Flash ActiveX, FScommand

Question

Hello All
I would appreciate a little guidance on a issue I'm having.
I am using A'ware 7.02 and Flash 8.
I am building a wrapper program that launches a flash-based
assessment that is designed to work with a Scorm-compliant LMS.
There has been a breakdown in rolling out the LMS, so I've had to
simulate an LMS within the wrapper, so that it can run on a network
drive until the servers are ready.
The assessment communicates with a flash-based utitlity that
directs most of the communication between Aware and the Assessment.
The only way I have been able to successfully have all three
pieces communicate with each other is to launch the two flash
pieces using the Shockwave for Flash Active X control. The problem
is there are 5 assessments and growing, each in a unique location.
I have had to have a unique sprite for each assessment because I
can't figure out how to do a relative path in the control.
I don't like not being able to add assessments without going
back into the Aware peice. Any suggestions?
I have not seen any documentation on best practices when
having three different programs communicate this way.

Answer 1

Few questions...
1. When you refer to 'two flash pieces' in your fifth
paragraph, are these
the utility and the assessment itself?
2. IMO you'll have to learn the inner workings of the utility
in order to
have it launch each new assessment on the fly. It should be
possible to do
this, however.
3. Relative paths should not be a problem in the ActiveX
itself...rather,
you'll be using the ActiveX to control the logic of the
utility.
4. Finally a general question...if this tool/simulation
you're building is
a short-term solution until the servers are set up, is it
really worth
building? Why not just wait until the servers are ready?
OTOH, it might be
a great thing for you, as you'll be learning a lot about
Flash-AW
communication.
Additional comments....
SCORM based assessments that I've worked with send out a data
package when
the 'submit' button is pressed by the assessment-taker and
this follows a
stardard format of 9 specified fields. If you like send me
the relevant
files (including the FLA of the utility if you can get it)
and I'll try to
sort it all out for you.
Also, as you say there is little documentation on having
three programs
communicate. There is, however, a nice little piece of
documentation on the
Flash ActiveX control API, which I'll send you if you contact
me.
-Marc Lee
[email protected]
"Like Fries w/ That?" <[email protected]>
wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello All
> I would appreciate a little guidance on a issue I'm
having.
> I am using A'ware 7.02 and Flash 8.
> I am building a wrapper program that launches a
flash-based assessment
that is
> designed to work with a Scorm-compliant LMS. There has
been a breakdown in
> rolling out the LMS, so I've had to simulate an LMS
within the wrapper, so
that
> it can run on a network drive until the servers are
ready.
>
> The assessment communicates with a flash-based utitlity
that directs most
of
> the communication between Aware and the Assessment.
>
> The only way I have been able to successfully have all
three pieces
> communicate with each other is to launch the two flash
pieces using the
> Shockwave for Flash Active X control. The problem is
there are 5
assessments
> and growing, each in a unique location. I have had to
have a unique
sprite for
> each assessment because I can't figure out how to do a
relative path in
the
> control.
>
> I don't like not being able to add assessments without
going back into
the
> Aware peice. Any suggestions?
>
> I have not seen any documentation on best practices when
having three
> different programs communicate this way.
>