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L
lam08
Inspiring
November 23, 2008
Question

FLV & Hot spots

  • November 23, 2008
  • 5 replies
  • 1671 views
Hi, I could do with some help.

I'd like to add hot spot URL links to an FLV file, which is being played in a customised swf. I dont want to embed the video into the timeline, so I would like the hotspots on the FLV itself.

Does anyone know how to do this. youtube seems to do it just fine.

Is it triggered via an event embedded on the FLV, in which case does anyone know the AS code for it?

Help appreciated... seems theres a lot of companies that offer this service within a player but I need to use my own for additional functionality reasons.
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5 replies

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lam08Author
Inspiring
November 23, 2008
video about 5 mins long

so.....hows it done? What about placement of the hotspot?
I want the hotspots to be active URLs... like this site but with URLs instead of text http://www.flashloaded.com/flashcomponents/hotflashvideo/
A
Andrei1-bKoviI
Inspiring
November 24, 2008
With such a short video it may make sense to just create a code that will react to cue points - without XML involvement. If you don't expect to extend it or use for other videos. Otherwise - more extensible approach may be better.

How many hot spots do you expect?

For beginning, I see that you perhaps need to go through the video - take screenshots (photoshop?) and find pixels of the areas that you need to be hotspots. Then in flash make an overlay MovieClip (or Sprite) that will sit over the video and wait for cue points, This overlay will have a class attached that has description of coordinates (still I favor XML where you can describe even very complicated shape via point coordinates), links and mapping of the cue point to particular hotspots . Once a cue point is reached draw Sprites/shape(s) that corresponds with area of the video (x, y, w, h - or more complicate shape if you want) when certain cue point is reached --> and make them (Sprites) buttonMode - true and than use navigateToURL. Once another cue point is reached - remove previous shapes and draw new ones.

Actually I anticipate getting coordinates will be the most tedious job. I see that overlay is not all that difficult to code. Just remember that you need to translate pixels into percentages so that hotspots are placed correctly in both normal and full screen modes.

Hope it makes sense...
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lam08Author
Inspiring
November 24, 2008
I dont think way will work. I am already using external xml for subtitles and a lot of cuepoints for chaptering. The hotspot needs to be moving with the object - in fact its a scroll.

The link above shows a moving hotspot which the software seems to generate itself effortlessly....

Ive been reading some other forums and an overlay appears to be different to a hotspot, and I actually really want hotspots - as I want to do this on a number of videos further down the line if its possible. (Youtube also seems to be able to do this on their control panel)


L
lam08Author
Inspiring
November 23, 2008
Only one FLV - progressive download

Dont have server access, I hand everything over to them

Yes, its for them - I can see Javascript and coldfusion on their webpages

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Andrei1-bKoviI
Inspiring
November 23, 2008
Cool, so you can develop it. I see how you can develop an overlay as a part of the player along with hot spot XML and give it to them. I honestly think it is not such a big deal. Will take time of course, but conceptually it is much easier than the most Flash apps.

How long is the video?
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lam08Author
Inspiring
November 23, 2008
Video played via FLV - with cuepoints & subtitles

I pass the SWF, XML and FLV over to client.

The player in a paused state with preview image. Full screen functionality

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Andrei1-bKoviI
Inspiring
November 23, 2008
For video - is it FMS server or just progressive video on http server? How many flvs you are potentially talking about?

Also, if you update swf - do you hand it to them and they load it to their server or you have an access?

Is it the same client that will use hot spots? If so - do you know what server side script/language they use?
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lam08Author
Inspiring
November 23, 2008
Hi - thanks for that. It does help in terms of me not working any further on this as an swf overlay wont do, as Im already using an swf video player - with full screen option.

So yes - thanks for stopping me from wasting time.

Interesting how it works though - might try to figure that out separately just for personal interest.....
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Andrei1-bKoviI
Inspiring
November 23, 2008
Well, I did not mean to discourage you. You can create your overlay over the player swf that you use. Full screen option doesn't prevent overlay from functioning. Do you have an access to your video player code or is it a third party app?
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lam08Author
Inspiring
November 23, 2008
Yes, its my own player. But I dont have access to the website its being displayed on. Does that matter?
Anyway - tell me more please!
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Andrei1-bKoviI
Inspiring
November 23, 2008
From what I have seen so far some companies offer a Flash (swf) overlay that responds to either video cue points or time of the playback. No matter the method an XML file is created that describes overlay coordinates for a particular part of the movie. So, when movie gets to a corresponding point - overlay swf draws hotspots.

I am sure you can spy on the XML structure via firebug.

Perhaps, it could be done with pure cue points too. Coordinates description would not take that much (x, y, width, and height; plus link or variable value) - should be done in percentages to accommodate video resize.

As for the creating XML file for many videos - you will probably need a service application (can be relatively easy done in Flash too) that will allow drawing of hotspots and saving them.

Also I see how a web service can be used to fetch small XML packets based on cue points or video time.

Hope it helps.
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