Flash Resource Manager and Flash 8
As many of you have noticed, Flash Resource Manager does not work with Flash 8. This is because the path to the help files is hardcoded (at least for the first load) for Flash MX 2004.
I just played around with the source, and it was pretty easy for me to fix, so once I get the correct version of Visual Studio installed, I am going to try and update it so it will work with both Flash MX 2004 and Flash 8.
In the meantime, if you look in the install directory for the Flash Resource Manager, you should find a config directory with app.config file. This is an XML file that contains all of the settings for the app. You should be able to change the file paths here to get it to work correctly. I haven’t been able to get get this to work yet, but I wanted to post it here in case anyone wanted to try (post in the comments if you get it working).
UPDATE : Ritesh has confirmed in the comments that you can get it to work with Flash 8 by manually editing the config file.
UPDATE 2: I can’t get the app to work correct on the WIndows .NET 2.0 beta, so if you are having problems, that might be the issue.
Hi Mike,
Yes its damn true its working fine :) for me.
Here is the new app.config config file settings that working with the flash 8.
#FFFF99
0.93.1592.26849
true
en
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Macromedia\Flash MX 2004\en\Configuration\HelpPanel\HowDoI
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Macromedia\Flash 8\en\Configuration\HelpPanel\Help\
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Macromedia\Flash 8\en\Configuration\HelpPanel\Help\
false
true
true
true
false
http://www.markme.com/mxna/helppanel.cfm?category=Flash
Default
false
false
false
Some how i didnt find the HOWDOI directory path for the new flash 8 help all those are basics so no problem for experts.
Ritesh Jariwala
14 Sep 05 at 11:08 pm
Sweet! I couldnt get it to work myself, but I think that is do to a bug with the .net 2.0 beta (which I have).
Ill try and release an updated version shortly.
mike chambers
mesh@macromedia.com
mike chambers
15 Sep 05 at 8:52 am
The changes in the first comments worked for me too. Thanks so much for the info, I’d been wishing this worked with Flash 8 since I’ve gotten so used to using it.
Aaron Leavitt
15 Sep 05 at 8:58 am
Yes aaron its working fine. Mike your application is really cool. I like to see help mostly outside of flash ide or any help. If you can add user comment section to your software then it will really cool more like comments on php website for the php function if you see their chm file they have mostly usefull comment by most of users in each function.
I know that macromedia having such kind of thing already but they dont have much comment. Peoples in the community are more active and might be started using your software so try to add more features as much as you can.
I also noticed that while adding external html help which must be xml file, if you give any html file path software throwing unhanled exception.
Ritesh Jariwala
15 Sep 05 at 9:50 am
Hey Mike, I blogged about this solution back on the day that Flash 8 was released. I hope that posting a hack prior to your official blessing didn’t upset you.
http://www.brooksandrus.com/blog/?p=16“
Brooks Andrus
15 Sep 05 at 12:40 pm
Oops, slight typo on that url in the last post. It should be:
http://www.brooksandrus.com/blog/?p=16
Brooks Andrus
15 Sep 05 at 12:42 pm
Cool. Thanks for posting that (I wish I had seen it earlier).
And no, I don’t mind. That is why I put all of those settings in an external file.
mike chambers
mesh@macromedia.com
mike chambers
15 Sep 05 at 7:02 pm
Hi mike,
I requested many times in 8ball beta to provide a new option in preferences to open help docs in new tab rather than help panel.
But it came without it. So, I got to stick with FRM until next Flash release :)
Is it possible that you could make it open source project? I believe that will allow this tool to evolve much better.
best,
// chall3ng3r //
chall3ng3r
16 Sep 05 at 12:34 pm
I agree with chall3ng3r; make FRM open source (And part, for example, of OSFlash) will be a great idea and a really good way to build and evolve a better FRM as It is now.
Freddie®
16 Sep 05 at 5:49 pm
RE: open source
Yes, I am thinking about open sourcing it, but I need to find some time to get it ready to open source (it uses some third party controls), and then need to find the time to setup the project.
mike chambers
mesh@macromedia.com
mike chambers
16 Sep 05 at 7:38 pm
Great to hear that mike: D, and thanks for the acknowledgment.
Even I posted a feature request some time ago to macromedia, to make the help system of all macromedia products more unified and much easy to use, the request was something like this:
There’s a need of a full fledge unified help system for all macromedia media products. This help system should be easily extendable, and other developers can add the product (component/extensions) docs in it. But is should use some compressed html archives to store docs rather than thousands of html files.
The tool should be standalone, and does not require flash/dw/fw to be running in order to open help system. Tabs based UI can also be feature of it to open multiple help docs from different product help libraries.
MSDN Library is a good example to follow.
best,
// chall3ng3r //
chall3ng3r
17 Sep 05 at 2:08 pm
Sweet mike, if you can make it open source. I will like to contribute my knowledge and skill if you really going to make it open source.
I have also posted over it my blog
http://www.actkid.com/2005/09/18/flash-resource-manager-hack-to-flash-8-help/
Link of file if sombody directly want to check it out.
http://www.actkid.com/misc/app.config
Ritesh Jariwala
17 Sep 05 at 11:17 pm
First off, John, whoever he is, needs a hobby. Second, thanks for the info for Flash 8. I’m looking forward to working with the tool and seeing what all the hype is about. :)
D
29 Nov 05 at 11:22 am
Are there any chances that you release the source of your nice application?
Philippe
28 Jan 06 at 5:10 pm
Thanks for the help on the flash 8 issue!
Regards,
Geoffrey (belgium)
Geoffrey
13 Feb 06 at 12:40 am