Digital Workshop

My first post! Random matters.
I just might be the greatest fan of Opus out here, so bear that in mind when I mention the following criticisms. I would never consider using other software since I believe what can be achieved with Opus is quite staggering.
I have used Opus for many years, since Illuminatus days, but for lowly presentation purposes, not heavyweight programming. I incorporate slideshows, music, video and narration - and just recently have moved into Flex website creation.
I have struggled over the years to overcome certain 'quirks' in the programme - it's ability (or lack of) to handle certain video and music formats; its crashing tendencies; - a whole list of hours and hours of trial & error 'adventures' I've had, attempting to work around problems, not covered by help files. I now know in many areas what Opus can do and can't - and yet I continue using it.
One area which has become a major disappointment, however, is its limitations in flash creation, via Flex. DW are upfront about the unsupported features, so this is not a criticism, but I would have thought that with the power and flexibility of the programme, developing it so that these limitations disappear would be an overwhelming priority. There is a massive market for website creation with Opus surely?
The list of functions not available in Flex swf creation includes some fundamental things (at least for what I require) and it is so very disappointing to discover this.
I am aware that Opus can't do everything for everyone. But it comes so close to being perfect that I think a great opportunity is being lost.
Now that SCORM has been addressed, how about attacking these Flex limitations and turning Opus into a real flash website development force!
Tony Crowther (using Opus Presenter Pro v 5.5)

Hi, Tony.

From my understanding, they are working on improving Flash. Here was some input about it: viewtopic.php?t=2958

Thanks for the reply, Roxie, and the link relating to discussions about improving Flex output.
I think I've read most of that already, and yet I'm still not sure what DW are planning or wanting to do to progress along the Flash route.
To my layman's mind regarding these matters, whether it's Flash or not is slightly irrelevant; what I'm keen to see is the ability to use ALL of Opus' fantastic capabilities, simply translated so they can be plublished and used for website design without the need for proprietory plug-ins (ie Plexus). If it has to be Flash, sobeit. I know that's a little idealistic and unrealistic - Opus just can't do absolutely everything.
Yet I wonder how much work it would take just to improve those things on most people's wishlists - transparency; page curls and all the missing transitions; launch file (not just launch Web Page); ability to handle more image/video/music formats; hyperlinks; etc, etc. Ie - to negate the 'Flex Limitations' list in Opus Help.
It's always reassuring to get a response from DW on questions like these.
Tony Crowther

I'm afraid it's not that simple - whether or not something is possible in Flash directly influences whether it is possible to do from Flex (which is just our name for Flash publications produced in Opus). For instance it will never be possible to perform file based actions or launching of other executables from Flash, simply because those things are not possible in Flash (largely for security reasons).

However, we are currently working on new Flash functionality that will extend what is possible in Flex publications to more closely match Opus itself.

Personally, I have to stand on the Plexus side of the fence. Flash is useful, and having spent more time recently playing with Action Script 3.0 - find that it's an amazingly powerful development tool but the Plexus plug-in takes a fraction of a minute to install on decent broadband and allows the access to multimedia applications that would be difficult, time consuming and costly in Flash.

Flash doesn't, and shouldn't, have a monopoly on web applications and users are required more and more to install extensions to access specific content from Java to Silverlight and whether they do will depend on the quality of the content provided using these technologies and the stability of the technology.

Interaktiv regularly release such mini Plexus applications to the educational sector using probably the largest repository of educational resources in the UK - the TRE. And whilst the free editions exploit a fraction of the power of our full products - they are always strongly recommended by the moderators and the necessary download & installation of Plexus in the words of the TRE is "well worth it"

There are flaws. Plexus is not always stable in IE (but then neither is Flash) and the plug-in is Windows only but I know of many who use it in virtual mode under Mac OS & Linux. Also personally, I would like to see a cleaner installation routine with the opt in / out and EULA that Flash presents.

Mack

... you did forget the major problem with plexus. This is that a lot of people especially in companies with many machines do not like strange or unknown plugins. In most cases the admins or the security people do even not allow to install plugins like plexus at all.

A lot of customers actually don't like the shockwave plugin for Adobe director not to speak about plexus.
So in many cases one has to decide to develop applications in flash format or let someone else do the job.

Flash is the de facto standard, like it or not.

T.