Create Flash executables with FlashPack

[marlof]

<a href="http://www.handsmart.com/flashPackMain.asp">http://www.handsmart.com/flashPackMain.asp</a><br /><br />So you're a Macromedia Flash artist, are you? And now you're looking for a way to have an as easy as possible distribution of your creations on a Pocket PC? Check out FlashPack by HandSmart, a product that enables you to create .exe files from your Flash .swf files and - in the Pro version - even include the Macromedia Flash install files. The program comes in three flavors, from $49.95 Jr. through $89.95 full version to $399.95 Pro version.

[mkrisher]

Because of Macromedia's licensing decisions, no entity has the rights to include the Flash runtime's in their products. Simply read - The user will have to download and install the Flash Active X control from the Macromedia site before they will be able to use the EXEs that FlashPak or any other third party software creates.

&lt;snip from FlashPak site>
FlashPack™ creates an .exe file from your flash .swf file. This enables users to run your content directly as stand alone application. Moreover, your entire flash and runtime exists in a single file, so the user can simply drag the file to the device without any prior installation (flash drivers must be installed before running any flash content on devices).
&lt;/snip>

However, Macromedia has recently announced a solution for creating standalone EXEs that will include the runtime's. The standalone player projector costs $499 last time I checked.

I just wanted to clarify,
-- Mike

[Gamma Ray]

Mkrisher, thanks for the information. I am confused though. The site does say that the $400 pro version does include the flash dlls that are downloaded during setup (not yet listed for sale).

Do you mean that for $500 I will be able to buy a program from Macromedia that will create a self contained flash executable without the need for dlls? Do you have a link on this product? Also, last I looked, flash did not run well on the 3650 and now we have the H1910 with what feels like half the performance. How well do you think an executable is going to run on the PPC and will flash's capability for video and sound be able to compete with the playback of something like PocketTV?

[mkrisher]

I do not believe that Macromedia is going to license the dlls to a third party for distribution (So FlashPak will require the user to install Flash - interesting wording on their site). However, with the Flash 6 release, a standalone player was also released (US $500). The standalone player allows you to play a SWF file and also save and export that file to an EXE which wraps up and includes the Flash dlls. Its a strange way of building EXEs, but it works and is a great way to develop for the platform. Another user will not have to have the Flash dlls installed in order to use this exported EXE.

More information can be found here:
http://www.macromedia.com/software/flashplayer/pocketpc/

Of course performance is going to be an issue. Lots of motion is not going to be able to be achieved due to small processor speeds, etc... It's all going to require trial and error and a great deal of testing. I've accomplished complex coding that runs fine. Some coding does slow the machine down, but its usually complex loops that can be avoided. Drawing lots of vectors on the screen seems to slow down these devices as well. There's no set list of things to avoid, it will all just come from experience.

Hope that helps,

[Gamma Ray]

Great information - thanks. Are you currently using the $499 Projector? The site says that authoring is done on Microsoft Windows Pocket PC 2002! Isn't that a bit hard to do on the pocket PC? Or can you master on the desktop and export a projector file that will work on the PPC? Also, when you buy the projector, does that give you the license to distribute as many copies of the executable file as you want?

As far as Flash 6 for the PPC, The macromedia site refers you to the manufacturer. When I get to the manufacturer (Microsoft and HP) their sites refer you to the macromedia site. Under PPC, you get the same referral back to the manufacturer.

[mkrisher]

I do have the standalone projector (I was a beta tester). It is a bit strange how the process works. You author in Flash as normal and export your file as a SWF from Flash. You copy that over to the Pocket PC that has the standalone player. When running the SWF in the standalone player, you can go to file > save as. From here you can choose EXE. So yes the EXE does get compiled on the Pocket PC. It takes the SWF you are currently running and combines it with the Flash dlls and wraps them all up into an EXE.

With the current licensing agreement, I believe you can distribute your EXE as many times as you would like for one year. After that I think you need to license the standalone again. Not entirely sure how that works.

Regarding the manufacturer etc... You will more than likely just be redirected back to Macromedia to download the player. I believe there is a link on pocketpc.com to go to Macromedia and download the new player.

Good luck,

[Gamma Ray]

Mkrisher, I have an application I would like to go ahead with and have no problem with $500 if what I need will work. There is no trial use of this program and I sure can't afford to gamble $500 on something that MAY not work on the low end PPCs like the H1910. Is there a way around this? If not, you should let the people you reported your bugs to know that there are too many unknowns with PPCs to be asking $500 without a test drive. It doesn't have to be thirty days, less then a week is fine...

Thanks again.

[mkrisher]

All the standalone is going to do is take the SWF and make it an EXE. So you could test your content before buying the Standalone Projector. Get the Flash 6 Active X from the Macromedia or Microsoft site for the HP device. Then export Flash file (export both HTML and SWF). Copy both files over to the device and tap the HTML file, it will open in IE and will show you the SWF. You can check out the performance this way. The Flash content will run almost identical in the standalone player once it's an EXE.

Good Luck,

[Gamma Ray]

Mkrisher, that is great news I will be working on this tonight! I still can't find the link for the PPC flash plug-in but it has to be out there someplace so I will get it by tonight. Thank you for all of your help!

[mkrisher]

the Active X installer can be found here:

http://www.macromedia.com/software/flashplayer/pocketpc/2002.html

Good luck,