Using Macromedia Flash in Director

Flash Asset Xtra was first introduced with Macromedia Director 6.0.2 and has since undergone a series of transformations in step with the evolution of Macromedia Flash. Each major release of Flash Asset Xtra has introduced new features and increased the level of interaction between Director and Macromedia Flash. However, in my opinion, no single step has been as significant as that between Director 8.5 and Director MX.

With Director MX, the integration between Macromedia Flash and Director has moved to a whole new level. Using Director MX, it is now possible to obtain the reference of an object within Macromedia Flash and call methods upon it, redirect Macromedia Flash methods into Lingo, and create new Macromedia Flash objects (both within existing Macromedia Flash assets and as global objects). The update also included the addition of Macromedia Flash MX support and its derived technologies Macromedia Flash Remoting, Macromedia Flash Communication Server and the LocalConnection object, thereby opening a new realm of development possibilities.

This article is intended to cover both the basics and advanced features of using Macromedia Flash in Director. It is impossible to cover all of the functionality of Flash Asset Xtra, therefore emphasis will be placed on new functionality as well as key uses of the existing functionality from previous versions of Flash Asset Xtra.

Requirements

• Director MX
  • Try
  • Buy
   
• Macromedia Flash MX
  • Try
  • Buy
   

Table of Contents

• Key functionality changes and additions in Director MX
• Why use Macromedia Flash assets in Director? Advantages
• But I’ve heard using Macromedia Flash in Director is sluggish
• Working with Macromedia Flash objects
• What if I’m creating Macromedia Flash content specifically for Director?
• But what if I need to connect to a database?
• Debugging Macromedia Flash in Director
• Additional notes on using Macromedia Flash in Director

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About the author

Mark Jonkman is a certified Macromedia Flash Developer specializing in the development of interactive multimedia courseware. He has five years of industry experience developing applications utilizing both Macromedia Director and Macromedia Flash. On the rare occasion when he isn't glued to the keyboard, he enjoys hiking, camping, and canoeing with his wife and three kids.