I see you? Realtime remote presentation?

[mcdanyel]

I will just keep this simple. JUst tell me what to search for on the forums and I will. I had no idea where to even start with this one though.

I want to be able to do a "remote" flash presentation of my design work. I could do a teleconference with the client while they are looking at the web based flash presentation. The trick is I want to be able to see what they are looking at in real time. So if they are looking at say a certain logo that I designed, I can start talking about what they are seeing. Then when they move to the next one I can see which one they are on and talk about that one.

Even better, it would be great if I could control their "client" flash presentation. Showing them logos or whatever as I wanted. Like by clicking the next button on my end and the logo changeing on their machine while I talk to them.

They only way I could think to do this, is to use PHP to write variables to a text file then the "client" flash file on the viewers computer would load the variable. This way has a lag time that unpredictable though. Plus their "client" swf might not refresh the text file, even if you had the random? + number stuff.

Anyone?

[tg]

flash communication server.

[mcdanyel]

What is it exactly. I am lazy. I have seen the banner ads for it and even recieved e-mails from Macromedia but is it server side program or and extension to Flash MX?

Call me stupid, ha ha.

[tg]

basically server side flash. can even do some server side actionscript. but the gist of it is you can do chat with flash (easily), video chat with flash (easily) create white board apps, and create live online interactive presentations.
the catch is that currently it only runs on windows servers. media temple currently does hosting for flash communication server, and varying rates, so get the evaluation version, and play around with it.

[mcdanyel]

It is server side. I went and checked it out last night on Macromedia's web site. Looks very cool and does exactly what I am looking BUT like you said it runs on Window servers only and I know my hosting service doesn't have it.

My friends and I have a small server that we could run it on but our server is unix based like rest of the web. We do not have a lot of money for this side project so paying someone just to host it is out. O well...what was macromedia thinking? May just give up on the project for now until a unix or mac os x version of that communication server.

Does anyone know a work around that doesn't use communication server? Just wondering.

[Olden]

Actually, I've had a lot of success with having a Flash client continually read a text file stored on the server and cycle based on the changing data.

The trick is to create a loop in the Flash client app that RELOADS the same file every second, five seconds, whatever. If the text file only contains one name=value pair, it loads almost instantly even on 24k connections.

Use scripting to pause the the Flash presentation until the variable in the text file changes. Create a button on a page that when submitted, increments the variable's value in the text file. Each time there is a value change, have the Flash app proceed to the next stopping point.

This has worked well for me.

[mcdanyel]

That is along the lines of what I was thinking. I just thought there might be too much of a lag time but there might not be if the text file only contains one small variable.

I might give it a try. hopefully it will work great until the flash server thing runs on unix of mac os X servers, ha ha.

Thanks again. I will post here if I get it running.

[Olden]

If you're giving the presentation during a telephone conference call, you can get some audible feedback if you add a ding or click or some other sound to your Client app when it advances -- then you'll be sure about when the presentation advances because you'll hear it over the phone.

[mcdanyel]

Thanks again Olden. I haven't thought of that one. I will have to try this out for sure before I attempt a presentation "virtually".

If you hadn't already tried it and liked the results, I wouldn't try it. Thanks.

[mcdanyel]

Alrighty...I am back on this topic with a fever!

I am looking for a job but I am in San Francisco and the possible employer is in Atlanta, GA (about 3600 miles apart if you are not from the US). I want to be able to control what they see on there end in a flash portfolio movie with a flash movie on mine while I talk over the phone. Make sense?

Is there anyway to pass a var from one flash movie to another without writing a text file through PHP? Just wondering about this topic here (again). I have found postings about this without a browser but I need the browser here.

I am sure there has to be a way to do it without having to write a text file (not using flash mx communcation server). Either by flash to flash directly or flash to php to flash. Anyone else?

[butterbur]

As an alternative way, take a look at livetalk (http://www.phplivesupport.com/) , you can push pages whilst chating.

[mcdanyel]

That phplive and the livechat are really nice but not quite what I am looking for. I am attempting to do it using a php to write changes to a text file and have the client app checking the text file all the time.

Not working yet but I am sure it is my code, ha ha....

[mcdanyel]

I have a complete working slide show file now! It works great!

If anyone needs the files to base a real time, remote controled presentation off of, just let me know and I will send you the files. Just e-mail me and let me know if you are on a mac or PC.

Thanks for everyone's help here!

Whoooo Hoooo!

[mcdanyel]

Correction to my last "wooo whoooo". I have it running localy just fine in two browser windows but not on two diffrent machines and that was teh whole point. I started another thread for this specific problem so please take a peek at:

Client swf doesn't run correctly on non-local machines >>> http://www.actionscripts.org/forums/showthread.php3?s=&threadid=16435

Otherwise if you know how to pass a vars from one flash movie to another flash movie running on another machine somewhere just using something like PHP as a relay between the two please let me know!

I am screwed.... guess I will Fed Ex my good portfolio ha ha