How to export for use on a cd

[MarekMularczyk]

Hi,

I have created video tutorials about using new features in Flash CS4.

I want to output it onto cd so people can watch them. I grouped them into folders and exported them as .swf files.

I was thinking about creating a start-up windows with user interface so people could choose videos they wanted to watch.

How can do that? Is there also a way to make sure it automatically starts on both Win and Mac?

[RoboWizard]

Hi there

Would I be correct in sensing from your response here that you are

intending to place this on CD-ROM?

I ask because you mentioned wanting to ensure things automatically start.

Cheers... Rick `

[MarekMularczyk]

Yes Rick,

I want to put it on a cd-rom.

[RoboWizard]

And a big Homer Simpson style D'oh!

Sorry about that. Combination of not enough caffeine yet and the new forums layout. Sorry about that. Not sure how I managed to miss the big ole title staring me in the face there.

I'm not sure if there is any way to ensure autoplay will work on all platforms. For one thing, I have no clue how Macs work in this regard. I'm assuming its possible as it is for PCs. And most PC stuff is really mimicking Mac stuff.

Hopefully someone "Mac Savvy" will pop in and advise.

Cheers... Rick

[MarekMularczyk]

If I export it as a .swf, it will work on both for sure but is there any way to make it autoplay?

[Steve Howard, ACP]

Auto play on Mac and PC works differentlt. Last I looked (a long time ago) it was normal for Macs to always have autoplay OFF because of some nast worms (viruses) on the Mac side. Also the only reliable way to make a dual format (mac+pc) disc was to build the disc on Mac using TOAST.

Things might have changed though.

Oh - so I did a search and it looks like this page has the most up-to-date info

http://forums.techsmith.com/showthread.php?p=21530#post21530

"There is no autorun for Macs. Apple didn't allow it as a way to discourage spread of viruses.

The real goal of the AutoPlay feature in Quicktime 2.0/2.1 is for users to be immediately engaged, upon insertion of a CD ROM product, in an experience of the developer's choice. Thus, any file type can be specified to AutoPlay, including data files.

To create a Macintosh projector that uses the AutoPlay feature you must have CD burning software that has an AutoPlay option, such asToast or other similar CD burning software.

AutoPlay on Macintosh OSX
The AutoPlay feature was silently dropped under Mac OS X. For usability purposes, a readme file can be added to a CD's root folder to instruct the user about what to do. Many Macintosh resources recommend this for OSX as well System 9.

Feature Inhibition
You should note that numerous users block the autoplay feature (this is even a very common suggestion given in Macintosh magazines) because they fear that this could be an open door to viral attacks. Therefore, you should never consider that your autostarting CD-ROM will actually autostart, and you should add in the root folder a read-me file to instruct the user about what to do.

http://www.macdisk.com/cdstarten.php3

Producing Hybrid CD-ROMs
MacImage produces hybrid (HFS/ISO 9660) CD-ROMs on a plain PC. You select this solution when you don't know who will use your CD-ROM. Since you don't know what computer equipment they have, how knowledgeable they are, you have to do all the work yourself and give them a CD-ROM which will behave exactly as they expect (on the PC or on the Macintosh).
Till now, you had to produce the CD-ROM on the Macintosh with software packages like Toast from Adaptec/Roxio. MacImage now allows you to do the CD-ROM production on your PC.

To see how to make a hybrid CD-ROM (HFS/ISO 9660), that is a CD-ROM which will be read on a Macintosh and on a PC, from data files stored on a PC, which will be shared (copied only once on the medium), follow this walkthrough, featuring our MacImage. See also our special page on hybrid html CDs.

http://www.macdisk.com/macimgen.php3"

[MarekMularczyk]

Seems like a fair explanation.

I've decided to create an exe file for windows platform that starts automatically when you start the cd and the Mac users will browse through the folders on the disc.