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C2013 - How can I change external media files to a local folder from inside a web-packaged file?

by - Joseph Ganci

Hi, I am trying to develop a courseware using Authorware. I have this problem and hope that you can help me out about this. I have a mapped .amm file contain media files (such as the video file, and sound file). When the user access the file, he can download the files from the web server. From my understanding through the tutorial published on the Macromedia site, if the media files is stored locally in a local machine, the user can actually download the media files from the local machine rather than download from the web server, can this be done? It is mentioned in the tutorials that in the Web packager (when editing the aam file),the user can change the flag (by editing the bin)and by putting in the correct path, the user can access the files from the local machine.

You ask a good question. Let me see if I can help.

If on the bin line you place the word recycle (at the end of the line), this indicates that once the external media file has been downloaded, it should remain on the hard drive so that the next time the user needs the file, it will not have to be downloaded.

If you want the file to be resident on the local machine from the beginning, then you will need to provide the file through an installer of some type.

Remember, the .aam file resides on the server. Don't be confused about this file. Editing the "get" line means that you are telling the Authorware Web player where to "get" the files relative to the .aam file. That means the files to which the "get" line is referring must be on the server, relative to the .aam file. If you just use a period (get .), this means the file will be in the same location as the .aam file. If you use a different location (get .\mediafiles) then the file will be obtained from that location relative to the .aam file on the server.

Because the .aam file is on the server, you cannot have the end user change the contents of this file. The Macromedia site I'm sure is not referring to the end user (meaning your clients) but to YOU as the developer, meaning you can change the lines in the file before you place it on your server.

The "put" line tells the web player where to place the files on the user's hard drive.

If you want to have the files already resident on the user's machine before they start using the course, then you will need to have them download an installer first that places the files in a certain location on their hard drive (e.g., c:\mediafiles). Then, in your Authorware source code, you have your media files always point to the same local folder (c:\mediafiles).

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