I'm loading dynamic loading of all my SWCs in my master SWF, in order to load master swf faster, however now I need to cache all my swcs in local machine to speed up things.
private function loadAssets():void
{
swcObj=new Object();
swcObj.swcPath='assets/swc/1.swc';
swcObj.className="Part_0_1";
swcs.push(swcObj);
swcObj=new Object();
swcObj.swcPath='assets/swc/2.swc';
swcObj.className="0_2";
swcs.push(swcObj);
swcObj=new Object();
swcObj.swcPath='assets/swc/3.swc';
swcObj.className="0_3";
swcs.push(swcObj);
}
Then I'm using this array to use all the classes in my project, but I have no idea how to cache these swcs for faster use, if anyone have idea, please share.
In fact, the browser does this pre-caching for you, you don't need to produce extra efforts. So, just load them normally and don't worry about caching. You can, however, motivate the user to increase their local browser cache in order to potentially lessen time spent on waiting while your assets are loaded, but this won't help should the user watch three tons of YouTube each day.
SWC files are not intended for dynamic loading.
They are static libraries that can be linked in a swf using
-include-libraries and library-path options of mxmlc or - since you seem to be using FlashDevelop - SWC Include Libraries and SWC Libraries in Project>Compiler options
. SWC's may hold code (classes), assets (symbols/bitmaps/sounds...) or combination of the two.
Loading assets dynamically is done through flash.display.Loader
you may use the Loader as a simple DisplayObject instance that you add on stage:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/FlashPlatform/reference/actionscript/3/flash/display/Loader.html#includeExamplesSummary
, or use its ApplicationDomain as a library of Class definitions that will allow you to create instances at will :
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/FlashPlatform/reference/actionscript/3/flash/system/ApplicationDomain.html#includeExamplesSummary
Caching from the browser will be sufficient in most cases, unless you have VERY specific needs
In the end, there is different ways to optimize loading times, one of which is having a small swf acting as loader/home menu, and loading rest of the content on demand like you seem to try doing, but you can also create a single swf with several frames, which will be "streamed" by flash player, example:
1st frame as small as possible holding just a few kb for a splash screen/logo/loading/whatever you want, to make the initial blank screen as short as possible, then second frame holding the main content. You can event extent this system with for instance
two levels of preloader: a first tiny frame with just a logo, second one with progress bar, and full background if needed
split content like home screen/menus in a frame, gameplay in the another, if you are making a game, so that gameplay continues loading while you are already displaying the menu
Related
I'm a relatively new developer in AS3 using Flash Builder. My objective is to create a quick/fast loading small SWF preloader for a larger (30mg) SWF application. I can't include the larger SWF inside the preloader, but I can use external interface calls to get jquery to tell me what the speed of internet the users are using and figure out how long it should take to load based on the size of the larger SWF.
Right now, we have a large web application that takes around 5 mins to load if the client has a slow internet connection. So, we wanted to use a small SWF preloader that will display a loading circle or loading bar, and display options if the SWF takes longer than 5 mins to load. Kind of like error handling. For instance, for Safari, sometimes the player actually has to click the SWF in order for it to load. Is it possible to have a button on the SWF that will make it start loading?... Is it easier to create the preloader in jQuery? I'm just wondering if it's just going to create more issues using a SWF to load a SWF. Any ideas?...
Any ideas on how to tackle this beast? I've read almost every article about preloaders but there is nothing that references preloaders created in Flash Builder.
I can't use Flash Professional or timeline. It has to be in Flash Builder.
So I tried to use the below tutorial and I wasn't able to actually get anything to appear when I test it. I'm getting an error at the "run()" function:
Error: Error #2136: The SWF file http://local.myproj.com/MyProject.swf contains invalid data.
at Preloader/run()[/Development/MyProject/src/Preloader.as:109]
at Preloader/onEnterFrame()[/Development/MyProject/src/Preloader.as:46]
References:
http://fortheloss.org/how-to-preloader-in-flash-builder-4-7/
I worked until two years ago with a lot of these things and I know I have a few good scripts in my databases, but you are talking about Preloaded & activated loading were as in a preloader it is out of the hands of say a visitor what he or she can or cannot do, and in using a button (possible of course) the visitor has a choice to download or not! From memory there was never really a lot published yet over years of using Flex Builder I have collected some good AS3 scripts and modified them (including a progress-bar - but without time Indicator) to download in web Apps. or FLEX AIR etc. with AS3.
The small problem would only be to adapt any of it from mx to fx depending on what FLEX Builder you use!
I used my scripts mainly to download high resolution Images, Calendars, SWFs etc. with up to compressed 22 mB! Anyway, if Interested I have to look up my FLEX databases & Application to get it to you! rgs Aktell
I am currently working on a rather large, UI-heavy Flash game. Our team has been working on this for about 9 months now. None of us had any previous experience with Flash, so we have continually improved our workflows during this time. However, we still feel that what we are doing now is not optimal, especially the interface between coders and artists, so I am wondering how other teams are working.
The ideal workflow should satisfy the following requirements:
1. Reused UI elements are defined only once
This means, if we want to change a font or a button style, we do not want to go trough all of our menus and change them manually. We want them defined in one central place and only referenced from there. Bonus points if the assets are shared not only at edit time but also at runtime, i.e. they are downloaded only once.
2. Everything is loaded on demand
Currently, we have two different loading steps: First, we load the menu libraries. When this is done, the players can already interact with all the menus. Then, we start loading the actual gameplay data. The initial loading time is still too long, though, and causes us to lose many potential players. What we really want to do is to load only the bare minimum required for the main menu and then load everything else only when the player tries to actually open the respective menus. Zuma Blitz does this really well.
3. Artists can perform minor changes without help from coders
If a menu should be re-designed without changing the actual functionality, it should be possible for artists to do that on their own in Flash CS6. This requires a clear interface between art and code, and it should also be possible for artists to test and debug their changes before sending them to the coders.
-
Our current workflow looks like this: The artist build the screens as MovieClips in Flash CS6 and export them as SWFs. On the code side, load the MovieClips from the screen SWFs and use them as the View classes in our PureMVC-based system. The Mediators access the elements like text fields in the Views by their instance names.
This is error-prone because there is no central place to define the interface (i.e. the instance names). A lot of communication overhead between coder and artist is required. Also, it creates a dependency between the code and the internal structure of the movieclip. The artists cannot attach the text field to a different sub-movieclip when they want to apply some effects to it.
We are experimenting with an event-based interface that requires the artist to add a few lines of code to the movieclip. This is less error-prone and interdependent than before, but it still does not completely satisfy (3) unless we write additional tools for testing and debugging. This must be a common problem and I can hardly imagine that there is no easier way.
For (2), we also started building a home-brewed solution but again, this is such a common task, there has to be something out there already that we can use.
So, how do experienced Flash developers manage such large projects?
I have some thoughts, but they are based on my coding style, which is unique to me.
1. Reused UI elements are defined only once
Depending on what you're reusing, this can be as simple as defining a library symbol and just using it. Fonts can be replaced without digging with a search and replace, and you can also simply swap out the font in the Font Embedding menu.
For sharing across xfl's, you can use a Flash Pro Project. Keep in mind that there's a certain amount of time overhead involved in this (files will want to update when you open them or save them, Flash crashes more with Projects, and it can be a bad idea to try to work on two files from the same project at once).
Some people use swcs, but doing so requires that you instantiate things in it in code, which might not work for your workflow. I use them for audio only, and I find that the objects in it have to be compiled on or before the frame you designate as the AS compile frame, or the sound can't be properly instantiated. I suspect this is going to be the case for anything instantiated from a swc.
2. Everything is loaded on demand
One of the best-kept secrets of Flash is that this is trivially easy to accomplish using the timeline and educated use of the complier. Here's how it works:
If your ActionScript compile frame is a frame greater than 1, then here is how things will compile:
Before Frame 1:
Any visual assets and embedded sounds used on frame 1
Your main Document Class, plus any Classes directly referenced from the Document Class (which is a good reason to code to Interfaces)
Before your AS compile frame (N):
Your AS Classes (the code, not necessarily the visual/audio assets)
The visual and audio assets for any library symbols set to Export for AS in frame N (even if they are not used in the swf)
Before the frame where the asset is first used on the timeline:
The visual/audio assets in all library symbols where Export for AS in frame N is not checked.
If you put a spinner loading graphic on frame 1 and you have selected frame 10 as your export frame, then if you just let the movie play until it hits frame 10, here is how it will load:
If you have any heavy assets in your spinner or directly referenced in your main Document Class, users will see a blank screen while this stuff downloads
The spinner will become visible and spin
Once your AS Classes have loaded, along with the Library Symbols set to Export in Frame 10 and the assets that are actually on Frame 10, you'll see those assets, and everything you need to use them will be ready.
The rest of the swf will continue to load in the background, updating framesLoaded.
I actually use a combination of a setter for the object that's on frame 10, plus an ENTER_FRAME handler to check to see if we're on frame 10 yet. There are certain things that I have to do that are easier based on one and others that work better to do the other way.
3. Artists can perform minor changes without help from coders
If the code is all in the Base Class for the library symbol, artists don't need to understand it, as long as they don't remove or change a needed instance name. I try to minimize dependence on instance names by watching ADDED_TO_STAGE (capture phase) and watching for Display Objects by type. Once I have a reference to an object of the appropriate type, it's easy enough to watch for REMOVED_FROM_STAGE on that object to dereference it. This is similar to how frameworks such as RobotLegs and Swiz work.
Further, I use a concept I call "Semantic Flash," where I do a lot based on labels. I have a base Class, FrameLabelCip, which has built-in nextLabel() and previousLabel() functionality, as well as dispatching FRAME_LABEL_CONSTRUCTED events. It's really easy to go from storyboard event name to Flash label name and just build out the graphics bang-bang-bang.
I make heavy use of Graphic Symbols for synchronizing graphics across multiple labels (for example, bulleted lists), instead of relying on code. This animator's trick makes these things both robust and approachable to less-technical teammates.
I have a MovieClip in Flash with 100 frames. Each frame contains a certain icon I need to use in a project. I create instances of this icon MovieClip wherever I need an icon to appear, and gotoAndStop to a certain frame to display that icon.
Will storing a 100 icons in a single movieclip cause every single icon to be created in memory whenever I create an instance of the MovieClip? If I stored each icon in the library and attached only the icon that is needed, would that consume less memory than creating this MovieClip that has all the icons in it?
To answer your question: When you go to a frame with an icon on it, Flash will create a new instance of that icon. When you leave that frame, Flash will make that icon eligible for garbage collection, unless you force it to hold the instance in memory somehow, such as using addEvenListener where the method that is the listener is the icon or somewhere inside it.
I think the memory usage is likely to be higher for the goToAndStop vs. the new instance. If you are not experiencing problems with goToAndStop(), you are unlikely to experience additional issues by instantiating a new icon each time you switch from one icon to another. The other people who have answered are quite right that you will use fewer CPU cycles by instantiating all the icons only once (by whatever method), and then simply using the same one every time you use that icon. However, your overall memory footprint will be higher, because you will have all of the icons (even ones you are not currently using) in memory all the time.
If you want to go the route of only instantiating each on once, I'd suggest you go with Lazy Loading, where you only instantiate each icon when it is first used. One way to do this is to use what you already have and visit the frame the first time you want to use a specific icon, then store the BitmapData or a reference to the icon itself after that and reuse it. Another way is to build a swc and use a similar pattern.
None of this requires a static variable BTW, since it sounds like you're not using tons of different copies of your icon MC. Even if you are, it's probably better to handle referencing the icons you have through dependency injection.
I think you are probably asking about file size, however, vs. actual memory usage. The answer to that questions is that all assets that are used by your fla get compiled into the swf, regardless of whether they are in a MovieClip, a SWC, or in the library with Export for Actionscript in Frame N checked.
I get it, I've got boobs, I'm guessing
Try this, to verify my "guess."
Create a swf that has a keyframe on frame 1.
Draw a circle there.
Put another keyframe on frame 10. Draw a square.
In Publish Settings, check "Generate size report."
Now, you know (or you should know) that this swf can display the circle on frame 1, even if the assets compiled on frame 10 have not yet been downloaded. So, is there any possible way that the square could be loaded into memory before Frame 10 has been downloaded? Hint: the answer is no.
Now ask yourself this: Do you think Macromedia wrote a special version of MC that is incapable of lazy loading that the MC that is the main Document Class that Flash generated for the movie you made above so obviously handles so well?
The Macromedia engineers did a lot of things that in hindsight look pretty stupid, but they're not that incompetent.
If each icon that goes into the 100 frames MovieClip is an image you can easily enough export that image for actionscript and access only the image you need.
Another idea is to create a static class that stores each icon frame as a symbol in a static array(if you want to access the icon by index) or Dictionary(if you want to retrieve it by name).
e.g.
package{
import flash.display.Bitmap;
public class Icons{
public static const assets:Vector.<Bitmap> = Vector.<Bitmap>([new Icon01ASExportName(),//instance bitmaps once
new Icon02ASExportName(),//reuse them later multiple times
...
new Icon99ASExportName()]);
}
}
Yet another is to generate a SpriteSheet, either once and save it as a file, either at runtime, then copyPixels() to paste the icon from the right rectangle of the main spritesheet. You've got multiple tools available for generating the spritesheet:
Zoë
SWFSheet
Flash CS6
TexturePacker (if you have movieclips, you can export them as an image sequence to drop into the software)
There are also ways to generate a spritesheet at runtime.
For some nicely explained video tutorials on spritesheets and BitmapData by Lee Brimelow: Sprite Sheets and Blitting - Part 1,2 and 3.
If your icons are Bitmaps then each movieclip will share the same data - the only memory increase will be due to more movieclips, rather than their contents (which shouldnt be a problem).
If your icons are not Bitmaps (other movieclips, shapes, buttons etc), then everything gets duplicated, so memory usage will increase a lot faster as more movieclips are added.
Another consideration is that lots of movieclips on screen will have more of an effect on FPS than simpler objects so you may want to consider adding the icon itself rather than the movieclip even if you are using Bitmaps.
I have a rather complex flash clip that ends up bogging down the loading of the rest of my webpage.
Can I force the flash to wait to load until the rest of the site loads?
If you do not mind to have javascript you may use something like SFWObject 2 library, here is documentation page http://code.google.com/p/swfobject/wiki/documentation there is different methods for using it, so you just need pick up which is more appropriate in your case. Main idea you may trigger swf player initialization with javascript, so you could control time when this happen, and so using it just do that after onload event triggering. But assume problem cold be more complicated than just delaying your clip, so try to test it on different computers and browsers.
So, hypothetical situation here:
I have an SWF that's 30MB. Sound files (music) make up 25MB, art and other things make up the remaining 5MB.
Would it be possible for me to load the 5MB of necessary art and other things first to allow the user to operate the app, then after that's all loaded and they are operating the app, load the remaining 25MB of sound files in the background?
UPDATE:
Loading SWF (or other entities) externally is not an option.
You can do this by modifying the compilation settings and strategically placing the sound.
By default, anything placed on the timeline will be loaded sequentially; the Flash Player will play the SWF as soon as the first frame is loaded. If you use the default compilation settings, all library content will be placed in the first frame, so the movie doesn't start until everything is available.
You can modify these settings, however, to allow for a more sequential load order: For each of your library elements, you can uncheck "export into frame 1" in the properties window. Now these elements won't be loaded, until they appear in the main timeline. This way, if you place your content carefully, you can allow for all important elements to be loaded in the first frame, or if you have a progress bar, until the main movie starts, while all streaming elements load with the animation, which has to be placed accordingly. Make sure though, that you don't leave anything out (by not placing it on the timeline), or call elements from ActionScript before they are loaded completely. It is very important to test this thoroughly, because if anything goes wrong in the load order, your entire SWF might stop working.
Also, remember that the SWF loads sequentially: If you have a sound in, say, frame 300, and another in frame 1000, the one in 300 will be loaded first. If you jump to frame 1000 from a menu in frame 10, you have to take into account that the frame might not be loaded yet. So there has to be some sort of checking mechanism (framesLoaded) and/or dialog to inform the user about additional loading time, and prevent the application from crashing.