controlling Flash behavior using links in a PDF

[Jon Harvey]

Everyone,

 

I have an idea for a tutorial but I'm not sure that it is technical
possible. My goal is to create a tutorial in which explicit instructions
are on the LHS of a page and a flash file is on the RHS that plays
through the instructions. The user would click step 1 (or perhaps a
'Begin' link) to begin the tutorial and the tutorial would play all the
way through to the end if the user doesn't interrupt it. If the user
decides to interrupt it, for example, to replay step 4, the user would
click Step 4 in the LHS, the flash file would navigate to some bookmark,
begin playing step 4, and continue playing to the end unless the user
again chooses to interrupt it. Icing on the cake would be that each step
in the LHS would be highlighted or marked in some way when it is being
shown in the Flash file.

 

I know some of this is typical Flash behavior-click a link to launch a
flash file. However, my question is, can hyperlinks be set up so that
they start a flash file at a location besides the beginning? Can a flash
file even be bookmarked? Right now, I'm using FrameMaker 9.0 (windows XP
Pro) and plan to embed a flash file into an FM document to see whether
this can be done.. Is FM even the right tool to be using for this?

 

 

Jon Harvey

Manager, Desktop & Enterprise Documentation

CambridgeSoft Corporation

100 CambridgePark Drive

Cambridge, MA 02140

(617) 588-9354