Re: [Swftools-common] Need help with a print solution

[Matthias Kramm]

On Tue, Oct 19, 2004 at 10:28:43PM -0400, Chris Flowers wrote:
> Here's my problem. I have a PowerPoint file converted to a pdf. This pdf is 
> then converted to a 'rawslides.swf'
> where there is 1 slide per 1 frame in the swf. The rawslides are added inside 
> another .swf for syncing up to an
> audio or video track. All is good up to here, a simple presentation file.
> 
> Now, I'd like to add the ability for users to print the rawslides 6-up on a 
> page for however many pages needed.
> Basically I would prebuild the printable version of the slides and embed this 
> offscreen somewhere until needed.
> 
> Is there a way with swfc to add the rawslides.swf like:  .swf 
> slides="rawslides.swf"
> Then add 6 instances of 'slides' per printable page with each instance 
> already at a given frame?

Hm, at the moment, only by using actionscript.

You can extract individual slides (frames) with swfextract, though,
and then put them together again with swfc.

> The only way I have found so far to set the proper frames is via an 
> actionscript which fails to execute
> when a print(myslides,"bframe"); is called. Usually page 1 will print ok but 
> page 2 and beyond
> prints all 6 slides at frame 1 ignoring any 'gotoAndStop' actionscripts.

Could you post the .sc you used? Maybe we can find the cause of
that problem.

> I've tried converting the rawslides.swf to individual swfs but this approach 
> increases the filesize far too much.
> 
> When useing Flash MX to create slides "by hand" I could drag the slides 
> movieclip on stage and
> change the instance type to a 'graphic symbol' then tell the graphic display 
> a frame number.
> This worked perfectly and did not add any additional weight to the file.

Without increasing the filesize like with the other approach?
Could you also post the SWF that Flash MX created? I'd like to take a
look at what they do there.

> Is the any swfc command to mimic a graphic symbol type?

No, but I'm willing to implement one. It might be a nice
feature.

One approach would be a "frame" parameter to .swf, like

.swf slide1 filename="rawslides.swf" frame=1
.swf slide2 filename="rawslides.swf" frame=2
.swf slide3 filename="rawslides.swf" frame=3
.swf slide4 filename="rawslides.swf" frame=4

.
This might, however, increase the file size by the same factor
as the swfextract approach (not sure about that yet- after all,
all the files share the same objects).
The other approach would be what you suggested, an extension to
the .put and maybe also .change command:

    .put s1=slides scale=36% frame=1
    .change s1 scale=36% frame=2

The problem here is that swfc will have to generate ActionScript to accomplish 
that,
and we should first take a look whether the ActionScript issue is
solveable.

Greetings

Matthias