API + Hotspots + MovieClips

Specific Q&A about the new Flash export
Locked
baoputzi
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:28 am
Location: Cologne/Germany
Contact:

1. Were can I get the complete API in Order to completly understand the container.fla?

2. What is the purpose of sprites in flash panos?

3. How can I use Flash Movie Clips as Hotspots while creating the pano. I can use flash mc as Hotspots while using the code as shown in container.fla example and this works fine but would be simpler to use this feature while creating the pano.

4. How can I place hotspots via AS i.e. where to provide x,y coordinates?
5. When I have creted a hotspot while creating the pano and named the same to for example hs_1. How can I talk to this hotspot vis AS Does ist work like vr.pano.hs_1.onRollover ... or otherwise


I hope somebody can answer those questions and thx in advance but without api it's a little hard to find ways
baoputzi
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:28 am
Location: Cologne/Germany
Contact:

baoputzi wrote:1. Were can I get the complete API in Order to completly understand the container.fla?

2. What is the purpose of sprites in flash panos?

3. How can I use Flash Movie Clips as Hotspots while creating the pano. I can use flash mc as Hotspots while using the code as shown in container.fla example and this works fine but would be simpler to use this feature while creating the pano.

4. How can I place hotspots via AS i.e. where to provide x,y coordinates?
5. When I have creted a hotspot while creating the pano and named the same to for example hs_1. How can I talk to this hotspot vis AS Does ist work like vr.pano.hs_1.onRollover ... or otherwise


I hope somebody can answer those questions and thx in advance but without api it's a little hard to find ways

answered all myself and solved
User avatar
Brian
Posts: 36
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:19 pm
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Contact:

Dear baoputzi,

I wonder if you might share the solutions to these questions. I just posted a couple of queries on v6.2 hotspot and pano handling as compared with v5.2 and agree that the API would help a lot.

I've extended Thomas' container method a lot for my purposes so I can pick up the hotspots from an xml file, but I agree it would be nice to do it via a nice GUI while creating the panos. I suppose using xml might qualify as using AS to do it (I'm happy to share some code if you'd like to see) but to set the hotspots in position it means a lot of flicking backwards and forwards between the swf and the xml file as I define them in the file.

v6.2 seems to offer a nice method but all I get when I try it is the hotspot labels in my pano, not the hotspots themselves. I'm sure it's a small thing - maybe a ._visible method on the pano.hs - but I don't know the variable names (API) other than the ones Thomas happens to reference in his conatainer method (eg fov etc) and associated tutorial / forum discussions.

Hope you can help,

Brian
baoputzi
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:28 am
Location: Cologne/Germany
Contact:

Brian wrote:Dear baoputzi,

I wonder if you might share the solutions to these questions. I just posted a couple of queries on v6.2 hotspot and pano handling as compared with v5.2 and agree that the API would help a lot.

I've extended Thomas' container method a lot for my purposes so I can pick up the hotspots from an xml file, but I agree it would be nice to do it via a nice GUI while creating the panos. I suppose using xml might qualify as using AS to do it (I'm happy to share some code if you'd like to see) but to set the hotspots in position it means a lot of flicking backwards and forwards between the swf and the xml file as I define them in the file.

v6.2 seems to offer a nice method but all I get when I try it is the hotspot labels in my pano, not the hotspots themselves. I'm sure it's a small thing - maybe a ._visible method on the pano.hs - but I don't know the variable names (API) other than the ones Thomas happens to reference in his conatainer method (eg fov etc) and associated tutorial / forum discussions.

Hope you can help,

Brian

Hi Brian,

i am not sure if I have got you. What I do is more ore less the method Thomas Rauscher proppsed within his container fla. I extended the stuff a litte bit to load many panos. For the hotspots to use you need a linkage id which you can set for movie clips in the library also for .swf loaded dynamicaly vie loader or via xml. The easiest way is to have some movie clips in the library with linkage identifiers set to lets say id_0 until id_x and then using the array method and some looping and witch statements to add those to the panos. Once you have made a plan where the zero point of your pano is you can handle the placement of the hotspots or of any other mc residing in the library. (apan, atilt) the movie clips in the library can be everything from button to animations an also you can use all built in flash classes.
I do not use setting hotspots while creating the panos. I just use plain panos and import those into my fla with the loader class and the I can add overlays and use the same as hotspots or to show videos and more.
User avatar
Brian
Posts: 36
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:19 pm
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Contact:

Hi, Baoputzi,

I have been a little out of it for a while, but thank you for this reply, I'm sorry I didn't reply earlier. I haven't tried to use different mc's for the hotspots yet, but I see what you mean. I's use a similar method I guess that Thomas uses for his tripod cap...I have made a few other posts this evening - note Thomas' release of v6.5 which deals with a mios-positioning problem I was having with the version 6 as compared with version 5.

I see some interesting stuff on masks now. Also I note some code that martin garcia submitted with a problem of his. I have to say that an xml approach to defing the panos. hotspots and all the pan, tilt and other information would make the code look a lot neater and less error prone, I would think. That's what I did and even though I define the hotspots outside of pano2qtvr as you do, putting all the info in an xml file means I have to edit the .swf a LOT less!

best regards,

and thanks again,

Brian
baoputzi
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:28 am
Location: Cologne/Germany
Contact:

Brian wrote:Hi, Baoputzi,

I have been a little out of it for a while, but thank you for this reply, I'm sorry I didn't reply earlier. I haven't tried to use different mc's for the hotspots yet, but I see what you mean. I's use a similar method I guess that Thomas uses for his tripod cap...I have made a few other posts this evening - note Thomas' release of v6.5 which deals with a mios-positioning problem I was having with the version 6 as compared with version 5.

I see some interesting stuff on masks now. Also I note some code that martin garcia submitted with a problem of his. I have to say that an xml approach to defing the panos. hotspots and all the pan, tilt and other information would make the code look a lot neater and less error prone, I would think. That's what I did and even though I define the hotspots outside of pano2qtvr as you do, putting all the info in an xml file means I have to edit the .swf a LOT less!

best regards,

and thanks again,

Brian
Hi Brian,

yes defining hotspots and pano links in an external xml file would be my choice also for repeating stuff with changing contents. We kept the hotspots in the library as we used the panos as navigation interfaces for the users and thus we only have a small amount of hotspots to handle.If there are repeating demands like in real estate sales I would use a framework feeded with xml data for hotspots, text, video, and images. I made such a tool and it works just fine. You can see our pano-navigation idea if you travel to http://www.stagg-friends.de. Here we created the pano with a vr renderer.

rgds from Cologne Germany

baoputzi
User avatar
Brian
Posts: 36
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:19 pm
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Contact:

Dear baoputzi,

VERY nice site, I see I have a lot to learn about Flash rendering! I can see animation in many thpughtful small details which is very nice.

Thanks for getting back to me,

Brian
natdem
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 7:42 am

baoputzi,
help me. To what should write a code to receive hotspot from swf as at you on a site?
Locked