Flash/Video ability for the Forums (I need input)

[sgtevmckay]

I have heard this call before.

I am all for it; But!

I see a lot of pros and cons, and some of these may be do to my ignorance.
So if we can get some of this information ironed out to satisfaction, I see no issue, and a lot of benefit.

My primary concern is bandwidth, and the load that it may incur to NiteShdw's Servers.
What are we looking at realistically here?

My second concern is for the tremendous files that would be created.
To that end, I am all for embedding, but not uploading the video to the forum.
Suggestions and comments greatly wanted on this one?

The next question will be going out to the folks with more forum experience than I.
The forum has this Capability, and it is currently turned off.
What would be the difference between just turning this option on, and using a BBcode?

I would like to see this ability myself, as there are just somethings a screen shot can not properly convey, not to mention the tutorial possibilities.

Other thoughts, comments, and questions are welcome.

[jsmorley]

I have heard this call before.

I am all for it; But!

I see a lot of pros and cons, and some of these may be do to my ignorance.
So if we can get some of this information ironed out to satisfaction, I see no issue, and a lot of benefit.

My primary concern is bandwidth, and the load that it may incur to NiteShdw's Servers.
What are we looking at realistically here?

My second concern is for the tremendous files that would be created.
To that end, I am all for embedding, but not uploading the video to the forum.
Suggestions and comments greatly wanted on this one?

The next question will be going out to the folks with more forum experience than I.
The forum has this Capability, and it is currently turned off.
What would be the difference between just turning this option on, and using a BBcode?

I would like to see this ability myself, as there are just somethings a screen shot can not properly convey, not to mention the tutorial possibilities.

Other thoughts, comments, and questions are welcome.

It should of course only be embedding, and as such there is NO impact on the board's bandwidth. Embedded flash is a connection between the place hosting the .swf file and the end user. What you have on the board is in effect a big complicated link... Nothing more.

The problem with turning on flash in general, as opposed to using a BBCode, is that a BBCode can targeted at a specific site like YouTube, and for more general embedding it still allows you to set EVERYTHING except the http location of the .swf file. Just allowing flash in general has some risks of someone embedding something either on purpose or accidentally which really tears up the format of the forums when it's viewed, (too big, embedded in "object" containers that can do all kinds of weird stuff, etc.) and is hard to control.

With the BBCode, you set the max width and height and other parms so you are sure it works good with the current theme and setup. Then the user just provides the URL to the .swf file in the [RainFlash]http://asdfasd.swf[/RainFlash] BBCode.

[sgtevmckay]

Ok

If I am understanding you correctly, the Code would be YouTube specific?

I raise this question, because I am a Vimeo user.

[jsmorley]

Ok

If I am understanding you correctly, the Code would be YouTube specific?

I raise this question, because I am a Vimeo user.

Doesn't have to be. It can be written so it works with any flash file hosted pretty much anywhere. There are good YouTube specific BBCodes and Vimeo BBCodes and all the others too...

A generic one could be like this:

BBCode:

Code: Select all

[RainFlash]{TEXT1},{TEXT2},{TEXT3}[/RainFlash]

Where TEXT1 is the Width, TEXT2 is the height, and TEXT3 is the url to the flash .swf file

HTML Replacement:

Code: Select all

<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"           
    codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0"
        width="{TEXT1}" height="{TEXT2}" id="Flash" align="">
        <param name="movie" value="{TEXT3}" />
        <param name="quality" value="high"/>
        <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />     
        <param name="wmode" value="opaque" />

        <embed src="{TEXT3}" quality="high" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"  width="{TEXT1}"
                height="{TEXT2}" name="Flash" align="" wmode="opaque"
                type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
                pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">         
        </embed>
    </object>

[sgtevmckay]

Maybe we need to just specify 2 or 3?

[sgtevmckay]

Oooh

this is interesting, but unsure of the viability
http://startrekguide.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=82&t=5350&sid=d3e3eb16b4fecd2d7cdfa00350a02ed8

[sgtevmckay]

A generic one could be like this:

BBCode:

Code: Select all

[RainFlash]{TEXT1},{TEXT2},{TEXT3}[/RainFlash]

Where TEXT1 is the Width, TEXT2 is the height, and TEXT3 is the url to the flash .swf file

HTML Replacement:

Code: Select all

<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"           
    codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0"
        width="{TEXT1}" height="{TEXT2}" id="Flash" align="">
        <param name="movie" value="{TEXT3}" />
        <param name="quality" value="high"/>
        <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />     
        <param name="wmode" value="opaque" />

        <embed src="{TEXT3}" quality="high" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"  width="{TEXT1}"
                height="{TEXT2}" name="Flash" align="" wmode="opaque"
                type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
                pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">         
        </embed>
    </object>

Doing more homework here.
Is what you are suggesting by the above, a Universal Flash embed window, with fixed size?
We could use any Flash from any site, so Long as we have the embed URL?
That could be do-able?

[sgtevmckay]

oof.

I felt the thunder on this subject, but it seems to have died immediately

Uhm......Que Paso?

[jsmorley]

The BBCode I posted will work for anywhere where the .swf file is available as a direct link. So a user can host a .swf file on drop bucket or another file hosting site and use the BBCode to display the flash on the forum.

Some sites, like YouTube, don't use a "direct link" to the swf, and you would need to have a BBCode specifically for them. There are BBCodes for ALL the major video sites available though.

I mostly like the generic one, as I can use Camtasia to make a .swf of a skin in action or something else I am trying to demonstrate, host it on my own ftp server, and post it in the forums.

[sgtevmckay]

Done!