Manipulating Flash Projector Files--tutorial.jcwcn.com

Introduction

Take a look at my example PC executable file (included in the download files - see left).
Do you want to use a Flash projector as a splash sreen for a CD-ROM? Would you like to make a professional looking self executable mulitmedia presentation with Flash? Is that newly released Projector Launcher program not quite sufficient? As you well know the projector in it's default state pretty much sucks with it's hideous Macromedia branded right click pop ups, silly non-defeatable key commands, and crappy little hand cursor that appears when you roll over a button. Do you like the cheezy default icon that the Flash projector displays on your desktop? This tutorial will show you how to manipulate the afformentioned items, plus more.
Requirements
You will need the following items to do all of the things in this tutorial, but you may discrimenate based on your specific needs.
A Flash Projector.
Axialis Icons Editor(non-crippled, 5 time use limit shareware)
Axialis Cursors Editor(non-crippled, 5 time use limit shareware)
Cursors
Disclaimer
Disabling or modifying certain properties of the Flash projector such as the "About.." or "version" information may invalidate the exclusion of the "Made with Macromedia" labeling that was granted in early 1999 when Macromedia made the Flash Player open source. In this recent act Macromedia has allowed the projector to be distributed without the "Made With Macromedia" logos. I have not inquired about this matter but I do suspect that if you modify the version information or the about box data, you will be required to use the standard "Made with Macromedia" terms that were formally in effect. The previous terms states that you must display the "Made With Macromedia" logo a minimum of 4 seconds in the credits of the movie. You must also place the "Made With Macromedia" labeling on the packaging of the product. You can get these logos in post script format directly from Macromedia here. Nor I (MadWolfZX) or the website hosting this tutorial will be held liable for any trademark or copyright infringement that may potentially be caused from the use or misuse of the information contained within this tutorial. Use at your own risk.
Command Codes
Use the following command codes table whenever you need to know the command to use within a string.
CODE
20002 20007 20017 20025 20028 20030 20033 20034 20039 20040 20041 20043 20044 20051 20046 20048 20050
DESCRIPTION
OPEN EXIT RIGHT CLICK MENU REWIND QUALITY SHIFT ZOOM OUT ZOOM IN SHOW ALL PLAY STEP FORWARD STEP BACK LOOP ABOUT POP-UP QUIT SHOW 100% FULL SCREEN FULL SCREEN EXIT
Step-by-step
These steps presume that you have already made a Flash (swf) movie into a projector.
Helpful Tips
Click on the to expand a directory tree. Click on the to collapse a directory tree...
A. Manipulate Right Click Menu
Kill Right Click Menu
1. Open Exescope and go to File and Open the projector movie that you wish to modify.
2. Expand Resource, now expand Menu and now expand 116. (Figure 1)
3. Select English and go to the right window. Right Click on each and every string and select Delete. Leave the root entry which is intact. If you delete the projector will not funtion correctly.
4. *Go back to Step 3 and do the same thing as you did to the English entry to all other language entries as well.
5. Collapse all open directories in the left Exescope window.
6. Go to Edit and choose Save Update to save these changes.
7. Close the file.
9. The right click pop up is now disabled...completely. You won't even get a small grey rectangle with a small line in it like you do when you use the FS command ShowMenu-False.
*You do not have to edit all languages if you are 100% sure that the projector will only be viewed on computers with the English version of Windows installed, but I do highly recommend that you edit all languages anyway just to be safe.
Edit Right Click Menu
1. Open Exescope and go to File and Open the projector movie that you wish to modify.
2. Expand Resource, now expand Menu and now expand 116. (Figure 1)
3. *Select English and right click the strings that you want to modify and select Edit. To delete a string, right click on it and select Delete.
Use the following format to customize your menu.
String Structure (Figure 2)
[command],[display text]
0, = Seperator Line
Example
Note: Never edit or delete the at the top of the right window, this will cause the Flash Player to crash.
4. Go to Edit and choose Save Update to save these changes.
5. Close the file.
*You do not have to edit all languages if you are 100% sure that the projector will only be viewed on computers with the English version of Windows installed, but I do highly recommend that you edit all languages anyway just to be safe.
B. Edit "About" Dialogue Box
1. Open Exescope and go to File and Open the projector movie that you wish to modify.
2. Expand Resource, now expand Dialog and now expand 103. (Figure 3)
B. Edit "About" Dialogue Box (cont)
The previous entry (Figure 3) results in the object below. (Figure 4)
3. *Select English and in the right side window select the paramater that you wish to edit. After the desired object is highlighted edit it using the fields above. You can control the size of text, system font used, location of the OK button, about box window name, location of the displayed icon and any text information. To delete an object clear all of the paramaters associated with that object. The specific paramaters are self-explanatory, therefor I will not cover these in detail.
B. Edit "About" Dialogue Box (cont)
The custom entry above (Figure 5) results in the object below. (Figure 6)
4. Go to Edit and choose Save Update to save these changes.
5. Close the file.
*You do not have to edit all languages if you are 100% sure that the projector will only be viewed on computers with the English version of Windows installed, but I do highly recommend that you edit all languages anyway just to be safe.
C. Edit/Disable Key Commands
1. Open Exescope and go to File and Open the projector movie that you wish to modify.
2. Expand Resource, now expand Accelerator and now expand 101. (Figure 7)
Editing Key Commands
3. To edit the key commands, select and type as you would in notepad. Use the following string structure to customize the key commands:
[key],[command],VIRTKEY, NOINVERT,[optional key]
STRING EXAMPLES
Fullscreen= Press F + Control Keys
F,20048,VIRTKEY,NOINVERT,CONTROL
Fullscreen= Press F Key
F,20048,VIRTKEY,NOINVERT
KEY ABBREVIATIONS(Non ascii keys)
Alter Key
ALT
Escape Key
ESC
Control Key
CONTROL
Function Keys
F(x)
Disabling Key Commands
Note: If you wish to completely disable all key commands then delete all of the entries in the window on the right side and then enter a fake entry that does nothing. If you delete all strings and run the projector, then it will crash when a key is pressed. Use the fake string below to prevent crashes.
A,0,VIRTKEY,NOINVERT
4. Go to Edit and choose Save Update to save these changes.
5. Close the file.
D. Changing Icons
1. Open Exescope and go to File and Open the projector movie that you wish to modify.
2. Expand Resource, now expand Icon and now expand 102. (Figure 8)
D. Changing Icons (cont)
Now, select the 1: 32*32, 16 Color entry so that it is highlighted. Now go to FIle, select import and choose the new icon file.
4. Repeat step 3 for the following entries:
2: 16*16, 16 Color
5: 16*16, 256 Color
6: 32*32, 256 Color
5. Go to Edit and choose Save Update to save these changes.
6. Close the file.
NOTE: There is no need to replace the "2 color icons", they will never show unless you are using a monochrome display, which is very unlikely since I know of no computer that can execute 32 bit programs that has anything less than a 16 color display with the exception of some freak machine that somebody with a lot of spare time might custom build. You must use icons of the exact size and number of colors in order to effectively replace an old one. There is no reason to bother with the icons under the 118 directory; these are only for swf files. You will need to use an icon editor to manipulate or make your own icons......the program referred to at the beginning of this tutorial, Axialis Icons, is the best icon editor that you can get for your money in my opinion.
E. Changing Cursors
Changing Button Rollover Cursor
1. Open Exescope and go to File and Open the projector movie that you wish to modify.
2. Expand Resource, now expand Cursor and now expand 107. (Figure 9)
3. Now, select the 13: 32*32 entry so that it is highlighted. Now go to FIle, select import and choose the new cursor file.
5. Go to Edit and choose Save Update to save these changes.
6. Close the file.
Changing Drag Cursor
1. Open Exescope and go to File and Open the projector movie that you wish to modify.
2. Expand Resource, now expand Cursor and now expand 115.
3. Now, select the 15: 32*32 entry so that it is highlighted. No go to FIle, select import and choose the new cursor file.
5. Go to Edit and choose Save Update to save these changes.
6. Close the file.
NOTE: You do not normally have to change the 16x16 curors, but you may want to do so just to be safe. I recommend the following cursor editor.: Axialis AX-Cursors
F. Edit Version Information
1. Open Exescope and go to File and Open the projector movie that you wish to modify.
2. Expand Resource, now expand Version.
3. Now, select the 1 entry so that it is highlighted. Now right click the version entrie(s) in the right side window that you wish to change and choose Edit, change the info in the text field as you see fit.
4. Go to Edit and choose Save Update to save these changes.
5. Close the file.
Additional Important Information
This tutorial was written by MadWolfZX and it may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the express written consent of the author. This tutorial was written based on the following combination of software; Exescope v4.30, Flash v4.0 32bit projector on a Windows v95 machine. Most of the information contained within this tutorial may also be used with Flash v3.0 projectors but some steps my vary slightly, however, all of the command codes and string structures are identical to the Flash v4.0 projector. The Voltron name and the Voltron Shield logo are the intellectual property of World Events
» Level Intermediate

Added: : 2000-12-14
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» Author
MadWolfZX
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Manipulating Flash Projector Files

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