The Wishlist

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Maps and locator > Google maps, Compass, in-pano maps.
Day/Night - Before/After transitions.

[thomaskrueger.eu]

For the map: Maybe umapper.com is useful to create the embeddable Flash maps outside Flashificator and using only the URL to the map - but I'm not a programmer.

Creation of a single swf file like Pano2VR to handle over only 1 (one) file to the client - if possible.

[fredgree]

Request 1 :

Creation of a single swf file like Pano2VR to handle over only 1 (one) file to the client - if possible.

Oh yeah!!!

Request 2 : I also imagined some objects or writing on filigrane but moving on the background, it certainly not the hardest thing to do but it would change from the recurrent logo on the nadir...

Request 3 :

Day/Night - Before/After transitions.

Like on spi-V!

Request 4 : send us an email as soon as FFC pro is released, at the second you'll get the agreement ! Please !!!

Request 5 : continue to be so friendly and understanding with us.

Thanks for all, you are my heroes

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Thomas.

The one file solution would truly be a great leap in order to keep things simple. It might even result in a simple way to encrypt the works and distribute it on CD's without major complications.

I am sure I have seen Denis respond to this issue as something he would be working on (probably for the next version (2.4)). I have asked around for this to be done, but gotten no positive answers.

Fred. What do you mean in req.2. "objects or writing on filigrane but moving on the background" ?

Request 4: If I can see that I won't have the certificate in time, I will make the first release without it. That would result in a bothersome re-installation for updated versions, but since it would only be for a limited time, I think everyone could live with it. At least the program would be out. I'll try to send out a mass mail from the forums to the already registered members when the file is up and working at the online store.

Request 5: You better watch out... you are stretching it now!!

[fredgree]

Fred. What do you mean in req.2. "objects or writing on filigrane but moving on the background" ?

I mean, having something moving on the alpha channel. I imagine some writings on watermark turning in 360 on the panorama. It could make a sort of copyright for example "SAMPLE NOT TO BE PUBLISHED" turning around...

Request 4: If I can see that I won't have the certificate in time, I will make the first release without it.

I can't wait! I am gonna buy it as soon as you'll sell it, no matter if I got to reinstall it later.

Request 5: You better watch out... you are stretching it now!!

No no no!!! I am sorry, I didn't mean to stress you, it's all suggestions.

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Fred. What do you mean in req.2. "objects or writing on filigrane but moving on the background" ?

I mean, having something moving on the alpha channel. I imagine some writings on watermark turning in 360 on the panorama. It could make a sort of copyright for example "SAMPLE NOT TO BE PUBLISHED" turning around...

Ok... that is already on the "to do" list, and will be found here (amongst other nadir options):

NadirInPlugins.png (10.05 KiB) Viewed 8228 times

Request 5: You better watch out... you are stretching it now!!

No no no!!! I am sorry, I didn't mean to stress you, it's all suggestions.

It was actually a joke

[fredgree]

I'd like a tutorial for video insertion and how to fit it, when I try to put one in my panorama nothing happens.

Fred

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

I'd like a tutorial for video insertion and how to fit it, when I try to put one in my panorama nothing happens.

Fred

In order to play a video file, you need to have a .flv file. Then:

1. Start FFC
2. Give your project a name
3. Drag and drop a project file onto the toolbox - or browse for your file(s)
4. Drag and drop the .flv video file onto the preview window and it starts to play
5. Click "Plugins"
6. Click "FLV Video Player"
7. Move the pano until you have the cross hairs in the center of the spot where you would like the video to be, and click "Lock Position" button to move the video over there
8. Use the "Distance" slider and/or "Scale" numeric steppers to resize the video, and you can also use the "Scalable" function in combination with your mouse wheel (untick it, roll the mouse wheel, tick it again and see the changes)
9. In order to find the right angle for the video, you need to use the "Rotation" xyz controls. There you simply have to play around in order to fit the video to the screen or whatever you are putting your video to play on.

If you are in the middle of a project, you may have to click on "Reload" button in the preview window to have the video to load... which is probably why it doesn't appear for you.

Hope this helps you to get going with the videos.

[fredgree]

Thanks !

I started a new project with Cubes and it's all ok. The first one was based on a .mov and nothing happened when I put FLV on it...

Merci beaucoup

Fred

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

I tried to reproduce the situation, and it can be reproduced.... but all you need to do, is to click "Reload" and the video will get there.

If you have put dashboard or mp3 player (I did both) and then drop a video in the preview window, the video will not load until you click on "Reload".

For the time being, the "Reload" button is to be considered as a good friend... that should be remembered and used. More automation is to be worked into the program, reducing the need for "Reload" to a minimum... but as with so many other things; we are not there yet.

And during this test I came across a boring depth bug I will have fixed for next version update. If you add the mp3 plugin player and then you add the flv video player, the video window will be in front of the mp3 player... and that looks bad.

Until next version (hopefully tomorrow), you can fix that by swapping the "Depth" level of the mp3 and flv players in the xml file.

[fredgree]

I tried several times to reload but nothing happened... maybe not enough memory (2mb on vista).
It's solved for the moment, so it's ok.

Hope you'll send us the new update tomorrow, it's always a pleasure!!!
It's like Christmas each time!

One more time, congratulations to your partners and you.

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Thanks.

I just talked to the main programmer, and he may have to delay the next version (with Zephyr's tooltips) and the depth of video/mp3 ) a couple of days... and then you can have your christmas present. I still hope he can manage to do it before tomorrow is over... but can't count on it now.

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

1. It looks as if the next update on FFC, containing the new tooltips interface will be ready tomorrow.

2. The basic work for help files has ended, and the only thing needed is to add the text to the newly created help file system (lots of work there). The help file system will work in the following way: When you click a question mark on the toolbox, your mouse marker will change to a question mark, and display the info of everything you hover over in the toolbox/preview window bar, in the yellow info-square on the toolbox. When I have finished making the english text for every single help file (well over 300 files) I can finally provide the texts for translation. It will take some additional time before that happens.

3. The slide show plugin has been made, and only needs to be implemented in the FFC interface. (can take a few days). I have asked the programmer who did the slide show plugin, to check out if he could make it possible to have videos and panos playing in the slideshow. He liked the idea, and will be looking into the possibilities of that later on.

4. Work on the context menu plugin began today, and will probably be finished tomorrow, but will still have to be implemented in the FFC interface before release. The context menu will enable you to place not only text and linked text, but also small icon like images.

Hopefully this is all good news to you.

[terrycm]

has the tooltips update been released?

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

It finally got out from here after some last minute tests.

[Bruce Hemming]

Hi Trausti

Is it possible to have the html of the project carry the same name as the project? - it's currently index.html. I ask because when using Pleinpot to produce the html for full screen it creates a folder for media in a similar way to FFC but the .html is named for each project. The advantage (for me) is that when uploading a number of files they can be nested in a single folder. eg if my main web page is www.bhphoto.biz I can then add a folder named TEST and then add whatever I like into that folder. As long as the URL reads www.bhphoto.biz/TEST/project name.html it will be called. With FFC I would have to use www.bhphoto.biz/TEST/project folder name/index.html

Only a small point but it would be easier to upload - clearly I have no idea if this is possible with the files required for Flash.

Thanks

Bruce

[Bruce Hemming]

Hi Trausti

Two wishes in one day - am I allowed? I would like to have a screen that displays some information about the pano subject matter and gives instruction on how to control the view showing while the pano loads and the disappears once the pano is fully loaded. I have seen this done on other peoples sites but don't know if this could be automated in Flashificator.

Thanks

Bruce

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

The more wishes you can dish up, the higher the probability of things being done

Both of your wishes can be made possible. I imagine that a simple tickbox at the start could be used... after you have named your project, you could click the tickbox in order to let the html file contain the name of your project (MyPanoProject.html)
The second wish is absolutely possible. A while back I changed the glassMeter loader, so it contained basic information on how to control the pano... so that people could read about it during loading. That could be one approach. Another could be to make the Info-Screen contain that info, and let the infoscreen show up after the pano is fully loaded. All you would need to do, would be to design the infoscreen and provide the information you would want to be present.... replace the infoscreen in the buttons folder you would be using for your project, and that would be it.

Any time people would like to get the information back, they'd only have to click the Info button.

[Bruce Hemming]

Hi Trausti

Thanks for the info - can I download the changed glassmeter and swap it for the existing one? That sounds like the way to go first of all and then design a proper info screen related to the content.

Thanks

Bruce

[Bruce Hemming]

Ignore that last post, I've just worked out where it was and how to change it - everyday a little more success

Thanks

Bruce

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

I had to do some grave digging in order to find the post...



DOWNLOAD this altered glassMeter.

And yes, if you have Flash, you can easily customize your own loader message/instruction, which is probably a good way to use the loading time... that's where most people are impatient.

[nickhardcastle]

A way to simple change the background colour of the screen when loading the panorama would be good. At the moment it is red.
A way to load a black and white preview image for those of us still with a slow internet connection.

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

A way to simple change the background colour of the screen when loading the panorama would be good. At the moment it is red.

Here is what the FPP documentation has on it... and I am not sure if we users can decide the colour change beyond the presets... I will ask.

loaderBackColor sets the background color for image preloader

Default value depends on security sandbox of Flash Player. "Remote" mode (Flash Player on a web site) gives dark gray background #282828, "localWithFile" gives red background #880000, "localWithNetwork" gives yellow #888800, "localTrusted" (inside any exe application) gives green background #008800.

A way to load a black and white preview image for those of us still with a slow internet connection.

Don't hang me up on it, but I think this is tied up with the creation of the Tourificator, which is still out of reach.

[mareintorno]

Hello Trausti,
I downloaded the glassMeter ... but I do not understand how to use it.
Thanks for your help

[nickhardcastle]

I know that this is a lazy request, but it would be nice to have a selection of different navigation buttons available without having to go through the process of creating them. Also, it would be great, I think, if they would appear by default in a sensible size, rather than huge and ugly. It would also be good to be able to set a specific default size so that this could be reproduced automatically every time we start a new project.

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

You need to first un-zip it (winzip or winrar will do fine if you are using a PC).

Once you have the file glassMeter.swf unpacked, you rename it to "ffc_glassMeter.swf" then you move or copy it to the FFC installation directory and replace the original ffc_glassMeter.swf

After this, you can start FFC, click Plugins>Loadmeters>Glass and this loadmeter will be displayed in your project.

It would be best if you rename the original file, so you can use it later, without having to install the program again.

Hope this helps.

Nick.

There is already a small selection of navigation buttons (6)... I would absolutely welcome more contributions to make the library bigger ... every contributor will of course be rewarded with name and website link in the FFC interface, as it is already done with lensflares and dashboard buttons.
Default sensible size... that is a tricky one.... there are many different screen resolutions, and those are the final deciding factor for how big the buttons appear. I don't like big buttons personally, so I understand what you are saying. What you CAN do, is to resize the buttons in the dashboard folder you most commonly use, to a size you like, save them like that and every time you use these buttons, they will appear in your preferred size. I could do that too... but that would limit people's choices to make the buttons bigger... due to visual quality reduction when scaling things up.
Anyone interested in providing more buttons, could do that with one set of big buttons (70x70 pixels) and I could scale them down for a second set that's smaller (40x40 or 50x50 pixels). The set should contain all 11 types of buttons we provide.

[fredgree]

Hello Trausti and forumers!

Hope you're doing fine.

Trausti are you able to say when you're gonna provide us the new release with a taste of tourificator, previewer, image putter and more???

Fred

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Thank you for asking

Yes, I can.... give a non-binding answer to that question....

The work on the tourificator has begun, and is well on the way. It will be semi-complete during the coming week... the preview option will also be included in the next version, since the problems having it to work, were entirely our own fault (can't work locally, but works well online).

The "image putter" (from the "Place an image" section in "Plugins"), where images can be called from hotspots in the pano and float forward on the screen, will come a bit later on. First I want the implementation of help files, compass(es), slideshow and context menu to be done.

The next version has been improved so that all numeric steppers have been given 2 decimal values for being capable of placing images more precisely, the dashboard size slider has been given numeric values as well (easier to always put the same size for the buttons. I also wanted to let the buttons start in a smaller size, but by doing so, it threw the alignment of the buttons to hell... and to make the whole alignment all over again would not be justified when the time is as limited as it is for the developers). And a few other improvements have been made as well - videos will start in "Sphere" rather than "Cylinder" as default, same goes for the simple play/stop buttons for videos, and the distance slider in the FLV video tab will be available for the simple play/stop buttons... equipped with numbers too.

I am still battling with my main puter after the harddisk burn-out last week... trying to have things to work properly again... which partially explains why I haven't given a status report for you folks lately.

Hopefully this all sounds good enough to look forward to.

[fredgree]

Some old-new requests today!

What about the "limiter"?

And I suggested on the "how to do section" a sort of zoomificator to zoom in at the begining or when clicking an hotspot to go to the next pano or something like that.

Hope some good news to stop the malediction

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

A way to simple change the background colour of the screen when loading the panorama would be good. At the moment it is red.
A way to load a black and white preview image for those of us still with a slow internet connection.

Changing the background colour during loading is available with version 2.012 along with other features found on the Plugins>Loadmeters tab.

I wrongly thought it wasn't possible... that it was decided by the browser/online/offline conditions.

Please refresh me on the "limiter"... my brain is messed up in the memory banks....

Having the pano to zoom in on a specific point after it is loaded is absolutely possible. Either automatically after loading, or by clicking (or mouse over) a button or transparent (or visible) image. That is probably something that could be placed inside the auto presentation tab (not amongst the plugin section's collection yet).

Let me try and remember to ask the main programmer tomorrow how it can be done until the auto presentation tab will be enabled.

[fredgree]

Hi Trausti !

What I called "limiter" is I think something to limit the panorama to a certain angle (X and Y). For example we could make an half-panorama 180x180 or something like 210x90 to present a limited view of the field. Do you understand?

"Having the pano to zoom in on a specific point after it is loaded" is not what I expected but it would also be interesting!!!
I saw more something like "when clicking an hotspot that leads to another pano, a zoom in would operate before going to the next page.".
Is it clear?

Any news of the touribugator?

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Ah... ok. "limiter" you already have, better known as "Borders" in the Plugins section. There you can put a limit on viewable areas as you like.

Making functions for zooming towards next room in a tour or towards an object/whatever can be done like that:

1. Start the application
2. Give the project a name
3. Select your visual files
4. Click "Hotspots" tab
5. Create a hotspot
6. Click "Functions" tab
7. Click "Record"
8. Click "Visuals" tab
9. Move panorama to the position you want it to move to, add zoom to the desired level you want
10. Click "Save Position"
11. Click "Functions" tab
12. Click the red recording button to stop the recording
13. Select all of the recorded items
14. Decide the transition time (add 1000 for one second, 2000 for 2 seconds etc)
15. "Transition Effect" could be "Easy In" ... gives a good effect
16. Click "Finish"
17. Click "Attach To"
18. Select "Global"
19. Select "onStart"
20. Select the created function (turns blue) and click the little arrow between the boxes to attach it
21. Click "Reload" in the preview window
22. End of story. You now have your starting effect of panning/tilting/zooming after the pano loads.

To attach the same thing to a visible hotspot (not automatically doing anything at start, but rather when you click a visual hotspot in the image, you will have to add a hotspot image after point 5 in the above list, resize and place the hotspot where you want it to be.
Point 18 would not be "Global" but "Hotspot". Point 19 would be "onClick" (or any other available way of activating the function)

It's not that difficult once you get familiar with the recording function and learn how it can work for you. I truly hope this can get you going! To make this as Presets for a single click operation is absolutely possible and will be done later on, when we get to the "Presets" works, where you can choose a behaviour of a button from a library, rather than having to go through the whole process of recording everything.

The Tourbug is still at the same pitstop... at the bottom of the pit. ... and I am NOT happy with it.

[fredgree]

Oh oh oh!
Happy 2.012b FFC!!!

Some special features are appearing! Very good job! Thanks.

Hum could you provide us the glassMeter.fla file to pimp it?
The new one is great but in English. I would easily understand if it's a problem for you.

I can't stand waiting for something that allow us to click on an hotspot and lets appear a picture or something like the info button!

I would also wait for something more "sexy" instead of this oldfashion button for "fullscreen". For example a nice triangle in a corner as seen on the Airbus A380 tour.

I hope Santa Claus will find the solution to the tourbug : www.fred360.com

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

As announced elsewhere, the Tourificator is back on track, after invaluable help from Denis.

You CAN make your own triangle "Fullscreen" image and exchange the standard image with it right now.
Lets say that you have a customized dashboard button set for your tour. You would make a triangle "Fullscreen button image as well (or "Toggle Fullscreen")
You would then enable Dashboard, direct the program to your customized buttons folder (your buttons would have to be named from 1-11, just as the original ones... fullscreen being #9).
If you ONLY want to use the fullscreen button, you would disable the other buttons in the dashboard tab, make a single click on the "dFullscreen" hotspot in the hotspots drawer and place the "Fullscreen" button in the corner you would want it to be in using the alignment components in the hotspots tab.

This would take you no more than one minute to do once you have the image ready.

So said, so done... here you have a working example. I made the triangle button in about a minute (including starting PS) http://flashificator.com/1/ToggleFullsc ... nerButton/

You can of course also use the rest of the dashboard buttons, and only move the "Fullscreen" button to the corner.

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Hum could you provide us the glassMeter.fla file to pimp it?
The new one is great but in English. I would easily understand if it's a problem for you.

It's a HUGE problem for me to comply with your wish

Nah... not really. I will provide the fla for it once the garbage collection in it has been fixed (also the original one when fixed).

In a few days I will have my magicians to make a new loader that will be easily customizable for the end users, without having to dig into the fla.

Ok, while writing this the errors caused by the glassMeter plugin were fixed, so I will upload the fla's later on (not really wanting to interfere in the work the programmer is doing right now).

[fredgree]

Hi Trausti!

Happy New Year and all the best for you.

I'd like to know if you got some good news about the "Slide Show" function?

I heard you talkin about that on another forum around Christmas and it seems to be ready!

Any news?

See you

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Thank you Fred, and same to you.

As far as I can tell, the slide-show be implemented in the next update. It is ready, apart from providing a button solution for it to appear and disappear.

[terrycm]

Here is a few features that would give my virtual tours the extra polished look. Transition (fade in/out ect) options for the loader, the first pano, the map. A simple way to place swf files into the pano.

Thanks,
-Terry

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Yes, boxing swf's is not an FFC issue, but an FPP one. Nothing we can do on our end to change that.

I have made an agreement with Tommy a while back, so that his plugins will be built into FFC....

... I know that is good news to people.

[terrycm]

I would love a way to implement an audio fade/transition effect from pano to pano. My next project in Amsterdam will require it. How difficult would this be to implement?

-Terry

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

On the ToDo list and will be looked at.

I would love a way to implement an audio fade/transition effect from pano to pano. My next project in Amsterdam will require it. How difficult would this be to implement?

-Terry

[uricogan]

I've posted this "wish" before, but got no satisfactory answer, so... I still want be to be able to edit the HTML template so that I could:

1. insert meta-data (keywords, etc.)
2. enable a strip under the panorama that will include a title, a 'Close' button, and a clickable copyright notice.
3. do all the above in batch mode

Example of what I want the panos to look like: http://tinyurl.com/yjguzxk

Background:

I'm converting my entire panorama collection from QuickTime to Flash. My present workflow is:

1. Use Pano2VR in batch mode to create a single SWF file for each panorama
2. Use Pleinpot in batch mode to create HTML web pages for each panorama

Right now, the only reason that I may want to change my system is that FFC panoramas appear to load a bit faster and move a bit smoother than these created with Pano2VR.

Uri

[clemont]

i would like to have one little think added to ffc! its not so dificult i think, i'm working on a project with about 60 hotspots.
if i will change something on my first hotspot i have to click through 60 hotspots at the buttom of FFC.
is it possible to add a scrollbar? it tooks so long with this arrow keys . that would be great.

yeah and thank you for this great programm and your great service and support!!!

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

I've posted this "wish" before, but got no satisfactory answer, so... I still want be to be able to edit the HTML template so that I could:

1. insert meta-data (keywords, etc.)
2. enable a strip under the panorama that will include a title, a 'Close' button, and a clickable copyright notice.
3. do all the above in batch mode

Example of what I want the panos to look like: http://tinyurl.com/yjguzxk

Background:

I'm converting my entire panorama collection from QuickTime to Flash. My present workflow is:

1. Use Pano2VR in batch mode to create a single SWF file for each panorama
2. Use Pleinpot in batch mode to create HTML web pages for each panorama

Right now, the only reason that I may want to change my system is that FFC panoramas appear to load a bit faster and move a bit smoother than these created with Pano2VR.

Uri

Hi Uri.

The HTML editor will be built into the interface (already has it's place holder)... but it is going to take some time... and I still don't know if it will be able to handle batch conversions. That being said, it SHOULD be able to do batch conversions as a professional tool... so that will be looked into. With javascript (external fullscreen or close or other buttons) ... that should be possible, and in that context I think it should be possible to import html templates for Flashificating one's projects into, rather than as it is now, with only one standard full size window version.

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

i would like to have one little think added to ffc! its not so dificult i think, i'm working on a project with about 60 hotspots.
if i will change something on my first hotspot i have to click through 60 hotspots at the buttom of FFC.
is it possible to add a scrollbar? it tooks so long with this arrow keys . that would be great.

yeah and thank you for this great programm and your great service and support!!!

Here a quote from a PM I was just sending off:

Unfortunately you and I think alike... ... I would really reall REALLY like to have all the hotspots visible, or in a dropdown list... but the interface space is simply not geared up for changes... it may seem like a small change, and I have asked the programmer many times to do something about the hotspot situation, space wise, but he always responds in the same way: Not possible.

The issue with the delete hotspot being dangerously close to the hotspot scrolling arrow... that is SOO obvious... and we didn't see or think about it on our end crazy.

Look at this idea:



This might be helpful, but not perfect... so the programmer will make it so that if you click a hotspot in the preview window, it will automatically scroll and highlight the hotspot in the hotspot drawer.

And your scrollbar suggestion begs the question: How FRIED are the brains of me and the programmer anyways?
This is more than obvious... this is basic and simple logic. This WILL be done. No more arrow buttons with endless clicking!
And the above mentioned clicking hotspot in the preview window, and it will highlight (and scroll to) the hotspot in the drawer.

I can't believe how thick we are on this end.

[clemont]

g* i know that from my own projekts. sometimes you can't see the wood for the trees.
thank you for the scrool bar it makes my work much easyer.

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Thank YOU Clemont, for bringing up the scroll bar idea in the first place... without it being implemented, there would be several mice dead and gone, due to all the additional clicking.

[Remedy]

One little suggestion from me if it hasn't been made before;

It would be great to be able to change the size of the display window by typing a number, so that you could easily set it to your personal needs. For example I tend to design for 400x400 but cannot currently set the display to this size in FFC so have to preview in the browser constantly which is a pain.

Cheers, keep up the good work.

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

That wish of yours will be granted when "HTML Edit" will be made available in the Plugins section of the interface. Been planned "forever".