Hi!
Hopeing to open a pdf file (named "myFile.pdf") in a Direcotor movie, I downloaded Buddy API and made a Director exe file titled "myFile.exe" in a folder named "Testing." In the "Testing" folder, I put "myFile.pdf," "myFile.exe," and "budapi.x32."
I attached a behaviour script to a button (to open "myFile.pdf") as follows:
on mouseUp
baOpenFile( the moviePath & "pdfs\myFile.pdf", "normal" )
end
When I ran "myFile.exe" and clicked the button, nothing happened.
I am a novice in this field. I will sincerely appreciate if you can kindly give me truly step-by-step instructions about how to properly use Buddy api and about incorporating it into Director MX.
Using this great opportunity, I would like ask you to give me step-by-step instruction about how to opening a confirmation window (like "open, "save" or "cancel" to install an application (.exe or .zip file) ) when a button or link in a Director movie (.exe) is clicked.
Please give very detailed instructions just like you are showing this to a 10-year-old.
Hope to hear from you very soon.
Best Regards,
Young
July 21 (Wednesday) at 1:01 p.m.
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TO: MediaMacros:
Thank you so much for your kind, prompt reply.
I have Acrobat Reader installed in my laptop.
And I am trying to purchase Impressario.
As I wrote in my first post, I am a real novice, and anything short of truly step-by-by detailed instructions may not be of much help to me.
Thanks a lot!
Best Regards,
Young
Make sure your movie is playing. If its just one frame use a loop script ot keep it running on the last frame...
on exitFrame
go the frame
end
Also you cna check to see if the file even exists...
on mouseUp
f = the moviePath & "pdfs\myFile.pdf"
put baFileExists(f) --this will put either a 1 or 0 in the message window. Its a good way to check that the path you supplied works.
baOpenFile(f, "normal" )
end
What happens when you double click the file in explorer?
Dear MediaMacros:
Thanks again for your kind, prompt reply.
Sorry to tell you, but I have followed all of your kind instructions, but still nothing has happened.
To help you better understand where I am and what I have done, I would like to re-cap what I have done:
My Goal: To open a pdf file by clicking a button in the screen of a Director MX movie.
What I have done: 1. Created a folder on my laptop Desktop.
2. Created a button ("Open PDF file") in the screen of a Director movie.
3. In Timeline, I created a frame script: On exitFrame
go to the frame
end
4. I created a behavior script which is attached to the "Open PDF file" button as follows:
on mouseUp
f = the moviePath & "pdfs\myFile.pdf"
put baFileExists(f) baOpenFile(f, "normal" )
end
5. Published the movie to my folder on Desktop: The exe file is named "myFile.exe."
6. I placed a pdf file named "myFile.pdf" in the folder.
7. I double-clicked "myFile.exe" and clicked "Open PDF file" button. Nothing happens.
Because nothings still happens, I must have done something wrong or I must haved missed doing something.
I sincerely hope that you will kindly help me with this.
Best Regards,
Young
July 22 (Thur) at 10:11 p.m.
Ok, I think I was not clear. :)
on mouseUp
f = the moviePath & "pdfs\myFile.pdf"
put baFileExists(f) baOpenFile(f, "normal" )
end
All that will do is dump a 1 or 0 to the message window which is available in Authoring only. :) It should read...
on mouseUp
f = the moviePath & "pdfs\myFile.pdf"
put baFileExists(f) baOpenFile(f, "normal" )
baOpenFile(f, "normal")
end
Run this in authoring mode first. In the message window you shoud see a 1 or a 0. If you see a 1 it sees the file.
Now, if this is a projector only problem I know the problem. :) You forgot the Xtra. Go to Modify>movie>Xtras. Make sure that Buddy API is in the list, then re-publish.
That may be the culprit.
Thank you all for your kind effort to help me.
I am gald to tell you that my work now finally work because of the extraordinary help from Mr. Gary Smith who, I would say, is extraordinary in every asepct of his -- great personality, heart and energy. He spent quite a lot of time to figure out my problem and fix it which he did finally on Monday (July 26). Of course, he volunteered all the time and effort. You can only imagine how much I owe to Mr. Smith.
I would like to tell you that I am so happy to have such a great personality like Mr. Smith in our world.
I am grateful to MediMacros too for his (her) kind effort.
Best Regards,
Young
Dear Everyone:
I forgot to tell you how Mr. Gary Smith fixed my problem.
The following is part of an e-mail which he sent me on Monday (July26, 2004). I have not asked for his permission to post his solution here, but I believe he would not mind.
"To make it work, click on the button and look in the Property Inspector. Click on the 'Flash Component' tab, then scroll down to the bottom of the list to the eventPassMode property, change the #passNever value to #passAlways. Then your button will work.
Dumb Macromedia - took me a long time to work that one out myself.
Gary"
Many thanks to all of you!! I am going to press "Accept" button for MediaMacros to acknowledge his/her kind effort to help me out.
Young
July 26, 2004
Hi Young and Gary,
I have a very similar problem with the opening of my PDF files. I am currently running Director MX from a MAC. Whilst I am able to view the PDF when its in a projector it wont allow me to view the PDF from the published HTML.
Director will also only allow me to view the PDF files if they are in the same folder as the projector... this makes it very hard to find the projector as there are so many PDF's.
Is there a way I am able to locate the PDF files which are in a different folder?
ANY HELP would be GREATLY appreciated!
IM DESPERATE!!
Thanks,
Shantelle
Business Accounts
Answer for Membership
by: MediaMacrosPosted on 2004-07-21 at 15:08:40ID: 11607648
Is acrobat installed? Buddy simply opens a file with the associated app (like double clicking in Explorer)
You may also want to check out Impresario from www.integrationnewmedia.co
If you want some sample scripts, check out www.mediamacros.com for a number of examples using Buddy API.