long list of tips (alternatives)...

[Fraggy]

There is HTML Xtra at [url]http://www.mcmm.com/english/pages/xtras/xtrase.html[/url]
that might solve your problems.
It should be possible to 'link to external' text by changing the fileName
property of your cast member, at least the manual of Director says so, but I
didn't have any success with that. My project is online, so I used
getNetText to solve my problems.

Since you're working on CD, changing the fileName property *might* work for
you...

If you are allowed to use PDF instead of HTML, then I would advise you to
use PDF instead, because PDF is perfect for document management: convert
your HTML documents to PDF (PDF documents are created by printing to a
virtual printer that creates PDF files as output (Acrobat "distiller" and
another, that come with the Acrobat CD (not Acrobat Reader, but Acrobat!))

Normally, for best compatibility and ease of use I'd suggest the PDF Xtra
plugin ([url]http://www.integrationnewmedia.com/products/pdfdirector/license/[/url]),
but it's fairly expensive (300$). It does have very usefull features though,
like running Acrobat Reader from CD so that your users do not need to have
Acrobat installed, and you can have the Xtra check the internet for the
latest versions of you PDF files!!!!

You do NOT NEED this plugin however: you can use PDF files if you have
Acrobat Reader installed: just use the ActiveX component:
insert/control/activeX component and point it to the Acrobat ActiveX
component, which is named pdf.ocr if I remember well.
That worked perfectly for me, except that the end user must have Acrobat
Reader installed.

For the rest: lingo programming: with the pdf.ocr you don't need more than
this line: sprite(pdfSprite).open("path&filename")
(I thought it was "open", but it could also be "filename", dunno
anymore...), but I'll help ya out if u decide to go for PDF instead of HTML.

Ah, just reminded: I used some html myself in that same project:
for that, I used the Internet Explorer ActiveX component: this allows you to
use a browser as a sprite onstage, but there were some glitches with screen
refresh when selecting text and stuff, and also there was something with
hyperlinks not working, but the limited functionality it provided for me was
enough: it was just to display a welcome page, and the source was HTML on my
CD.
In your case, I'd look for an Xtra that gives you a browser on stage.

Again, I'd advise the PDF path: the ActiveX component complied to all my
needs, I didn't have to use the PDF Xtra.

Wait, another idea just sprouted in my mind, and this one is going to be
quite usefull for ya:

Microweb (also costs 300$, but the shareware is fully functional and nags
only once with a shareware notice).
Microweb allows you to run a whole website from CD, with all perl, php and
database functionallity enabled through a small apache webserver. This
implies that you will be able to use getNetText("http : //
localhost/point_to_file_on_your_CD") to retreive your documents!!!
Instead of using a projector for your project, you'd better publish your
project as a webproject, put it on CD and access it as a "virtual website"
using MicroWeb. If you want the CD to be an autorun CD it's not a problem
neither...

One last remark: the activeX and Microweb solutions are "windows only"
solutions. For cross platform projects you'll need an Xtra or perhaps some
programming help from someone else ;oP

Hope these tips will get you somewhere...


Good Luck,

Jean Marc.

[Fraggy]

This answer got on the run aparently, it was meant as reply on the thread:
"Linking local HTML files" from crossmedia...

JM.

"Fraggy" <fraggy@chello.nl> wrote in message
news:bencbj$9tb$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> There is HTML Xtra at [url]http://www.mcmm.com/english/pages/xtras/xtrase.html[/url]
> that might solve your problems.
> It should be possible to 'link to external' text by changing the fileName
> property of your cast member, at least the manual of Director says so, but

I

> didn't have any success with that. My project is online, so I used
> getNetText to solve my problems.
>
> Since you're working on CD, changing the fileName property *might* work

for

> you...
>
> If you are allowed to use PDF instead of HTML, then I would advise you to
> use PDF instead, because PDF is perfect for document management: convert
> your HTML documents to PDF (PDF documents are created by printing to a
> virtual printer that creates PDF files as output (Acrobat "distiller" and
> another, that come with the Acrobat CD (not Acrobat Reader, but Acrobat!))
>
> Normally, for best compatibility and ease of use I'd suggest the PDF Xtra
> plugin ([url]http://www.integrationnewmedia.com/products/pdfdirector/license/[/url]),
> but it's fairly expensive (300$). It does have very usefull features

though,

> like running Acrobat Reader from CD so that your users do not need to have
> Acrobat installed, and you can have the Xtra check the internet for the
> latest versions of you PDF files!!!!
>
> You do NOT NEED this plugin however: you can use PDF files if you have
> Acrobat Reader installed: just use the ActiveX component:
> insert/control/activeX component and point it to the Acrobat ActiveX
> component, which is named pdf.ocr if I remember well.
> That worked perfectly for me, except that the end user must have Acrobat
> Reader installed.
>
> For the rest: lingo programming: with the pdf.ocr you don't need more than
> this line: sprite(pdfSprite).open("path&filename")
> (I thought it was "open", but it could also be "filename", dunno
> anymore...), but I'll help ya out if u decide to go for PDF instead of

HTML.

>
> Ah, just reminded: I used some html myself in that same project:
> for that, I used the Internet Explorer ActiveX component: this allows you

to

> use a browser as a sprite onstage, but there were some glitches with

screen

> refresh when selecting text and stuff, and also there was something with
> hyperlinks not working, but the limited functionality it provided for me

was

> enough: it was just to display a welcome page, and the source was HTML on

my

> CD.
> In your case, I'd look for an Xtra that gives you a browser on stage.
>
> Again, I'd advise the PDF path: the ActiveX component complied to all my
> needs, I didn't have to use the PDF Xtra.
>
> Wait, another idea just sprouted in my mind, and this one is going to be
> quite usefull for ya:
>
> Microweb (also costs 300$, but the shareware is fully functional and nags
> only once with a shareware notice).
> Microweb allows you to run a whole website from CD, with all perl, php and
> database functionallity enabled through a small apache webserver. This
> implies that you will be able to use getNetText("http : //
> localhost/point_to_file_on_your_CD") to retreive your documents!!!
> Instead of using a projector for your project, you'd better publish your
> project as a webproject, put it on CD and access it as a "virtual website"
> using MicroWeb. If you want the CD to be an autorun CD it's not a problem
> neither...
>
> One last remark: the activeX and Microweb solutions are "windows only"
> solutions. For cross platform projects you'll need an Xtra or perhaps some
> programming help from someone else ;oP
>
> Hope these tips will get you somewhere...
>
>
> Good Luck,
>
> Jean Marc.
>
>
>
>
>