Flash Applet & XML: Open link in same tab

[TheCrazyLexx]

Hi there,

I'm currently using a flash applet as a menu system on my site which I've made with the "Flash Slideshow Maker". This applets displays a series of pictures as part of a slideshow and each picture can serve as a link to someother place. However, if I click on one of these pictures, the corresponding link is opened up into a new browser tab and not with the parent page. I've already tried to add the target="parent" compand to the link in the xml file but still can't get this to work properly.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
TOM

[Medyman]

Hello...

The first thing that comes to mind is to tray target="_parent".

That might be the culprit. If that doesn't fix things, could you post some source codes/test pages so that I can see the problem.

It's hard to know otherwise.

HTH

[TheCrazyLexx]

Thanks, i've made a sample page which can be found at:

http://www.gamepals.de/index.php?area=3

If you click at on of the slideshow pictures at the top, the link is opend in a new browser window instead of the same one.

Here's what the xml file looks like:



<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<flash_parameters>
<preferences>
<golbal>
<basic_property movieWidth="450" movieHeight="200" html_title="Title" loadStyle="Pie" anvsoftMenu="false" waitMusicLoad="false" hideAdobeMenu="false"/>
<title_property photoTitle="false" photoTitleX="5" photoTitleY="5" photoTitleSize="15" photoTitleFont="Verdana" photoTitleColor="0xffffff"/>
<music_property path="" stream="false" loop="true"/>
<photo_property topPadding="0" bottomPadding="0" leftPadding="0" rightPadding="0"/>
</golbal>
<thumbnail>
<basic_property showPrview="true" prviewWidth="100" prviewHeight="75" lineColor="0xffffff" numberColor="0xffffff" hovrColor="0xfec009" prviewBorderColor="0xfec009"/>
</thumbnail>
</preferences>
<album>
<slide jpegURL="thumbs/t_0001.jpg" d_URL="slides/p_0001.jpg" comm="" transition="29" phototime="5" url="http://www.gamepals.de/index.php?type=review&area=1&p=articles&id=448" title="Slide1"/>
<slide jpegURL="thumbs/t_0002.jpg" d_URL="slides/p_0002.jpg" comm="" transition="29" phototime="5" url="http://www.gamepals.de/index.php?type=review&area=1&p=articles&id=454" title="Slide2"/>
<slide jpegURL="thumbs/t_0003.jpg" d_URL="slides/p_0003.jpg" comm="" transition="29" phototime="5" url="http://gamepals.blogspot.com/" title="Slide3" />
<slide jpegURL="thumbs/t_0004.jpg" d_URL="slides/p_0004.jpg" comm="" transition="29" phototime="5" url="http://www.gamepals.de/index.php?type=review&area=1&p=articles&id=459" title="Slide4"/>
<slide jpegURL="thumbs/t_0005.jpg" d_URL="slides/p_0005.jpg" comm="" transition="29" phototime="5" url="http://www.gamepals.de/index.php?type=review&area=1&p=articles&id=458" title="Slide5"/>
</album>
</flash_parameters>

[Medyman]

There is nothing in the XML that would be effecting this behavior.

Are you using the ANVSOFT Flash Slide Show Maker? If so, I think you need to go into the Preferences > Options menu and change the target to "_parent" or just clear the field.

[TheCrazyLexx]

Yes, I do use ANVSOFT's Flash Slide Show Maker and I've already tried changing the "url target" options to "_parent" or "_self" but the link still opens up into a new browser window!

[Medyman]

After a little research on the ANVSOFT "support" forums, it seems like that is a coding flaw in the component.

Source: http://flash.dvd-photo-slideshow.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2190&sid=9433e352098f3c0c224c5d36aed8df90

A lot of other people have had the same problem and the admins of the site have not offered any solution (just a we'll deal with it in the next update message) which leads me to believe that there is some sort of flaw in the coding.

I think it depends on the theme (from what I can tell).

Sorry if I'm being vague but I've never used this component and don't really now how it works.

My advice to you would be to try building it from scratch. It's really not so difficult! I even posted a nice little example a while back which should get you on a good start.

If not, there are tons of other "slideshow" components out there.

[TheCrazyLexx]

Oh, that's to bad. Could you recommend a different tool which allows me to make a similar looking slideshow menu? The thing is, that I've never worked with flash before and this tool was really easy for me to use...

[Medyman]

I have a strict "no components" policy with my design. I find them to be ugly and more pain than they are worth. So, I don't really know about a lot of components. There are some nice ones out there.

With that said, I do use the SlideShowPro component. It's not free but it's worth every cent. It gives you full control and you can change it into anything you want.

Available here: http://slideshowpro.net/

[TheCrazyLexx]

Unfortunately, I still haven't found a proper tool for me. I really like the flash this flash applet (Link (http://www.gamepals.de/index.php?area=3)), but the programm has way to many bugs.

Could somebody make me a similar flash applet (I don't own any flash tools) that looks like the one shown above in my link?

[Medyman]

Did you look at the SlideShowPro component?

If that's the functionality you want, I'd be happy to whip up a slideshow .swf in the right dimensions. Of course you would need to add your pictures, captions, links, thumbnails via XML yourself.

[TheCrazyLexx]

Yes, I did look at SlideShowPro and it like this would be a good replacement for the flash applet.

What I'd need:
dimensions: 450x200px
transition: some kind of fade in - fade out effect
no captions
image preload

Is it possible to come up with a numbered menu (instead of arrows or pause icons) at the bottom like the one used in my example? The applet has a nice preview effect, which displays thumbnails of the selected menu point/picture.

Example (http://www.gamepals.de/index.php?area=3)

EDIT: Oh, and one more thing: Links should open in the same window ;-)

[Medyman]

www.demos.designsbyvishal.com/dynamicdrive/slideshows

Anyone who wants to use these source files is welcome to. Feel free to post here with any questions.

[TheCrazyLexx]

Oh, that look nice. How about a version without the black line at the bottom? Maybe just the numbers in a box and without the control icons left and right? Like in this example:

http://www.videogameszone.de/?menu=0000&mag=23

[Medyman]

That's not possible using just the component controls.

You would have to create custom controls and link via ActionScript. If you want to download Flash and do that, be my guest. I'd be happy to help you. But i'm not in the business of simply creating things for people.

[TheCrazyLexx]

Oh I see - I just thought that the tool might come with a set of templates you just had to pick one from. Thanks anyway! :)

[Medyman]

Nope. There are a lot of paramaters that can be changed pretty easily within the Flash 8 interface.

But to do anything major with this component you have to know ActionScript