I've made a Flash Checker for all!

[JeremysFilms]

Even though Flash 8 has been released, many people haven't updated their Flash Players yet. This means that if they watch your Flash 8 work with filters and new ActionScript, etc. it won't show up. You could make a great movie/game with all these great effects, but they won't show up which could result in a low score. Even worse, you could have a game that uses new Flash 8 ActionScript, but the viewer doesn't have the new Flash Player, so they can't play it properly and they may think it sucks while it's actually an amazing game!!

I have made a Flash-Checking Component to put in your flash to make sure the user has the newest Flash Player.

Here's a preview of how it works:
Preview of Flash-Checker Component

Here's the downloadable FLA file with the component:
Flash-Checker Component

To use this component, simply Copy/Paste it into the first frame of your Flash files.

This component can work with any Flash Player version (so you could use this in the future with something like Flash 14). You simply open the Actions Panel for the Component on the stage and change the string "8" to whatever version you want to check for. So if you want version 14, you'd change "8" to "14". Just don't try to change it to a lower version like 7 or 6, because people with version 8 won't be able to downgrade to those making them never be able to view the Flash.

You may use this in any Flash stuff you want to, I designed this to help people with not having to wait for people to update their Flash Players, etc.

I hope this helps you out!!

[authorblues]

At 10/1/05 12:45 AM, JeremysFilms wrote: I hope this helps you out!!

thats great work. for those of us that arent working on a computer with flash installed (read: me) at the moment, you should copy and paste the conditional loop you used to check for flash 8. i just want to see what you did, and i dont have flash on this computer, only on mine.

thanks...

[MilkshakeClock]

The only problem is, if you export it as flash 8 for the people with 7 the movie wont load, so they wont be able to see that their version is outdated :P

[Flea-Productions3]

You sir, are truly a genius. Many people will thank you for this.

[JeremysFilms]

Thanks everyone!!

[MilkshakeClock]

At 10/1/05 01:06 AM, MilkshakeClock wrote: The only problem is, if you export it as flash 8 for the people with 7 the movie wont load, so they wont be able to see that their version is outdated :P

Yeah, interesting. I'd like to hear from the creator about this.

[JeremysFilms]

Back before I upgraded my Flash Player, I had watched a Flash 8 published movie. It had used new AS and new filters, etc. It will still load, it just won't have what was supposed to be there. This doesn't use any new AS or new filters, so it will show up.

[IWantSomeCookies]

WOW. This is really good.. GREAT job with the coding.

7/10. Very useful.

[Nick]

Thank You! No more low scores for great movies.

[bigexplosions]

That's very useful! Now we won't get complaints in reviews saying "I CAN'T FUCKING SEE ANYTHING!"

[JeremysFilms]

WOW! I didn't think people would like it this much!! W00T!! Thanks so much for your kind words!! Just make sure to use it ;)

[Kinsman]

I checked the code, and noticed two possible problems..

1) The use of 'System.capabilities.version' won't work for Flash Players of version 5 or lower.
2) You're using a substring to pluck out the major version of the version string. This is fine when the version string begins with 'WIN' or 'MAC' (3 letters), but what about if the version string starts with 'UNIX' (4 letters)?

By coincidence, I was just fooling around this morning with version checking code myself, and wrote this..

versionstring = undefined;
versionstring = getVersion(); // Flash 5 or higher

if (versionstring == undefined)
{
trace("Pre-Flash 5.. time to upgrade!");
}

majorversion = Number ( (((versionstring).split(" "))[1].split(","))[0] );

if (majorversion >= 8)
{
trace("You have Version 8+!");
}

Finally, I didn't find the code that matched the current version with the version you wanted, but this part worries me.. "Just don't try to change it to a lower version like 7 or 6, because people with version 8 won't be able to downgrade to those making them never be able to view the Flash."

Does that mean that when people eventually move to Flash 9, a checker configured for Flash 8 will stop working?

-Kinsman

[JeremysFilms]

At 10/1/05 12:18 PM, Kinsman wrote: Does that mean that when people eventually move to Flash 9, a checker configured for Flash 8 will stop working?

-Kinsman

Well as I said, u can change the string, so when 9 comes out, just change the string and reupload it.

I doubt anyone is still using flash player 5, but I guess I should've incoorperated that, but still... this is for newer versions that come out.

[PrettyMuchBryce]

Good work Jeremy. Thanks :)

[Rammer]

At 10/1/05 10:24 AM, JeremysFilms wrote: WOW! I didn't think people would like it this much!! W00T!! Thanks so much for your kind words!! Just make sure to use it ;)

you just ensured many artists that their work will get seen the way it is meant to be seen.

why wouldnt everyone like this? (:

[Kinsman]

At 10/1/05 05:11 PM, JeremysFilms wrote:

At 10/1/05 12:18 PM, Kinsman wrote: Does that mean that when people eventually move to Flash 9, a checker configured for Flash 8 will stop working?

-Kinsman

Well as I said, u can change the string, so when 9 comes out, just change the string and reupload it.

I really, really think you should change that. I don't know if the rules have changed recently, but last I remember, you're not able to re-upload your movie after 5,000 votes have been placed, unless you mail the NG admins yourself and ask to have it done.

The NG team doesn't need a storm of e-mail asking hundreds of Flashes to be replaced a year or so from now, just because you used a == instead of a >=.

-Kinsman

[JeremysFilms]

At 10/1/05 08:09 PM, Kinsman wrote: The NG team doesn't need a storm of e-mail asking hundreds of Flashes to be replaced a year or so from now, just because you used a == instead of a >=.

If I change that. Then think about the new AS and filters, etc. in flash 9. If it could be greater than/equal to it, then it won't show up for 9, when your using 8. THis means that the new stuff in 9 won't show up. An alternative to this whole thing would be to just host a .txt file somewhere with the value of the newest flash version, then externally load it in to flash, that way you just need to change the .txt file.
If you want to use the >= operator, then just do that yourself in the FLA that you put it in.

[gamemaster50001]

It says im outdated but when i click the thing to update it nothing happens? did I do something wrong? Also i vewed it in the test movie thingy

[gamemaster50001]

Also on the macromedia site it says i have it installed??? but your checker says i dont wht up with that???

[GlaielClock]

At 10/2/05 04:53 PM, JeremysFilms wrote: If I change that. Then think about the new AS and filters, etc. in flash 9. If it could be greater than/equal to it, then it won't show up for 9, when your using 8. THis means that the new stuff in 9 won't show up. An alternative to this whole thing would be to just host a .txt file somewhere with the value of the newest flash version, then externally load it in to flash, that way you just need to change the .txt file.
If you want to use the >= operator, then just do that yourself in the FLA that you put it in.

Um.... just check if the version is < 8 show the box. Version 8 will work with version 9.
come on dont be lazy

And besides, when version 9 is out, version 8 stuff will still work on version 8

[JeremysFilms]

At 10/2/05 05:21 PM, gamemaster50001 wrote: It says im outdated but when i click the thing to update it nothing happens? did I do something wrong? Also i vewed it in the test movie thingy

You need to use it on the browser, it may not work when testing it in Flash's test movie environment.

Glaiel, if I did that, then things that are new to version 9 (like new AS) won't work in the old 8 player. For example, if you made a game that uses new AS that isn't readable in player 8, then the game will be buggy and errored and the game won't run properly. What's the point of making it under 8 if the whole point of this is to PREVENT this from happening?!?

[Glaiel-Gamer]

talking to you on AIM i realize that you have no idea what your talking about. What's the harm of changing == to >=

[Glaiel-Gamer]

I finally convinced him to change it to >=. Look how long it took: (had to cut out part of it, over the character limit)

Scratch the convo, it was 8888 characters long. Couldnt fit it here

[PhoenixJ]

At 10/2/05 05:51 PM, JeremysFilms wrote: Glaiel, if I did that, then things that are new to version 9 (like new AS) won't work in the old 8 player. For example, if you made a game that uses new AS that isn't readable in player 8, then the game will be buggy and errored and the game won't run properly. What's the point of making it under 8 if the whole point of this is to PREVENT this from happening?!?

He's saying that when people update their players to Flash 9, your script will trip up and say that their player is outdated. However, Flash Player 9 will still be able to play Flash 8 SWFs, and users cannot downgrade. Down the road, viewers will be essentially locked out of viewing older flashes since their player versions don't match up. You need to change the operator.

[PhoenixJ]

'Lil update: it doesn't work anyway =P

[JeremysFilms]

At 10/2/05 06:29 PM, PhoenixJ wrote: 'Lil update: it doesn't work anyway =P

If you dont have any other frames then nothing's going to happen, since it makes _root.play() when they are equal. I'm now fixing it.

[MACception]

OMG!!! I LOVE YOU FOR MAKING THIS THREAD!!!

I dunno...everyone else was doing it, so i had to fit in...

[joshuaost]

Everyone just download the new player. It's not that hard.
Great work by the way.

[piefi]

wow.That was really annoying me.I try and show stuff to my friends and i have to export for player 7 and loose all filters which is crap.Just what i needed.Is player 9 going to be a problem then?

[MACception]

Bumpaluffagus :

Everyone seems to love this thread...hat to see it die out.