Posted by Jimmy'z
on June 24, 2006
Okay, I just posted on how to Pass Variables into Flash by using a GET string approach, but there is better way. Using FlashVars to pass in variables is super easy.
To use FlashVars, create another params tag with name=”FlashVars” and value=”querystring”. Also, add a FlashVars=”querystring” in the embed tag. The querystring should not have the ?.
Once you have added that to your html, the variables will be available on the _root MovieClip in your Flash Application.
For example, if your querystring was “dataFile=data.xml” then _root.dataFile would contain “data.xml”. Pretty simple.
While the GET approach still works, it won’t work if you are trying to put a Flash application into a Wordpress page or post. If you would like to embed Flash into a Wordpress use the Kimili Flash Embed plug-in for Wordpress. It makes adding Flash to a post really easy.
Posted by Jimmy'z
on June 24, 2006
Lightbox is a really cool JavaScript library that is used to view images in their full size and glory. Using Lightbox JavaScript is really easy too, as all you have to do is add about 4 lines of code, and an additional rel property in your anchor tags. Visit their site to see how to do it.
I recently used Lightbox for a redesign of my dad’s pianos website utahpianos.com. On his site, he has an image gallery of his pianos, as well as a list of pianos that he has for sale. The old site used to use ugly pop-up windows or just take you to the full image. The usability of the site has been greatly improved by this simple script.
Posted by Jimmy'z
on June 24, 2006
While working on my latest project at Provo Labs, I needed to use something like GET Variables with Flash MX 2004, so that I could pass parameters into the Flash application from the html page that it sat on. Here’s how to do it:
First, in the object tag on your html page, put your parameters on a url-encoded query string like so:
mp3Player.swf?fileName=1.mp3&volume=50
Make sure you place the full url with the querystring in both the embed tag and the param movie=”" tag as Internet Explorer uses the param tag and Firefox uses the embed tag to determine the source of your SWF.
Now for the ActionScript that does the magic:
var selfURL:String = new String(_root._url);
var queryString:String = new String();
var splitAt:Number = selfURL.lastIndexOf(”?”)+1;
var qsLength:Number = selfURL.length – splitAt;
queryString = selfURL.substr(splitAt,qsLength);
// parse the querystring into usable variables
var parameters:LoadVars = new LoadVars();
parameters.decode(queryString);
Your parameters variable will now act as the $_GET variable in php, so you can get your parameters by referencing parameters['id'] and so forth.
Posted by Jimmy'z
on June 20, 2006
were the best improv everywhere group
Originally uploaded by icopythat.
This is the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time! Improv Everywhere sent a bunch of people in blue shirts and khaki pants to Best Buy as a Best Buy Flash Mob.
You can read the stories from a bunch of their “agents” who recall their experiences. This is really cool! In high school, I did something called Nerd Wars where we had about 90 people playing an assassin type game with toy, plastic, disc guns. This reminds me of those good times.
You’ve gotta check this out!
Posted by Jimmy'z
on June 03, 2006
Posted by Jimmy'z
on June 01, 2006
So this morning I was checking my Google Analytics for this site, and I saw a referral from http://zimsblog.com so I thought I’d check out the site and to my surprise, it was my own blog!
I’m just wondering, how did this happen?
