Re: FLASH: Flash making QuickTime--why so little support anddevelopment?

[Bryan Rieger]

Hello,


While this email tends to talk about QuickTime it is still very much related

to Flash in regards to Apple's support of the swf format within current and

future releases of QuickTime.


on 5/2/00 3:16 PM, Phillip Kerman at

phillipteleport [dot] com

 wrote:

> The first time I saw the Flash layer in QuickTime I thought it was pretty

> cool... but that was a long time ago and to date, I've seen no significant

> documentation, support, or advancement for this feature.  For example, you

> can only output Flash 3 files into QuickTime!


Currently Apple has only integrated Flash 3 compatability into QuickTime

based upon the open .swf format. We should expect to see support for version

4 files within the next couple of months with the next major release of

QuickTime.


> In my opinion, other tools will be used instead of Flash because there's no

> action from Macromedia.  On the one hand, if we all were using it more maybe

> MM would develop more support--on the other hand, we can't use it until

> there are more features.


Macromedia can't really offer much more in the way of support until Apple

provides further support for Flash layers. Again, when QuickTime 4 came out

they were working with version 3 of the swf format. What kind of features

would you like access to in QuickTime from Flash? Currently it provides a

farily elegant means of navigating within a movie.


Personally, I'd really like to see support for editable fields, embedded

fonts and streaming MP3's introduced into Flash/QuickTime layers. Again,

this should all come with version 4 support.


> I remember at UCON99 some folks from the QuickTime team saying that Flash

> will (someday) be given access to some of the controls within a QuickTime 4

> file (via action scripting).  Well, I've either missed it or something

> because I've seen nothing.


Again, what access to what controls within QuickTime? The ability to

enable/disable tracks? Midi, QTVR?


> Sorry to complain, but to turn this into a positive email let me ask this:

> Has anyone been doing cool stuff with Flash on QuickTime?


You're not really complaining - you should hear QuickTime developers

complain about the lack of Flash 4 features, and blatantly obvious bugs

being released in 'patch updates'.


I urge people who are using or looking at using Flash within QuickTime (or

using QuickTime on it's own) to make themselves known to Apple as the

developer community really needs to get Apple to start listening to what we

need in order to support their product.


And yes, there have been alot of people do some really cool stuff with Flash

and QuickTime - primarily using LiveStage Pro from TotallyHip. While not

'Flash-centric' there is a little information and a few examples floating

around.


LiveStage Developer Network

http://www.totallyhip.com/lsdn/


> Does anyone have stories to share about the use of LiveStage from

> http://www.totallyhip.com ?


I do - but damned if I can find any of the great url's posted over the last

few months. If anybody has any of the samples from Mathew Peterson, or

Michael Shaff could you please post them - it really shows what's possible

using QuickTime! Apple insists on marketing QuickTime as streaming audio and

video - where Real and Microsoft have a strangle hold on the market. It's

not until you start looking at combining Flash, with other media and wired

sprites that you actually find what a 'gem' QuickTime is.


We currently have a few projects in production, but I cannot provide urls

fearing that I might be hunted down and killed in retribution. However, we

do have one site done for TFO is Canada. you can find links to the site

here.


http://www.trapeze.com/


> 

> Other tools... like "Electrifier"?


I don't believe the company is still supporting the product - I think they

have changed their focus. Xtreme Shopping or something.


http://www.electrifier.com/


> 

> Please show and tell.


Please do.


BTW - there has been some talk of late of creating a QuickTime Developer's

site to showcase what QT is now capable - spread the word, evangelize. I'll

post the url or any other information when I hear of it.


Bryan Rieger

Developer/Collaborator


Trapeze Media

http://www.trapeze.com/




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