Digital Workshop

How do I insert an swf into an Opus pub, built on XP, that will run on Vista?

I've inserted the swf as a video object, ensuring that Vista has Quicktime. I don't see anything.

I've put it in as a Docview object. This works on XP, but again I see nothing on Vista.

I previously had it as a browser object, which didn't work. I understood from a previous thread that I'd need an upgade from DW to make this work, but they've not replied to my emails.

A kind person here sent me the patch to test, but it wouldn't install on my XP system.

More suggestions, please....

Can you create an HTML page to play the SWF and then pop that in the Browser object? I don't have Vista so can't test, but that's another way of getting SWFs into a pub. My assumption is you have to have this in the publication so it looks seamless? If not, you could always go the low-end route and convert the SWF to an EXE and then launch that from your Opus publication.

At least it gives you something to play with right?

Hi Linda,

I'm not sure this is a Vista or Opus issue but a QT one because the latest version 7.4.1 is unable to play SWF files and thus won't work in Opus.

I've installed 7.0.3 under Vista and it plays SWF fine. If you have to use the latest QT or not sure which version your clients are likely to use, then a work around is need or a fix to the QT problem, if there is one.

To try an older version of QT, uninstall the current version, download an older version from http://www.oldversion.com/ and see if this works as you'll then know which peice of software is causing the problem.

Mack

I tried using Docview to view an html playing the swf - again this worked on XP, but not on Vista.

From Windows Explorer in Vista I could open the html and watch the flash perfectly, so it's something to do with the way Opus launches it.

Meanwhile, following Mack's advice, I downloaded the older QT version. Presumably this is only of importance if I run the swf as a video file, as it made no difference to the DocView version.

Someone's gone off with the Vista lapto to a presentation now, but I'll carry on testing tonight - swf as a video with old QT is the last option left to check.

Thanks to you both for a fast response.

Linda

Hi Linda,

DocView & the Video system use two different ways of displaying the SWF file.

The video one uses QuickTime which will not display flash file any more since 7.4 under XP or Vista. Apple simply removed the function - didn't tell anyone and if you do a google search you'll find a lot of annoyed developors whose software no longer works. To use flash with the video object you will need to use an older version - best bet is pre 7.1 as this also might cause problems because Apple required Flash to be manually enabled. One thing to watch out for is that anybody running iTunes needs the latest version of QT to work and thus installing older version might not be a good idea.

As for DocView, this uses ActiveX and until recently worked fine but Adobe have done something that is causing problems. There are lots of postings on the web where flash file seem to run perfectly on one site and then require manual installation of the ActiveX plugin for others. As for OPUS - you should see the Adobe Flash ActiveX program in add/ remove (called something else under Vista) and then it should work. I've not checked this under Vista but will if I get a chance.

If the SWF is just video - it is possilbe to convert to a range of common formats without loss of quality although normally a hike in file size.

Slightly off topic - but there is a wonderful visualisation program called VirtualBox that allows you to run an OS inside and OS and thus if you have a decent machine (core2 or better) you could have a Vista demo OS running on one of your XP machine for test purposes. If you test your presentations under Vista or XP then it is easy to keep a clean virtual version rather than reinstalling on a physical system.

UPDATE: Should have remembered this - but must be lacking coffee! DocView under Vista is having problems since MS & IE7 security was upgraded - I think - this is the new protected mode under IE7 & Vista. I know that some other users have full access to the docview and maybe this is the patch or simply their config. If you've got Internet Browser Not Available - then we're hitting the same wall - the workaround is to run Opus as administrator - right click and select this option. With Adobe FLash ActiveX installed SWF file will run under Vista now

Mack - going for some coffee

Hi,

I don';t know if you're stuck on Quicktime. I use a lot of swf-files (animations, not video) in my pubs, but integrate the controls in the flashfile. That way I don't have to depend (too much) on third party-software.
As of yet I have not encountered any problem in Vista.

Ad

ps. If I use video, I prefer the mpeg1-format which will run on any machine.

We're all hopeful.

Paul

I think the complete QuickTime stuff is an unnecessary annoyance. If you like to deliver an OPUS publication with Flash parts included you have to deliver QT too. That makes it necessary to deliver several megabytes of QuicktTime stuff AND to make a special delivery agreement with Apple so that you are allowed to deliver QT.

How much easier would it be to include a simple flash player in Opus publications which include flash stuff? A lot of other authoring tools do it in this way and avoid problems and annoyances for their developers and customers.

T