RE: FLASH: BookMarking

[.redstar.]

Russel,


You can implement this functionality in one of two ways, one is Flash3

compatible the other is Flash4 compatible.

The Flash3 version was used by Steve Couture some time ago in one of his

games and requires the use of FSCommands plus javascripting. Steve used

cookies to store info about the progress the user had made in the game (in

this case levels). This basic idea can be adapted to what you want. You do

need however to establish 'stop points', i.e. points in the movie where the

user is allowed to stop the movie. In each of these points have a button

that calls a javascript routine, passing it some appropriate info. The

javascript routine will then write a cookie to the users browser with the

stop point info. To finish off you just need a call at the start of your

movie to a javascript routine that will check for the relevant cookie and

it's value and then send the user to the section of the movie where he left

off.

The Flash4 version is in essence much the same only you can avoid using

FSCommand call to javascript routines enabling a larger user base.

At each stop point enable a button that sends info to a cgi that does the

cookie stuff, this setup might require placing the movie in a frame and

making the call to the cgi script pointing to another frame (hidden maybe

?). Once you get the cookie setting mechanism working use the same basis for

the initial cookie checking routine.


For both versions you might want to consider having each interval between

stop points to be a loadable movie. This way if the user revisits the movie

at a point where you would need to load 300Kb before getting to where he

left off in a single movie scenario, in a multiple movie scenario you would

just need to call the appropriate level and the user would have instant

gratification ;).

As a tip always trigger the check for the cookie from the movie and not from

the page load.


Another alternative you might want to consider is to enable the movies

savability under shockmachine. This is one of those nifty features that

didn't catch on for various reasons (no need to go into all that now) but

could bring added value to a lot of movies floating around the web.


.redstar.



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