folder that the user specifies. Unless you want to create like a desktop icon, start menu folder or registry settings you could got that route.

2) & 3) As CyanBlue said you are limited to what you can dynamically load. I guess without knowing exactly what you want to load and stuff it be hard to say, but I think you might be able to accomplish most of what you want if you convert video files to FLV and use AMFPHP (http://www.amfphp.org)
You can then create a php admin section that controls exactly what gets loaded. So instead of frame 155 calling up a URL, it would call a function that would then contact your admin console and your admin console would then decide what to send back to flash based by text (with basic html formating) or a link to an flv or swf or jpg to load. Then flash would take whatever it gets back and load it. Sounds kinda complicated I guess but amfphp sets it up to make it very easy. You just have functions for calling your php functions and functions for handling the return of that php functions.

When I started using them I didn't think they had the best documentation, but there is a tutorial on this site HERE (http://www.actionscript.org/tutorials/intermediate/PHP_Remoting/index.shtml)
And of course people ask about it on this forum too.

[EdKav1]

Use Zinc - http://www.multidmedia.com

It will let you create both a PC and Mac self-contained EXE. If you want to control updating of the content then either have it load dynamically from a URL or use something like True Update from Indigo Rose to implement a dynamic update process for locally stored files.


Ed

[Syllogism]

Isn't this what Flex is for? or what?

[Rossman]

Flex is for web apps, rather than standalone flash applications.

[face]

you could also mount your flash file in a C# app, so the interface is all flash but you have all the benefits of running a C# app too (using the new f8 external interface).
the only requirement would be for the user to have the .net runtime stuff on their computer and that could be handled by an installer anyway - and i think MS push it out as a security update anyway.

[Rossman]

I don't think the .NET Framework is rolled out as an Automatic Update, so you'd either have to tell users to install it, or it wouldn't work.