deploying Flash Player on OS X using Apple Remote Desktop

So, all computer suites now have outdated flash players. To deploy I found it VERY difficult to find the official solution. Adobe tend to want each computer to be installed by a user:

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flashplayer/enterprise_deployment.html


But of course students log in and do not have permission to install! Luckily someone found a quick solution here. Turns out the flash installer (.app!!!) comes with a pkg file. Solved. (haven't tried it yet!!)

Just tried it on OS X 10.6 and worked perfectly!!

Don't know why this isn't documented very much.

Basically:

1. download flash player
2. right click on the install flash player.app file and select "Show package contents"
3. go to Contents > Resources > Adobe Flash Player.pkg
4. copy this and use Apple Remote Desktop to deploy!

Cheers


The latest news is that you're best off applying for the latest distribution, which involves filling out a small form, confirming your email address, and then waiting for approval. Takes about 1 hour. Here's a link:

http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/players/flash-player-distribution.html

They then send you a link to the installer (pkg file) Yay!

Adobe Flash Player Install Manager failed to quit

I've got a couple of Mac suites with OS X 10.7.4 and have noticed this error appearing on them when trying to logout/shutdown the machines:

After doing a few searches I found firstly this adobe forum in which looked good, and next this adobe bug forum which provided a quick fix. Here's the quick fix as said in the last forum:

Go to and change Library/Application\ Support/Macromedia/mms.cfg

to:

AutoUpdateDisable=1

SilentAutoUpdateEnable=0

The actual problem is caused by two solutions to a previous problem related to Flash player security holes:

1. Apple have fixed a security hole by disabling old versions of Flash Player because of a security flaw which was recently made use of.
2. Adobe have enabled an update manager so that flash player is checked every hour, and updated (if needed) every day, to the newest version.

The problem with this solution is that Adobes update manager crashes at some point. The quick fix suggested here only turns the autoupdate off, but Adobe Flash will in the meantime not update automatically, and unless done manually, will be disabled.

The fix might be to update Adobe Flash Player to version 11.4 which apparently does not have this problem.

Gradient Masks in Flash

So I wanted to create some focal blur in flash using the same technique that I would use in Photoshop. i.e. duplicate the image, blur the top layer and mask it off with a radial gradient.

Flash utilises layers and blur so I thought this would be easy. Unfortunately after trying it didn't work! It just masked off the box with the gradient mask in it. Doh!

After some reading it turns out you need to put one line of action script in for this to work. So, say I have two objects, a gradient and a box (named as their instance names and as the layer names as well. I'm not sure which name it uses?). I first applied the mask, then made a new layer and put a line of actionscript which said:

box.mask = gradient;

Maybe you need to make the layer the mask in the UI, i'm not sure. But fiddle a bit and it should work.

Found most of the solution on this page - http://active.tutsplus.com/tutorials/effects/make-your-flash-logo-bling-with-alpha-gradient-masking/

Go to the section with the gradient thing quite a ways' down.

Flash animation workshop

So I have volunteered to do an animation workshop in Flash on the 14th of June, so students can animate some still work to add to their portfolio of work and help them pass the grade.

To freshen up my knowledge, I shall undertake a personal project which will incorporate most animation techniques they will use in Flash. The best way is to undertake a project which will interest me, add to my portfolio.

Ideas:

• Animated storyboard for an animation i.e:
• Trees everywhere
• Chesterfield college burning down/exploding
• Towerblocks covered in plants
• Totally new animation?
• Johns website
• My portfolio website

The trouble with the first three ideas is that they require time to storyboard. I could schedule this into the project though.

The trouble with Johns website is that he has not decided to go with the flash one and also it does not have adequate animation in it.

The trouble with "My portfolio website" is that it requires interactivity which I will not be focussing on in the lessons and which require a large amount of time to learn.

I am tempted to go with one of my original animations and schedule in the story-boarding to the project. These animations need it anyway. The students might also need to make storyboards, definitely a synopsis. perfect.

The schedule:

• Finish synopsis to perfection - 1 day
• storyboard including rough timing and explanations - 1 days
• breakdown of what needs to be made and how - 1 day
• making the separate models - 3 days
• Put together and animate - 3 days
• add music and titles - 1 day
• finish - 1 day

All this in 11 days. I plan to finish early to allow for unforeseen things or bad planning!! That should leave 6 days of relaxation :-) But I could always refine it.