Flash music weirdness

[David Delaney]

I have been running most of my AMS5 project on this computer - and it works great - so when I finally burned the disc and brought it to another computer, I was very suprised to find that FLASH music does not play! (I am using SwishMAX). I have put all the SWF files in the FLASH directory (one of them is a soundtrack in SWF) , but there is not sound when I try and play it on another computer. The other noises are fine (I have two videos as well), so I know the sound is working, just not the flash music! I am really worried about this?! I don't want to burn 10 CD to try and figure out how to do this, so if someone has the answer, please let me know!

[David Delaney]

I think I am going to have to learn to install the Standalone Flash Player, becaues on my other 2 computers (older Pentium II's), they have windows 98 and looking at the directory of FLASH files, the computer doesn't seem to recognize them and the icon is left 'unknown file type'. If someone has the install FLASH PLAYER script, I would really appreciate it and consider UPS is coming in the next couple of hours, the sooner the better! But if I am wrong and someone else knows what is wrong with my AMS5 project, please let me know.

Thanks

PS - I have gone through the FlashPlayer installation notes from AMS4, but I didn't know if they still apply.

[David Delaney]

Also, I had Dependencies checked for Flash Player when I tested it out on two other computer - the flash movie worked, but not the sound.

[GalacTek]

So are you needing to install Flash Player Version 7 on the machine?

I had a problem like this.. I signed up to be legal and got distribution copy (it's free)

http://www.macromedia.com/support/shockwave/info/licensing/

Put the installer on the CD Plugin folder.
On the Dependencies change it to 7 instead of 6 and in the Download/install link point to the installer.

To answer the other question you just posted while I was editing this one.. LOL

To run the exe on startup, just goto Projects, Actions, startup and the first thing you do is call the exe.

[David Delaney]

I don't know. It is getting weird. HEre is the situation. In SwishMAX there is an output feature that packages the file in an EXE format. When I tried this on my other 2 computers, sound and all was fine. This is without installing the player (but I am guessing that the player is a part of the EXE from SwishMAX.). What happens is the project plays in FLASH, which is good. But all of the bells, whistles, soundtrack etc do not play. There is no noise at all!

I also have an opening FLASHFILE, but this also doesn't have sound - is there a way for the opening to movie that is an EXE file? (ie; SwishMAX exe projector file)? When I look at STARTUP MOVIE, they only allow SWF or AVI files. I want to start the CD with the EXE that is a flash file that SWISHMAX puts out.

Thanks

[David Delaney]

Well, I've decided to go with all EXE project files on this project. AMS5 doesn't seem to like either FLASH files with sound or SwishMAX files. Not sure which, but the projector EXE that is outputed through SwishMAX seems to work, it just sucks because I wanted to enable a PAUSE, PLAY and STOP routine on the presentation of FLASH, now it will just have to be a fullscreen Flash player file.

[David Delaney]

Well, another wasted CD. Here is the situation. I burn the FLASH exe projector files on the cd and run it as file.open.
Now, when I burn it, it does not have sound again!!
This is truly strange because when I bring the FLASH .exe, BY ITSELF, to another computer and run it, it works like a charm, sound and all!

Does AMS5 override Flash sound or something? Why would it not work on a CD, but work on a HD by itself - it is running the same file?!?!?!

[Adam]

David,

Does the flash exe play manually from the CD-ROM? Can you browse the CD-ROM and double click the file to open it?

Adam Kapilik

[David Delaney]

Yes it works when I click on it, in the folder.

[David Delaney]

Should I put instead : File.run?

I don't know what is stopping this from working - I had to call the UPS guy back from sending this package out until I can figure this out!1

[David Delaney]

Maybe this might be important. When I am running the CD, and there is no sound (but the EXE projector files is running- flash player), I cannot run another audio sound - it says that the AUDIO IS BEING USED - so something is working. Now, why it won't play the music out the speakers is beyond me. My videos on the same CD work, sound and all (avi's), but not the flash files. When clicked on in the folder, they work perfect.

[JimS]

It’s probably a long shot, but have you tried rebooting?

[David Delaney]

A million times.

[rhosk]

David, this is a long shot as well, but try this [theory].

Do your buttons contain sound "On Click"? Conversely, when you execute this flash file, do you use "run wait"?

Try removing the sound on the button that executes and/or remove the wait to return feature (hope it's not required, but just for troubleshooting).

My total guess is, if there's sound on the button that executes, and it's a slower system, the button sound may be hung up until the executable is finished (via run wait). Just a theory, but give that a shot.

Could also be audio bitrate related, but unlikely.

[TJ_Tigger]

Are you able to post a sample project so people can actually try to help rather than speculate as to what the problem is? Might be helpful.

Tigg

[David Delaney]

Well, your theory sounds good, BUT (and a big but), the sound does not work on the STARTUP FLASH MOVIE. There are no buttons, nothing, it just starts-up and yet there are no sounds. When I go to the folder with the FLASH file and double click on it, it runs and there is sound. Only when running it in AMS5 does this happen.

I am going to try and get another computer (this will be the third) and see if I can get some satisfaction on a computer that is not WIN98. If I cannot figure it out, I will definitely post as an example. I was just wondering if AMS5 has a TURN OFF SOUND property or something on a startup movie. Again, it is strange because the videos in the presentation work, sound and all. Just the FLASH files do not work.

[yosik]

David,
Another long shot.
Try saving your flash files from SwishMax as flash5 format (the idea is to try and go backwards , as you are using a win98 computer). Then, to eliminate other factors, just have a simple one page project with the flash file playing as startup file. Then try and put the flash file as an pbject on the first page.
Hope you get there..
Yossi

[David Delaney]

Actually, they were already saved as FLASH 4.
It doesn't seem to be the computer. If I click on the file in the CD folder, it runs and sounds great! It is only when trying to run the FLASH file from AMS5!!

[yosik]

David,
In order to isolate the problem, I'd suggest you start a NEW project with JUST the flash movie as starup movie, nothing else, no sound, nothing and see if it works. You may have an underlying sound playing... just guessing, but the way I would do is to go step by step.
Yossi

[David Delaney]

Yeah, I guess I might have to. Hate having to burn and waste a CD (I have already wasted 1/2 a dozen so far), but it might show me the underlying problem. I will try that. Thanks

[David Delaney]

Ok, tried it with a brand new project. SAme deal, no sound - flash works fine, but no sound. The buttons in the project work as well, they click and beep, but the Flash files themselves do not have sound. This project, I didn't have an opening movie- I thought that might be the problem, but even without the OPENING movie, it still doesn't work.

It works fine on my computer (the one that I originally designed it from), but I always test it out on other computers to get a wider range. They are running win98. I ask the question again and again, why does it work when I click on the file in the folder (sound and all), but not when the project is running in AMS5?!?!

I have one more day to get this thing figured out.

[yosik]

ok, David. The only thing I can think of is, may be a matter of codec. As Flash, usually works with mp3 and AMS uses ogg as the internal audio codec, I would check which type of mp3 codec do you have installed on the win98 computer. Try to install a few mp3 codecs, like lame and blade.
I hope this helps.
Yossi

[longedge]

It's probably not related to your problem at all David, but a while ago I was experimenting with Flash splashcreens and I posted an example of detecting an fsCommand("quit") to jump to another page.

When I added some sound to the swf I found that it wouldn't work. Changing the fsCommand to include a blank parameter however resolved it i.e. with sounds in the flash file I had to use fsCommand("quit","").

Try the updated example that has got sound in it - do the sounds play for you?

[rhosk]

David, when you take your project to the "other computer", copy all the files to the hard drive and run the entire project from the hard drive.

[Theory #2] - When running from a CDROM, the CDROM itself is reliant on the specific sound card/CDROM volume cable. On WIN98 for ex, there may be a conflict dealing with the CDROM, the (probably a bit older) soundcard and of course, the OS itself. Lose the reliance of the CDROM for playing sounds from and see if that works. Then, you could always give the user the option to copy - run the project from a temp folder or whatever. Just another guess. HTH.

[David Delaney]

Ok, what is the script or the process for asking the user if they want it to be copied onto the USERS harddrive (temp folder)?

I hope this works.

Haven't tried out the fsquit command yet, because I don't have that in my FLASH file (it is SWISHMAX, so maybe I am wrong). But I haven' t used the FSquit command (javascript?) - or are you referring to using it in AMS5?

[longedge]

Haven't tried out the fsquit command yet, because I don't have that in my FLASH file (it is SWISHMAX, so maybe I am wrong). But I haven' t used the FSquit command (javascript?) - or are you referring to using it in AMS5?

fsCommands provide a way of making flash files interactive with AMS or other apps. If you look at a flash object in AMS then the only event that you'll see is on FSCommand.

Without the fsCommand("quit","") in the last the last frame of a swf you can't use it as a splashscreen AMS 'receives' the command and then closes the splash screen. Without it, it doesn't close.

It was just that I'd noted that an incorrectly formed fsCommand ( the AMS help file shows clearly you should use the empty parameter) caused a problem when I played sounds inside the swf.

As I said, not directly related but pertaining to sound.

[rhosk]

Without the fsCommand("quit","") in the last the last frame of a swf you can't use it as a splashscreen AMS 'receives' the command and then closes the splash screen. Without it, it doesn't close.

longedge, I use flash splashes all the time without FScommand, and they work fine (with a "timed" close, or a "click to skip"). [[unless I'm not quite understanding what you're saying - this could be true as well :D ]]

David, try the files on the hard drive first, then we'll tackle the "copy project to temp folder".

[longedge]

Quite so Ron, I'm aware that the user can still click through if you've allowed it and to be honest I've never tried closing from within flash, just used the AMS help file exemplar.

I had just noticed that where I had left the parameter unspecified in a file where there was sound, it didn't work - but enough of that, I'm not helping David by hi-jacking his thread - sorry.

[rhosk]

but enough of that, I'm not helping David by hi-jacking his thread - sorry.

:wow

We're not hi-jacking his thread? Flash, sounds, fscommand....Hopefully any one of these tidbits will help him out soon.

[David Delaney]

Ok, HUGE BREAKTHRU - this might help others too - but I still don't have a solution to the problem, but getting there.
By accident, when I ran the CD - then I clicked on the EXE FLASH PROJECTOR program - I closed down the AMS5 autorun - Suddenly the sound came back on for the FLASH FILE! This worked for both the TEST CD I made and the six other CD's that I have been testing and testing. So, my conclusion is the AMS5 - somewhere in the program, is running a sound file that is over-riding the FLASH sound. Now, where should I look? How can I turn this off? I am going through all the buttons etc right now and getting rid of sounds (clicking etc) to see if this helps. Has this happened to anyone before?

[longedge]

Am I interpreting this right David, you're running the flash file outside AMS and not as a flash object on a page? Or are you by any chance trying to run the same flash file twice - once inside AMS and then in a flash projector?

[David Delaney]

What I am doing is having the EXE file File.Open - this open the EXE projector file (to full maximized screen) :

File.Open("AutoPlay\\Docs\\let it ridemusic.exe", "", SW_MAXIMIZE);

Therefore, it opens in a new window (actually the FLASHPLAYER). Then I shutdown the AMS5 windows (the AUTORUN), and the sound suddenly kicks in!

Maybe there is something wrong with my script? Does that look right?

[longedge]

OK David try disabling the sound engine - Project Menu/Window Settings/Advanced tab/tick the radio button. It says for NT4 but might just work. If it does work it'll probably cause other probs for your video etc. though but might help as a diagnostic tool.

[David Delaney]

Isn't that just for NT? I will try it.
I also noticed that when I click on the EXE projector file, I need to shut down the AMS5 Autorun immediately or the sound won't work. Once both are loaded, the sound is not retrievable. But if the FLASHPLAYER hasn't loaded yet, and I shut down the AMS5 autorun, the sound comes through, load and clear.

BUT this means that my audio for the Video's that I have will be gone as well (I just finished reading the Help file on it).

[longedge]

If it does work, could you create a mini app. with the sound engine disabled. Wait for your exe to finish if you know how long it runs then close it either timed or with a button, run your main app and close the mini app.

Have you tried using file.run instead of file.open. Don't know if it makes a difference but I use open to open file and run for executables, allows you to add parameters.

[David Delaney]

Ok, it sounds logical. How do I create a mini-app. and what about the fact that is only works on winnt?

[longedge]

I've never tried it but the help file implies to me that it's only necessary for NT4 users. Not that it will only work in NT4.

Just create a new project call it Loader or something similar and put the actions in it that were on the page in your main app that run the exe. Disable the sound engine and then try it out.

If that works, so good so far. If it doesn't, then there's no point going further but this should only take a couple of minutes to try.

Then the next step is to find the exe window and close it, then run your main app, then close the mini app. You can do all this from within a single event whether it's on.timer or and on.click.

[David Delaney]

Longedge,

The problem is, I really can't have the AUTORUN AMS5 closed down! It has multiplie places for the user to go. I don't want them to have to reinsert the CD everytime they want to run one of the 7 different menu options. Also, the Flash Projector EXE's are not times, they are presentation pieces, where the user flicks through them at their own leisure, so I can't really time it.

I appreciate your replies, but maybe I am not understanding you. I don't want to sound dismissive of your ideas is all.

ALSO, I have tried copying file folder to the Hard Drive, and this does not fix the problem. There is still no sound.

[longedge]

Sorry I couldn't help. To be honest I would have concentrated on keeping everything within AMS. Good luck with it anyway....

[David Delaney]

Well, I did too, at first. I had the flash files play within AMS5, but I found the sound wasn't working, so I went to plan B - using EXE Projector files, again, the sound is not working. I am hoping the authors of this program chime in on this thread...

[Brett]

What version of DirectX is on the test system? How many test systems have you tested on? Which version of Flash did you create the .swf files with? Have you opened a support ticket? Have you sent us a sample project with full test system specs? What AMS50 version?

Please respond to the above in as much detail as possible. We would love to help but don't have enough to go off of so far.