Boz011

Join Date 04/2004

Flash object in DesktopX with transparency to reveal desktop

Hi, I've tried everything to find a solution to use a Flash movie with DesktopX but all I can come up with is if I use the web browser activex thing, but then I don't have a transparent background of the flash movie so I can see the desktop.

Is there a way to do this?

I have a simple PNG with transparency animation sequence that I imported in flash and created a SWF. I want to load that swf as an object or widget or in any way possible so I preserve the transparency. With Web Browser control I only get white background.

I don't understand with DesktopX 3 Pro, I see several controls Shockwave ActiveX, Shockwave Flash Object, MS Web Browser and Flash Factory Object. I keep getting some errors when I try to use Shockwave Flash Object.

I'm just stuck. I really want to use DesktopX features because I think there's a lot of potential but I must use Flash since the whole interactive application is written in Flash.

If anyone could help, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks.

desktopx

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thomassen

Join Date 01/2003

+10

You can't apply transparency to ActiveX controls I'm afraid.

Is there no way to rewite the application in DX?

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I have not personally experimented with the Flash player control. I don't know anything about Flash. Can you have transparency in flash? I dunno.

You can, though, have transparency with some of the ActiveX controls. There is a trick to it though. First, the ActiveX control must be a Child of another Object. The ActiveX control must have a parent defined, and also be set as a Child "Yes".

Once that is done you can adjust the ActiveX control's transparency in whatever manner you want. (On the panel or in a script). You can also set the transparency of the Parent object as low as 1, which is for most intents and purposes invisible (but the parent object must have at least some technical visibility - not zero). This is an overall transparency, not a color mask or other method.

Back up your project by exporting it all as a dxpack before making changes to ActiveX transparencies.

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You are talking about using Flash through MS Web Browser control. This unfortunately doesn't work for me since I need it to be transparent, not show white page background.

rapidrobot, I read about the masking hack for web browser control and flash, but that doesn't work for me either. This hack makes a static mask, my application with loading/unloading objects in it, some 3d stuff etc, changes the shape of the whole DX object so the static mask won't work.

I just don't understand, why is it so hard for them to utilize just plain swf files? Flash does have transparency and if you try to select a Shockwave Flash Control in DesktopX you would see a bunch of options among many there's a wmode etc that makes the flash object holder transparent.

I don't know what's the point of having a Shockwave Flash Control when you can't use it and you have to use web browser control.

Too bad, I really thought DesktopX had a lot of potential, but with lack of support like this, it still remains just a toy.

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There a lot of controls listed that cannot be used, depending what you have installed on our system, only way is to play with each one... I have a problem using the Windows Media Player control, I can't get it to do anything! But thats by the by

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There's always the option of making a PNG animation of it instead? I usually make my animations as static images using Blender3D then slap em together with AniUtil Woo I have Legs! err Yeah so try that!

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thomassen

Join Date 01/2003

+10

Too bad, I really thought DesktopX had a lot of potential, but with lack of support like this, it still remains just a toy.

Not really. Depends on how you use it. The thing is, DesktopX is s development platform. The same is Flash. What you are trying to do is host one development platform inside another.

I have a simple PNG with transparency animation sequence that I imported in flash and created a SWF

So you got a PNG animation which you imported into Flash and want to bring that into DesktopX? That seems to overcomplicate things. DesktopX allows you to have PNG animations. What you need to do it put all the frames into one PNG with the frames next to each other, import the image into DX and set the number of frames. No need to take it into Flash. That is unless there's more happening in the Flash file which you haven't mentioned.

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Hey everybody,

Hope your all well ...

This is my first post ever so here it goes ...

What version of 'Flash' are you using Boz ?? I'm using 'Flash MX 2004' ...
If you're still at a loose end, this is how I go about it ...

I'm not too too sure of the capabilities of previous versions of 'Flash',
but this is how I do it with 'Flash MX 2004' ...

1. Prepare your animation and make sure the stage accommodates all the frames.
2. Click File > Export > Export Movie
3. Create a new folder with whatever name and open it
4. Enter a base filename eg. 'mymovie'
5. Select 'PNG Sequence' as the file type and click save.

A window will pop-up ...

Choose these options:

Resolution: ??
Include: Full document size
Colors: 24 bit with alpha channel
Filter: None
Interlaced: Off
Smooth: Off
Dither solid colors: Off

Make sure you choose '24Bit with alpha channel' for the one option,
as for the rest of it, it's up to you ... That's just how I have mine ...
However, feel free to experiment.

If you make the DPI higher the actual pixel dimensions will increase. You could also make the DPI higher and resample the image in Photoshop.
But I don't think that's necessary, 'cause I think 72DPI is fine for the desktop environment. If you need help with Resampling images then just say so ...

6. Find your DesktopX folder and run AniUtil.exe
7. Uncheck 'Optimize' because your stage size should just contain your contents
8. Set 'Tolerance' to 0 and then click 'New job'
9. Find the folder you created and select all the files.
(I always select the last one first, then hold shift and click the first one)
10. Give the file a name and turn it into a DesktopX object ...
(I'm sure you know how to do that)

You should be 'A for away' if you do it like this ...

Bringing Flash movies into Photoshop for effects is a pretty similar process, obviously a little more compicated ... but speak up if you need help with that too.

Anyway, I hope this little "tutorial" solves your problem ...
Good Luck

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