Playing a Shockwave Movie

If you don't already have the latest version of the Shockwave Player installed, go to Macromedia's Web site, at www.macromedia.com/software/shockwaveplayer/download/, and download it before proceeding. (Director MX is designed to work with version 8.5 of the Shockwave Player, the same version that was used with Director 8.5. There's no MX-specific Shockwave Player.) The Shockwave Player can play Shockwave movies created by Director 6 or later.

The Shockwave Player is designed to work with Netscape Navigator 4.0 or later and AOL 4.0 or later on both Mac and Windows computers. Shockwave Player also works with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later (Windows) or Internet Explorer 4.5 or later (Mac). In general, however, it works with any current browser that accepts standard browser plug-ins.

To play a Shockwave movie that's on a drive in your computer:

1. Launch your Web browser.

2. From the Web browser, choose File > Open File, and select the HTML file to which the Shockwave movie is linked.

3. Click Open.

   The HTML page opens and plays the embedded Shockwave movie ( Figure 17.11 ).

   Figure 17.11. The Shockwave movie displayed in this browser window is located on the computer's hard drive. It was opened by choosing File > Open File and navigating to the HTML file associated with the movie.

   

To play a Shockwave movie that's on the Web:

1. Connect to the Internet and launch your Web browser.

2. In the Web browser, enter the URL of the HTML document to which the Shockwave movie you want to view is linked.

   The HTML page opens and plays the embedded Shockwave movie ( Figure 17.12 ).

   Figure 17.12. This Shockwave movie is on the Web. It was opened in the browser by entering the URL of the HTML file associated with the movie.

   

To preview a Shockwave movie from within Director:

1. Open the Director movie that you want to preview in a browser.

2. Choose File > Preview in Browser.

   Director launches your default browser and plays the Shockwave movie. (Certain features, such as the ability to resize the Shockwave movie window, may not work when you preview a Shockwave movie using the Preview in Browser command.)

Tip

• If you want Director to preview the movie in a browser other than your computer's default browser, follow the directions in the following task, "To specify a browser for previewing a movie."

To specify a browser for previewing a movie:

1. In Director, choose Edit > Preferences > Network (Windows) or Director > Preferences > Network (Mac) to display the Network Preferences dialog box ( Figure 17.13 ).

   Figure 17.13. Use the Network Preferences dialog box to select the browser that Director will use to preview your Shockwave movie.

   

2. Click Browse.

   The Select Browser dialog box appears ( Figure 17.14 ).

   Figure 17.14. Navigate to your preferred browser in the Select Browser dialog box.

   

3. Choose the browser application that you want Director to use for previewing your movie.

4. Click Open (Windows) or Choose (Mac).

5. Click OK to close the Network Preferences dialog box.