Software, Fitness, and Gaming – Jesse Warden

Good discussions on UGO list today (no, I don’t know how to get there). There are a lot of initiatives, as well as proposed approaches, and everyone has an agenda (unlike my last AtlMMUG speech… bleh, my fault, learned though). I feel like there is a plethora of talent that once focused, like Voltron, will be awesome to behold.

We’re currently discussing our issues ranging from Flash’s component framework, the Flash IDE, components, to the Flash Player itself. Really it’s about indentifying the strengths, weaknesses, holes, and then merging those with the goals of the poeple there.

I’m in a unique role, because although there are people there that utilize designs that cannot be created via CSS, ASDraw, and DENG, I’m currently trying to overcome the skinning issue I have.

One the one hand, I dig the Flash MX 2004 Framework. However, there are certain times I cannot use some of the components because they do not work within the design I am giving for a project. Each of them support runtime skinning to a point, but it’s not true runtime skinning. You can set a symbol to use, that symbol was defined at authortime. If one were to have the capability (hint, hint MM) to set the linkage URL of an Imported Shared Library, then you could use whatever SWF you wanted, and therefore, any asset you wanted. This would empower true, runtime skinning for components, as well as a plethora of other media dynamcism. Whoa, is that a word?

Anyway, a lot of good ideas brewing. I think there is a target market for a lightweight AS2 framework for designers to easily customize. I think everyone would like a lightweight one. There are a few, too, from the enterprise world would like some the true runtime rendering combing XUL forms building as well as dynamic classes.

It really boils down to this: Current Shared Libraries do not expediate compile time. Because of this, even if one utilizes them, or even SWC’s, your still having to compile the class itself in the main SWF. Therefore, a combination of an agreed upon Interface + utilizing Brandon’s Outlet component allows one to utilize loaded SWF’s via loadMovie, and treat them as components. The issues therein are abudant; class exclusion, inheritance, ect. But the flexibility gains for some of the larger projects enterprise developers are doing, as well as some of the development benefits they offer in terms of recompiling only smaller parts of your project are cool.

Anyway, interesting mix of people, perspectives, and goals. Really neat to see the dynamic as each brings great talents, knowledge, and experiences to the table. For, at least, it seems that the majority agree upon utilizing what we have now rather than looking at a future version of Flash to solve our development needs. The needs of a differing framework for compactness, runtime rendering of graphics (non-bitmap), and support for design standards such as XUL forms (think I got that last part right) seem to be the most wide-spread agreements. After that is where individual inititives differ.

Tony MacDonell @ teknision.com solved a problem he had in his company’s production environment by using a different paradigm for the JSAPI. He gives an example of allowing designers to update FLA’s that contain different versions of video, but I don’t think that effectively conveys how useful it is.

Certain Commands can be used in a wide-array of situations. His “Open Source Folder” for instance applies to every FLA file I work on that doesn’t already have the folder open in Explorer (or Finder). However, some files have certain JSFL actions that are really only needed for that file, but if those changes could be automated, it would streamline production; in his case, allowing the designers to click a button have both the High and Low quality video’s automatically re-imported without having to manually do it. The other benefits:
– JSFL saved with file. This makes the code portable; goes with the file. Someone else doesn’t needed the Command installed.
– JSFL command does not populate the Commands window. Even though the Command window can have sub-menu’s, the content is where it should be; with the file.

Those are intrinsic. The ones that aren’t so immediately apparent are:
– code is associated with the file, therefore easier to create and associate with that one file
– because relationships are created when multiple tasks need to be done on just one file, all scripts can be run together as one

One I wanted to add is some scripts only apply to one file’s unique situation. Making a full blown command is over kill.

You’ll still need his “File Actions” tool installed, but it’s an extension, and therefore is easy to install.

He wants feedback, btw. Remove anti-spam.

NO-FarFigN00tin|||tony|||SPizz-NAm@teknision.com

It is one of many examples for his Flash in the Can presentation. If you get a few:

File Actions – MXP | Examples

There are help files with the extension, but I couldn’t get them to work in the Panel; they are at the bottom of my Help panel.

Couldn’t find this in my archives, so putting it there now.

Tony MacDonell @ Teknision built this JSAPI + XUL + Window SWF extension that opens up the source folder of the FLA your currently working on. Don’t know if it works on Mac, but on windows, it only works if you don’t have IE open.

Anyway, I use it all the time. …course, if Chafic could put this feature in his Flash Tray Tools… but I’ve already asked for a feature.

Open Source Folder