Run AIR app without AIR runtime files - actionscript-3

I've made an AIR app with Flash Builder 4. Works great but I want to run the app without installing it. So..... when I install the app, I copy the files from program files and paste it on a CD and give it to somebody. He runs it on another computer without AIR runtime with as result that it doesn't work.
How can I bypass this? Like some launcher/setup that installs AIR runtime for the client if it aint installed. If it is installed, run the AIR app.
Thanks.

Creating an AIR Badge would be a good option.
The idea is you pass a link to the client, the AIR Badge check if
AIR is installed. If it is, installs your app, otherwise installs AIR
first.
There's a pretty good AIR Badger tutorial on the Adobe Developer Connection site. AIR Badger is an AIR App Grant Skinner wrote to make the setup easier.
Also check out the new AIR Launchpad, which is another AIR app that helps you get started with all sort of AIR related functions, including install badge.
Unfortunately the AIR Badger works online.
You cannot bypass AIR install. Maybe have a third party utility(batch script/etc.) that looks for air related files/.air filetype associations and based on that launches an AIR installer you supply on CD or the app itself.
On osx you have the mdls command that displays information about a file. You could check for kMDItemKind:
mdls -name kMDItemKind /path/to/yourApp.air
If it prints "com.adobe.air.InstallerPackage", then air should be installed, otherwise it will just print "Document".
There should be something similar for windows command prompt that checks registry file type associations.
After you've done that check, install AIR first or just the app, depending on the result.
HTH

Related

Creating a cross platform runtime AIR app

I am compiling an AIR application from Animate CC (mac version) with runtime embedded. No issues on the mac, but when i transfer the app file to a PC (running windows obviously), the app icon displays as a folder instead, and there is nothing within this folder that I can click on to run the app.
I was under the impression that Adobe AIR is cross platform compatible, so am I doing something wrong when compiling, or do I have to compile on a PC to create a runtime embedded app that will run on Windows?
It's impossible to launch Mac app on Windows. Because embed runtimes are different for Win/Mac. Here you can get some more info https://superuser.com/questions/56739/executable-files-in-mac-os-x-vs-windows.
So you either build 'Mac projector' and run it on Mac or 'Windows projector' to run on Windows (you can change this option in File -> Publish Settings). Tick both options and you'll be able to run it on Win and Mac.
One more option is to build AIR app - but it will require AIR runtime installed.
You're correct that Adobe AIR is cross platform compatible, but publishing from a Mac doesn't give you a Windows-runnable app, nor does publishing from Windows give you a Mac-runnable app.
You'll need to compile on a PC to get a Windows-runnable .exe

Is there any modern way to do games with ActionScript?

I know it is possible to develop games with ActionScript. My question is:
Is there any way to generate a game like "Unity" does, with Adobe tools, without ask the user to install 3rd party plugins (Flash Player, Adobe Air)?
I would like to do a game with ActionScript, for mobile platforms, without the inconvenience of installing third party plugins. Is it possible?
How are made games like Clash Royale?
Appreciate.
You can export your Adobe AIR projects as standalone executable files, for example:
For Android you can export your app with the Captive Runtime, it will generate an APK ready to install. This APK won't require Adobe AIR installed on the user's device.
For iOS, AIR always exports the IPA with Captive Runtime, you don't have to worry about this platform.
For Windows, you can export an .exe file (only when you are using the AIR SDK for Windows).
For OSX, you can export an .app file or a .dmg file (only when you are using the AIR SDK for OSX).
If you want to export for all 4 platforms I recommend to code and design on a Mac, so you can export the .app/.dmg, .apk and .ipa binaries, and use a VM or a cheap Windows computer for compiling your .exe file.

Package Adobe Air to Exe

Using Flash Builder 4.6, I exported an Adobe Air file from my mobile project.
I'm trying to get it packaged into an EXE (that would include the Adobe Air Runtime)
The project was compiled with Air 3.1. I looked online and there are some ADT commands that people recommend using but the problem is that the command throws errors in Air 3.1
If i use air 3.0 ADT:
AIR file at [app path]/app.air could not be converted.
The error was ""
If I use air 3.1 or air 3.2 sdk
SDK is missing file [my path to air]\lib\nai\bin\naip.exe
I'm running
java -jar [path to air]\lib\adt.jar" -package -target native app.dmg app.air
I've also tried
java -jar [path to air]\lib\adt.jar" -package -target native app.exe app.air
I've also looked into projects like this one: http://bishoponvsto.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/adobe-air-2beta-2-to-exe-packaging-air-app-in-windows-executable/ , but it is for Air 2.0.
Any ideas? Apparently there is an integrated Flash Builder 4.6 tool, but for some reason the option under export release doesn't exist for mobile projects - strange...
Why do you want to do this? Air files -- when exported for a specific platform -- are executables.
If you are looking for an "installer" that will create directories, run the Air installation, and move auxiliary files to specific locations (docs, icons, etc.), then try Inno Setup.
EDIT:
The code you provided works for me to create a Windows EXE. But it seems a bit unecessary . . . why not just export the EXE file from Flash Builder ("Export Release Build" button in the top toolbar)? If you can't or won't, then here are some suggestions:
I am using Java version 1.6.0_29. Make sure your Java is not only up to date, but that you are actually calling the correct version (java -version).
Check the JAR directory text carefully .
Check that you are actually calling to the right Air version.
Make sure that the quotation marks are on both sides of the JAR path.
You should be able to do a "Export Release Build" (though I am using FB 4.5). Instead of selecting "Export as: Signed packages for each target platform", select "Export as: Signed AIR packages for installation on the desktop". (You may have to create a certificate, but you can create one through this export feature, too.)
(If you happen to be able to use the Flash IDE, the exported Air file has to support both "Desktop" and "Extended Desktop".)
Hopefully, this will allow you to both produce an Air program that can be converted to EXE, and actually convert it using the command line.
I know this question is a little old, but a co-worker just ran into the same error message using the command line tools and FlashDevelop. It turns out that he was accidentally packaging some source files into the .air package, an extra copy of the app descriptor and one of the swc's was getting packaged in the .air file. I removed those and repackaged the .air file, then used this command:
adt.bat -package -target bundle kiosk kiosk.air
This successfully created a captive runtime exe. Of course there's no need to create a .air file first, you can package right to native or captive runtime, but since my co-worker was creating .air files I did it that way too just to be sure it would work.

Adbe Air run time detection

I have created an adobe air application. When I copy the release build (.air application) to a pc that is not installed AIR, it shows the application with "Open With" command. Is there anyway that I can show users to install air run time if they haven't installed it before installing myapplication?
If you distribute your app via websie, you can add a badge there, if a user don't have AIR on his computer, he will be promted to install it. Take a closer look here

AIR file too big, breaks during installation

A client is having me convert an HTML5 video web application that I've already built into an AIR app.
The end users are going to need this to work with no internet access, so I MUST include a LOT of video files with the installer. This works fine on my machine, but my client can't install it because the .air file is too large and they don't have enough RAM. We'll need this installed on a number of laptops that aren't super powerful.
My SDK is up to date and we're using AIR 3.1.
Has anyone else run into a similar situation? Is there any workaround? For instance could I either include both the installer and the .air in a zipped folder, then have the installer move the video files to the appropriate location, or use AS to have the installer download the files (they will have internet access when installing).
I'd recommend you not to include heavy video files into your application. Downloading assets from web is a descent idea, I use same technique for several museum touchscreen apps.
So here's workflow: on startup app tries to connect to "assets server" and request list of files to download. It can be list of all the files, or list of files that have been updated/added since timestamp that you pass with your request. Then you download them to File.applicationStorageDirectory. Not to have mess in that directory I put all of them to "cache" subdirectory.
In case there's no internet connection for some reason when you install that app, you can have all that "cache" folder on your memory-stick/externalHD so you can manually perform that downloading process.
If you use Greensock's LoaderMax: I've written a simple URLStreamLoader that extends LoaderItem, handy for downloading files. Can share that.
The problem is quite obvious: the Adobe AIR provided installer for deploying your application is lacking.
However, Adobe recently released a new feature for deploying Adobe AIR apps: "runtime captive bundle" (Windows or OSX).
Which means 2 important things:
You receive an .exe which no longer requires an user to have Adobe AIR runtime installed (and no more incompatibilities when targeting multiple Adobe AIR runtimes).
You are no longer provided with an installer, and you have to find your own (which solves your problem halfway).
Target bundle when "compiling", and then just use a better installer (Windows or OSX) - think you are just deploying a normal application (worked for me:) ). There are too many installers arround to mention.
Your installer of choice + bundle compiling, together solve your offline installation requirement and the memory exhausting issue.
Packaging a captive runtime bundle for desktop computers