calling functions

[elmimmo]

I am trying to launch quicktime, avi and mpg movies from flash and for this I use 2 techniques, one for windows users and another for mac users. For windows I call one of those programs that call the default executable for a certain document (the movie) that is passed as its arguments (one i'm using is shelexec.exe). For macs I call an applescript with the same name as the movie (without the extension) that calls the movie in question.

In the first place I manually define which system (win or mac) is the projector intended for with an action in the first frame stating:

var System = "mac";

And then in each button supposed to launch the movie I assign the following action:


on (release) {
if (System == "win") {
fscommand ("exec", "movies\\ShelExec.exe\tmovies\\movie01.mov");
} else {
fscommand ("exec", ":movies:movie01");
}
}

Except that I change the name of each movie to be launched. With this I define the variable "system", publish one of the projectors, and just by redefining it again and publishing the other projector I have both version with minimum hassle. I've tested this and it works.

Anyhow there are dozens of buttons launching movies so I tried to define the function to launch the movies just once and call it from every button like this: First I changed the action I defined in the first frame to:

var System = "mac";
function LaunchMovie (NameMovie, ExtensionMovie) {
if (System == "win") {
fscommand ("exec", "movies\\ShelExec.exe\tmovies\\" + NameMovie + "." + ExtensionMovie);
} else {
fscommand ("exec", ":movies:" + NameMovie);
}
}

and in each button I changed the action defined simply to:


on (release) {
LaunchMovie (movie01, mov);
}

I've tried this only on Mac OS for the moment (that's why the variable "System" is defined as "mac") but it does not work any more. Any help, pleeease?

elmimmo

[axel]

problem in "adressing"

if you defined this function on main timeline and buttons are inside of a movie clip you should use:

on (release) {
_root.LaunchMovie (movie01, mov);
}

in buttons

[dnalogic]

Maybe a stupid suggestion, but, have you tried putting the parameters in quotes? they are strings and not objects, afterall.


Old code:

on (release) {
LaunchMovie (movie01, mov);
}



New code:

on (release) {
LaunchMovie("movie01","mov");
}



Regards,
Dean Alexandrou.

[elmimmo]

I tried with _root.LaunchMovie writing its parameters with and without quotes, but still no luck.

Maybe I should have pointed that those buttons I assign the action to are in a different scene (but same movie clip) than the first one (the 1st frame of which is where de function is declared).

[axel]

working for me ;)

where did you defined this function? check it with debug/variables

//main timeline
var System = "mac";
function LaunchMovie (NameMovie, ExtensionMovie) {
trace("XXXXXXXXXXX"); // be sure it is called
if (System == "win") {
loadMovieNum("movies\\ShelExec.exe\tmovies\\" + NameMovie + "." + ExtensionMovie,2);
} else {
loadMovieNum(":movies:" + NameMovie,2);
}
}

//button inside movie clip
on (release) {
_root.LaunchMovie("movie01","mov");
}

[elmimmo]

It works!! I do not really know what I was doing wrong. Probably a bunch of things, mistyping the movies, sometimes trying with projectors sometimes not (and only projectors can launch executables which is what I use)... whatever. THANKS A LOT!.

As my question probably revealed, I am neither programmer nor have touched ActionScript but the surface. This was the 1st time I used the debugger and I saw Flash itself has a predefined "$version" variable, the value of which when debugging in Mac OS is reported as "MAC 5,0,30,0" in my version of Flash. So I saw there is no need for a manual change in a custom "system" variable.

So, just two teenie weenie little question more. Could anyone provide me with the value of "$version" in a windows Flash Player (whatever its version number might be). And is there an operator which I can use in the "if" function which would mean
$version contains "MAC"
instead of
&version equals "MAC 5,0,30,0"
(so that the movie keeps working even if I upgrade Flash and publish it again)

Whether you can answer these also or not, THANKS A LOT again