Hello,

I'm working on an educational game that is to be cross-platformed. Building
it in Director 8.5. I normally do small animations and loops in QT and put
them over static backgrounds. For this project the client doesn't want any
external players to be used because more and more machines in schools are
blocked against doing any kind of install (I bundle the standalone player in
case they would have to install Quicktime...but that's not allowed anymore
in a lot of places...security issues). If I output them as AVI loops, Media
Player should be present on the Windows machines (some schools are disabling
that, too), but there's no guarantee that a player for AVI clips will be
available on the Mac side. 

So...for my animations (usually small bugs creeping along leaves) I have
created film loops...dozens of them. They look fine, are completely internal
and are working well...with one exception. The controls in each scene are
3-state buttons (static/roll/click). When you click one of the buttons, and
while in the stillDown, the film loops go crazy. The score accelerates
during the stillDown loop and it causes my slowly creeping bugs to look like
they're swarming. 

How do you control a film loop? Can I control the playback rate during the
stillDown? I don't want to put a static image in the sprite during that
moment because it would make the bugs jump back to their starting point and
that's almost as bad from an aesthetic standpoint as having them swarm.

I'm starting to think I can't control the playback of a film loop. I have
dozens of books on Director and I can't find anything about controlling a
film loop. If I can't control a film loop any suggestions on creating
animations that don't require an external player of any kind? I've done a
little bit with Flash but don't know that much about it (I've been a
Director Guy since 5.0...it's always done everything I need). With a Flash
Xtra can I play back Flash or Shockwave loops without ever relying on an
external player?

Suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Al

Allen Stare
Intense Multimedia, Inc.

"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in
human history--with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila."


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