How can i call a function of a swf-file which is embedded as a Resource in 3D-Annotation?

Question

Hi.
I use a Flash-menu as an embedded *.swf in a 3D-Annotation. Now i want to trigger one of the ActionScript-Function out of the 3D-Annotation.
How can i get access to that function?
Cause of it is embedded, the callAS() Methods still not possible. But how else can i do that?
Can u give me a simple example? How is the usability of Flashvariable in the Ressource-Tab of 3d-Annotation?
Kind regards
Florian

Answer 1

It depends to some extent on how your SWF has been bound to the 3D scene. If you have bound it using a script, then you have a FlashMovie object that has a .call() method - but if you've attached it to something using the binding option on the Resources panel you will need to collect a reference first. If you know you are going to talk to the SWF it's best to bind it using JavaScript.
Let us assume you have a SWF in the resources collection but it's not bound to anything. In the 3D scene there is an object called 'cube' on which the SWF must appear as a material, and the SWF has declared a function to the ExternalInterface engine that is called "myFunction", which expects a string as a variable. Here's what you would put in the script attached to the 3D scene:
var fm = new FlashMovie("demo.swf");
var matl = scene.meshes.getByName("cube").material;
matl.useFlashMovie(fm);
fm.call("myFunction","hello");
The call() method is strictly typed - for example if your AS function expects a boolean and you sent it a string, it will not execute. There is also a limit on the possible returned variables - e.g. you cannot send back an Object.
Note that commands sent in the other direction using ActionScript's ExternalInterface.call() method are targeted at  document-level by default, not at the 3D API - so if your AS is trying to call something it must exist as a document-level JavaScript function. It is possible to divert this traffic into the 3D API using the FlashEventHandler object, but it gets complicated as your code must implement XML encoding of the traffic - this is done automatically by the document-level script but not by the 3D API.
To answer your second question, in the resources dialog you can define the FlashVars string which is passed to the SWF when it loads - this is the same URL-encoded set of variables that you would send to a SWF when embedding it in an HTML page. It's a static string; you cannot read or edit it with JavaScript but this means it will still work if the user disables the JavaScript engine.