Flash - Synch

[GW44]

How does one control the duration of install so that the flash movie has time to display it's contents?

Depending on installation details, user system etc., the install duration may be so short that the Flash is rendered useless.

Would like to pause installation during final install to ensure Flash movie runs to end.

Note: the Flash in our case is not an interactive flash.

GW44

[MichaelNesmith]

It is not possible to sync the install with the Flash movie. It would make little sense to force users to finish watching the movie when their install has already completed. If your install is too short to show the Flash movie, you could run the Flash movie seperately after your installation - put an icon that points to it in the Start Menu, for instance.

[GW44]

Why not. It does make sence if the install only took seconds. This is for the builder of the script to decide. The install could takes minutes, or seconds depending on various circumstances. One could extend that to show a different movie depending on whether or not the install was a first time install, 2nd, etc.

So is there an option to place a pause (wait) command into the script?

Let the builder of the script decide if this is appropriate or not for the application they are building an install script for.

Don't assume that every one wants to build a script the way InstallAware has envisioned, or thought of it.

As developers of some 40 or so seperate accounting applications, there are lots of ideas we had not thought of but get included over time as result of customer feedback, or pre-sale questions.

So whlie the program may not have that capability at the moment, anything is possible, contrary to what you suggest.

GW44

[MichaelNesmith]

Oh - if you want to force a delay, that's of course possible. You can just call, for example, the Sleep Win32 API using Call DLL Function. If you place this call right after Apply Install, you'll have the exact effect you want.

I still don't think this is a good thing to do - as far as end-user experience is concerned - but you are free to go ahead with it!

[GW44]

Thks, will experiment with that.

GW44

[MichaelNesmith]

I'm just curious - you mentioned in another thread that you have two seperate movies, for the prereq and the main phase. How are these movies different - what type of content did you supply for each?

[GW44]

They just display different info the user. Basically info about our application they are about to install (in the prereq) and are installing in the final dialog.

Install MS OS and you'll see tons of info while the install progresses thru various stages. Same Concept. I doubt they (MS) use just one movie.

One could extend that (once this option is available fom InstallAware) and add several dialogs, each with a different flashframe and "Movie" for that particular FlashFrame. Up to the builder of the scripts how carried away they'll get with this.


GW44

[MichaelNesmith]

I'm very intrigued...might it be possible for you to send me the movie files? I might have further ideas for InstallAware's own installation, extrapolated from your examples...I'm sure the product team would appreciate it!

[GW44]

We'll pass on providing the movies but I see that some changes to the InstallAware's install movie have already been made (unless I possibly do not remember the initial install movie details).

Do note that it is confusing to watch the movie in one of the initial dialogs, which on a initial install is fairly lengthy, and to see the same movie again on the final installation dialog.

Customer may think the install is repeating itself.

Anyway great product and hope this will be addressed sometime in the future.

GW44