Flash 6 Released for Pocket PC 2002 Devices

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.macromedia.com/software/flashplayer/pocketpc/' target='_blank'>http://www.macromedia.com/software/...layer/pocketpc/</a><br /><br /></div>"Now, Macromedia and Microsoft Pocket PC developers can create engaging mobile content, games and rich applications for Pocket PC 2002 devices. Download Macromedia Flash Player today and start developing and experiencing rich Macromedia Flash content, enterprise applications and mobile services right from your Pocket PC."<br /><br />This is awesome! Flash 6 for the Pocket means they've reached parity with the desktop client. I just installed the app though, and the ONE thing they need to do still hasn't been done: association of SWF files with the player. You still need those silly HTML files though, unless you have <a href="http://www.armentaonline.com/antmobile/#flashassist">FlashAssist</a>, but it seems like such a small feature that should have been added.

[Don't Panic!]

How does one find an .swf file from a website? There are lots of cool games and videos on the web but I don't know how to download them. :(

Don't Panic!
Bobby

[Jason Dunn]

How does one find an .swf file from a website? There are lots of cool games and videos on the web but I don't know how to download them.

Play the Flash file through to the end, then open up your browser cache, sort by file size, and take out the SWF file. :way to go:

[Don't Panic!]

Thanks Jason. :way to go:

Don't Panic!
Bobby

[x94webboy]

Any one tested it with Animated Today??

thanks 0X

[heov]

actually, it's not too hard to associate flash files w/ IE and get cool icons to boot!

those of you who know how to use the registry and associate, files, this is for you- those of you who don't, learn how ;) www.phm.lu (goto the PPC regedit and goto the tweaks... there's an explanation how).

Anway, goto the HKCR in the registry, create the necessary keys for a file association (swffile and .swf).

then set it up as if it were a normal file assocation (look at the other ones).

Anyway, for the defualt icon value, you can copy over an ICO file from your desktop or something (i use the ICO file for the flash player that comes w/ the MIPS cassiopea! you can find them on brighthand w/ a search) and use that file.

For the Open string value, make it read: "ieexplore file:%1"
in fact, just copy the same value that's under the .html association.

Then you're set (soft reset)!

To make this easier for those who don't like to play w/ the registry a lot, get a program such as resco explorer or something and associate the SWF files w/ internet explorer.

Then go to the registry, browse the the HK Classes_Root directory, and look for the .swf key... open that go to shell, then find the OPEN key. The value in there should read "ieexplore.exe". change that to "ieexplore.exe file:%1". That way it actually types in the file in the address bar and you can run the SWF file.

are there any programmer out there? this is a very simple procedure that could be programmed into a simple EXE that people could run and get this to work...

anyway, good luck!

BTW, becareful when messing w/ the registry... if you screw it up, it's not my fault (disclaimer) ;)

[Crystal Eitle]

You still need those silly HTML files though, unless you have FlashAssist (http://www.armentaonline.com/antmobile/#flashassist), but it seems like such a small feature that should have been added.

I use Flash Browser (http://members.cox.net/nnsysdev/#FlashBrowser). It gets the job done, and it's free!

[Kaber]

You still need those silly HTML files though, unless you have FlashAssist (http://www.armentaonline.com/antmobile/#flashassist), but it seems like such a small feature that should have been added.

I use Flash Browser (http://members.cox.net/nnsysdev/#FlashBrowser). It gets the job done, and it's free!

SpaceWaitress you should post a link to your FLASH AH-AHHH (Queen rules!) post on your site. Its really good for peeps who want to flash some Flash on their flashy PPC.

Oh, and Homestar Runner rules also.

[Crystal Eitle]

You still need those silly HTML files though, unless you have FlashAssist (http://www.armentaonline.com/antmobile/#flashassist), but it seems like such a small feature that should have been added.

I use Flash Browser (http://members.cox.net/nnsysdev/#FlashBrowser). It gets the job done, and it's free!

SpaceWaitress you should post a link to your FLASH AH-AHHH (Queen rules!) post on your site. ITs really good for peeps who want to flash some flash on their flashy PPC.

Jason? Would this be okay?

I've been on some other community sites where self-linking is strongly discouraged.

[someppcuser]

Macromedia Flash Player 6 for Pocket PC
Kevin Lynch announced that Macromedia Flash Player 6 for Pocket PC was now available. Not only does it have full support for all Macromedia Flash Player 6 capabilities (with the exception of recording a video stream via Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX, playback is supported), but there is now also a standalone player for Pocket PC. You no longer have to run all of your movies and applications through Pocket Internet Explorer.

We also announced that we were releasing a set of UI components designed and optimized specifically for use on the Pocket PC. The optimized components include:

* ListBox
* Combo Box
* Check Box
* Radio Button
* ScrollBar

[Jason Dunn]

Jason? Would this be okay? I've been on some other community sites where self-linking is strongly discouraged.

As long as it's on topic, and there's an explanation that goes along with it (ie: not just an URL drop-n-run), I'm totally ok with it. :way to go:

[sesummers]

http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/03/27/HNmacflash_1.html

Apparently they're planning to make Flash playing possible without browsers on PCs too.

[sponge]

This is great!

But, remember the release of Flash 5? Flash 6 for PCs shortly after.

[Storm]

actually, it's not too hard to associate flash files w/ IE and get cool icons to boot!
&lt;cut>

Hey heov thats a great how-to!
I actually think I'll take you up on that little programming challenge and make an exe to do that stuff to help other users..

[Kaber]

actually, it's not too hard to associate flash files w/ IE and get cool icons to boot!
&lt;cut>

Hey heov thats a great how-to!
I actually think I'll take you up on that little programming challenge and make an exe to do that stuff to help other users..

Please do that. It would be very much appreciated. :D

[rudolph]

http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/03/27/HNmacflash_1.html

Apparently they're planning to make Flash playing possible without browsers on PCs too.

On the E125, such a utility already exists. I don't know if it's created by Macromedia or Casio... can't check now (my E125 is dead). I was under the impression that it was made by Macromedia. Anyway, I was looking for the same viewer when I got my Axim but couldn't find it... so I guess it's made by casio.

[heov]

http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/03/27/HNmacflash_1.html

Apparently they're planning to make Flash playing possible without browsers on PCs too.

On the E125, such a utility already exists. I don't know if it's created by Macromedia or Casio... can't check now (my E125 is dead). I was under the impression that it was made by Macromedia. Anyway, I was looking for the same viewer when I got my Axim but couldn't find it... so I guess it's made by casio.

no... it was made by macromedia exclusively for the mips casio... no one really knows why they didn't release other versions.

[someppcuser]

people, re-read my post and notice the bold part...

[steddyman]

Any one tested it with Animated Today??

thanks 0X

It works fine with Animated Today. In fact Macromedia showed Animated Today with F6 as part of the keynote presentation for the launch at Flash Forward.

Steddy

[pschultz]

I am totally lost on the whole flash thing. What all do you use the flash player for?

[serenade]

OH my good, i felt off because the surprise, this morning when i saw the announcement!! :lol: :lol: :D 8O 8O

The TRUE multimedia mobility field in PPC is open now!!!

For us ,flash developers , this is an incredible notice!

We are allowed now to use all the power of the MX technology!

I'm will not go out this weekend, I have a date with my flashMX and my Loox! ;) (My girlfriend will kill me, but a date is a date :P)

I will report my progreses soon!

See you!!

[Icebaron]

I am totally lost on the whole flash thing. What all do you use the flash player for?

Flash is used heavily by net-nerds to express themselves artistically and of course, like all good technologies, make games. Some of the more entertaining examples reside here (http://www.homestarrunner.com) and here (http://www.newgrounds.com)

[Zathras]

pschultz, I put a few Joe Cartoon flash cartoons on my pocket pc. My favorites are "The Boss" and the game "Torpedo Joe". His original "Frog in a Blender" cartoon doesn't work well on a pocket pc, the buttons on the blender are too small. "Gerbil in a Microwave" works ok though.

I just tried Torpedo Joe on my iPAQ 3955 overclocked to 472mhz and it still plays too slow. I emailed Joe about optimizing Torpedo Joe for pocket pc's, but got no reply.

You can get his stuff at:

http://www.joecartoon.com/pages/home/

The cartoon "Radiskull" has a strange appeal:

http://joesparks.shockwave.com/

Atomfilms has a few ready for pocket pc flash cartoons at:

http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/af/downloads/mobile/pocketpc/1.html

Anyone know some more good sites and games?

I wonder, does the Toshiba e740 or e750 play flash games any better than the iPAQ 3955 because of the ATI graphics chip?

Are swf files still impossible to edit?

[heov]

people, re-read my post and notice the bold part...

read the entire article- the stand-alone requires a 500 dollar license from Macromedia (it's for developers). Before you post a third time, install it and find out ;)

[someppcuser]

Yep, you're right :oops: . The Dev kit says :

Licensing
The stand alone Player for Pocket PC 2002 is not part of the publicly distributed Macromedia Flash Player 6 for Pocket PC 2002: It’s a separate product that you can purchase from Macromedia. For more information about licensing the stand-alone Player, see http://www.macromedia.com/software/flashplayer/pocketpc

I thought the $500 kit was about making your own player (with your identity) ;)

[jgahr]

Not sure if this is the right place for this or if it should go in wireless. I have been successfully syncing with bluetooth on both my 3975 & 5450. I installed Flash 6 today on both PPCs, with it being the only thing added/changed. It immediately changed me from my normal logons to Guest. Nothing could be done to correct it. I really did try everything before I narrowed it down to the ActiveX player. I had to rebuild both PPCs, re sync, etc. I then was able to put Flash 5 back on and both are syncing again via Bluetooth. Could have been something I did wrong, but I don't think so. I originally thought it was the bluetooth USB print server I put on last week, but it wasn't. Hope someone else can test this and advise if it was something I did incorrectly. :?:

[qmrq]

No good web designer uses Flash. It is not a web standard; circumventing accepted standards and trying to force a proprietary one on the public at large for your own benefit [e.g. what Macromedia, Adobe, MS with .wma and .wmv do] is a very bad thing.

There are other, much more versatile tools out there for vector based web animation. : )

[jayman]

For lots of good flash games goto www.fhm.com and follow the link at the bottom to the 100 best online games. - My suggestion of Pimp's Quest even made it in. - Highly rated!

Jayman.

[Crystal Eitle]

Well, I wasn't going to post this, because of the stand-alone player. But now that I know the stand-alone player costs (a lot) of money, here is my quick-n-easy tutorial on playing Flash animations on the Pocket PC. (By the way, IMHO, Homestarrunner.com (http://www.homestarrunner.com) has some of the funniest cartoons anywhere).

FLASH! AH-AAAAH!

So when I got my Pocket PC my friends were all like, "can you play Homestar Runner (http://www.homestarrunner.com) cartoons on that thing?" and I was like "no," and I felt pretty embarassed because I'd just spent $300 on a computer that couldn't even play Homestar Runner cartoons.

Well guess what? It can. I had to download a few different things to make it work - here's how:

1) Get Macromedia Flash Player for Pocket PC (http://www.macromedia.com/software/flashplayer/pocketpc/2002.html).

2) Download some Flash cartoons (http://newtown.hi-ho.ne.jp/raibo/raidersei/image/agency/cm/mail.swf). There are two ways to do this, an easy way and a hard way. The hard way involves viewing the source code to see where the .swf file is located, opening Notepad to create a link to the .swf file, saving the Notepad document as an HTML file, and then right-clicking on that link and selecting "Save Target As." Or you can download a program like Flash Saver (http://www.downloadatoz.com/flashsaver/) that lets you right-click and save a Flash animation just like you can with an image.

3) Drag the Flash cartoon to your Pocket PC (using the "Explore" function on Active Sync).

4) Whoa! You can't play the Flash cartoon yet. The Flash needs to be inside an HTML file in order for Internet Explorer to read it. Flash Browser (http://members.cox.net/nnsysdev/#FlashBrowser) is a wonderful FREE program that will automatically embed a Flash animation into an HTML file, as well as let you choose the size at which you'd like to view the animation.

5) Open up Flash Browser, choose your size, click "View Flash Movie," and you're done! For added convenience, don't forget to add the cartoon to your list of favorites in Pocket IE for one-step viewing the next time you want to see it.

[sponge]

I think my IE is somehow corrupted. Whenever trying to open a local html file (I tried opening the SWF directly, and an HTML) it will keep reloading, and never show the page.

Has anyone noticed this before, and if so how were they able to fix it?

[adamz]

No good web designer uses Flash. It is not a web standard; circumventing accepted standards and trying to force a proprietary one on the public at large for your own benefit [e.g. what Macromedia, Adobe, MS with .wma and .wmv do] is a very bad thing.

There are other, much more versatile tools out there for vector based web animation. : )

Like SVG... but that requires an even more cumbersome plug-in. VML is at least supported natively in IE, but that's still a mess with the lack of bezier curve support (if I remember correctly).

I detest visiting sites where flash is pounded down my throat... especially when accompanied by loud sound effects. I don't consider people who create Flash based websites to be web designers at all. Sure it runs on the web, but it's certainly not a website. Flash files do not behave in a consistent manner to the usability conventions of the world wide web. That's not to say flash isn't good for creating content like cartoons and whatnot. It's just not good for websites. What's worse is when these Flash designers do not implement ALTERNATE CONTENT for when the flash player is not installed since some users don't want it on web pages.

Now, getting back to the topic of this Flash Player for Pocket PC... DOES IT HAVE A STOP BUTTON??

[Kaber]

You guys are being pretty harsh, seeing as how flash is widely accepted and makes some lovely sites.

[Zathras]

Well, I just installed version 6 on my iPAQ 3955 and guess what? "Torpedo Joe" feels like it is 50% slower. Good thing I backed up first.

[serenade]

vector based web animation tool? 8O

Ok, guys!! Let's see some litlle stuff, for the new flash6 player for pocketPC, I prepared yesterday!!


CHAT WITH LIVE VIDEO STREAMING FROM MY HOUSE!
http://www.pocketflashmx.com/app_video/

MULTIUSER WHITEBOARD
http://www.pocketflashmx.com/app_pizarra/

AUDIOCHAT (It works, but you have to wait a bit to complete the streaming connection :( )
http://www.pocketflashmx.com/app_chataudio/

These are only simple aplicactions of comm server in the PocketPC, i have to improve the perfomance, and reduce the cpu idle, but this is a first step. ;)

Next week, i'm going to start a project, a website called www.pocketflashmx.com, where I'm going to research into the EXTREME (not animations or games) applications of flash, into the PocketPC plattform. You're all invited to participate.!

Hope you enjoy the examples!

See you soon!

[Unreal32]

How does one find an .swf file from a website? There are lots of cool games and videos on the web but I don't know how to download them.

Play the Flash file through to the end, then open up your browser cache, sort by file size, and take out the SWF file. :way to go:

Better yet, download Flashsaver!!!