flash to image

[z12]

Filter update, rewrote the titleFlash function.

Also updated web filter as noted in post 28.

Attachment contains the web filter and js.

[JJoe]

I've wondered if we could use Flash to do this.
Proxomitron would redirect Flash requests or responses to a local Flash file and pass the URL of the external file to the local one. The local Flash file would then provide a toggle or maybe other options.

[z12]

I was thinking about that also.

The main advantage to that, and it's a big one, is you could use a header filter.

I haven't paid much attention to outbound flash request's, but the ones I have looked at have had the swf extension.

If that was to hold true, that would seem to be the ideal solution.


The main disadvantage, for me, is I have no way to create a flash file to try it out.

Do you know of a free program that will do that?

Mike

[JJoe]

If Proxomitron missed it on the way out it, it could catch it on the way in.

z12 Wrote:Do you know of a free program that will do that?

OpenOffice can convert some files to simple Flash files. IIRC a dead end but maybe I just quit.
I found others but they didn't seem any more promising than OpenOffice.
Also, I didn't want to risk messing up my computers for Flash. ;-)
The Macromedia programs do have 30 day free trials.

I haven't read the Flash manual yet.
If the external URL can be passed via the call to the local Flash file or a text file, that would seem ideal. Otherwise, Proxomitron may have to alter the local file's code and that could be problematic.

[z12]

Well, as you said, the first thing to do is read the manual.

If it looked feasible and had a plan in mind, then the 30 day trial might be enough.

I might look into that down the road, as no doubt, that would be the best solution for flash if it was doable.


Mike

[z12]

Filter update, updated web filter.

Attachment contains the web filter and js.

Mike

[JJoe]

z12 Wrote:If it looked feasible

For a number of reasons (loadVariables, the XML object, the FlashVars, the XMLSocket...), probably more than a simple header filter and/or simple Flash file would be required, assuming it could be made to work at all.
Ref. http://www.permadi.com/tutorial/flashQueryString/

[z12]

JJoe Wrote:probably more than a simple header filter and/or simple Flash file would be required, assuming it could be made to work at all.

The fact that flash & js can interact with each other makes me think that it is doable. I was thinking along the lines of this:

1. Header filter redirects flash request to local.ptron flash file passing original flash url as query string.

2. Local flash file displays link to file that was passed via query string.

3. User clicks flash link, flash calls js function that was injected by proxo.

4. The proxo js function replaces the dom flash node with new flash node. The js function could duplicate all the param tags and object attributes (width, height, etc) that the original node had.

5. Done. Enjoy the flash?


The best part of this is that no web filter would be required to "Match". This should catch any flash, even when it's created via js using document.createElement (which seems impossible when trying to "text match" via a web filter).


The main drawback is that this would only work for flash. Since I've started working on this filter, it occured to me that this filter could match any object, not just flash. From what I'm seeing right now, it does just that (except when document.createElement is used).

However, flash does seem to be the most prevalent match that I see, so having a filter as described above would still be better than any web filter when it comes to flash. It would be easy enough to exclude flash from matching for this filter so I could still use it for other "objects".


At this point in time, this filter seems pretty solid. I'm thinking of dropping the document.write intercept code as it no longer seems necessary. I've been using a different image for when document.write intercepts the flash and it's been quite some time since I've seen it.

The last major problem I've had was selecting the correct attribute quote for use in the replacement text, but that seems to be working ok now. I had contemplated adding a toggle function, but I can't think of a way to do it in such a manner that would not have any impact on page layout or flash size.

My gut feeling is this filter is close to being "done". As I look ahead at my proxomitron agenda, I have a few filters I'm working on that I want to finalize and consolidate. After that, pehaps you might be interested in collaborating on a flash based flash filter.


Mike

[JJoe]

z12 Wrote:As I look ahead at my proxomitron agenda, I have a few filters I'm working on that I want to finalize and consolidate.

Don't worry. I had some time and interest and just thought I'd report what I found.

z12 Wrote:After that, pehaps you might be interested in collaborating on a flash based flash filter.

Always willing to help or try to help.
JavaScript, however, is something I'm more likely to need help with.

[z12]

JJoe Wrote:just thought I'd report what I found

Thanks, the feedback is appreciated.

After re-reading the flash link you posted, js may not be needed at all. Just have the replacement flash file load the real one when it's clicked.

In the end, I suppose the only way to know for sure is to get some flash editing software and give it a try.

Mike

[z12]

Found a free open source windows program to convert swf to/from xml.

http://swfmill.org/

Don't have to install it, and it runs from the command line.

I went to reuters, http://today.reuters.com/news/home.aspx and grabbed the election2006 swf file that seems to be on every story page. I chose it because it looked similar to what I had in mind.

I was quite shocked (pun intended) when the 3kb swf file converted to a 91kb xml file. A quick look over the xml file shows that this swf can do alot more than is needed for a prox swf file.

At any rate, it looks like this program can be used to create a proxo swf file. Looks like it's time to start reading documentation.

This makes things alot more interesting.

Mike

[JJoe]

Oh boy... something new to keep me up even later.
I had one major problem last time. Creating the swf.
http://osflash.org/osflash

I 'swfmill'ed a flash file to xml and back to swf. The created swf lost some functionality. It may not matter, tho.

z12 Wrote:After re-reading the flash link you posted, js may not be needed at all. Just have the replacement flash file load the real one when it's clicked.

Seems like I saw lots of ways to pass info to a flash file.
I wonder if that info is still available to the original swf, if the swf is called by another swf.
If js must be used, I understand that there may be problems with various security restrictions.
We shall see.

z12 Wrote:This makes things alot more interesting.

Indeed.

I think I've hijacked a thread.
Should I/we start another?

[z12]

JJoe Wrote:http://osflash.org/osflash

Nice link, I haven't had a chance yet to read this page, lots of info.

I was just browing here:
http://osflash.org/doku.php?id=swfmill#relevant_links

After looking over the swfmill xml, it didn't take too long to realize that more than swfmill would be needed to create a flash file. This became quite apparent when I 'swfmill'ed one of the query string swf files from http://www.permadi.com/tutorial/flashQueryString/ . Nowhere was it obvious how the query string was being passed.

From the link you posted, it seems like there are a few choices to make as far as which sw package to try. FlashDevelop sounds interesting, but I haven't followed the link yet.

JJoe Wrote:Seems like I saw lots of ways to pass info to a flash file.
I wonder if that info is still available to the original swf, if the swf is called by another swf.
If js must be used, I understand that there may be problems with various security restrictions.
We shall see.

I was thinking about that. My thought was to intercept the original flash file request via a header filter. This way, we could return our flash file with a query string containing the original url. $RDIR does a browser transparent redirect. So I'm thinking that would get around any security issues. Hopefully, we can rig it so our swf is replaced with the original, not leaving any trace. My concern here is getting into a $RDIR loop when our swf request the real swf. I'm hoping you got an idea to get around that problem.

JJoe Wrote:I think I've hijacked a thread.
Should I/we start another?

By all means, please do.

Mike

[ProxRocks]

I've been out for a while and haven't been keeping up-to-speed on this thread for a while... Still quite interested in its findings, of course...

I'll load up v9 later today and catch myself up...

But first, may I interject?

Unless I'm further off base than Yankee's A-Rod running like a girl towards first and knocking the ball out of the mitt in an interference play against the BoSox, is not the "end in mind" simply to "toggle" Flash but NOT have them "prefetched" in so doing?

I'll have to double-check, but unless I'm mistaken, sidki's and JD's/Grypen's "toggle Flash" features already do this in Firefox and Opera... And only IE "prefetches" that toggled Flash... Again, I'll have to double-check, but I'm "almost certain" that this is the case...

In that IE shells are my preference (which shell exactly does vary with time), these "prefetched" toggled Flashes are a bit of a nuisance in my eye... When I "toggle" an item, I do NOT want the hosting site of that toggled item "notified" via a "prefetch" that I 'requested' the item UNTIL I chose to toggle the item and render it "activated"...


But "replacing" the off-site Flash with a local Flash until toggled? Is not the "easier" method simply to "insert" that off-site Flash into a TOGGLED iframe whereupon the "contents" of the iframe is not "prefetched"?

Something like:
Name = "Block & Fetch: Object/Embed Killer {LWC} (modified) [add]"
Active = TRUE
Bounds = "<object*</object>|<embed*>( </embed>|)"
Limit = 2700
Match = "[^>]++(codebase|type|classid)=*"
"&(*<param (* name=$AV(movie|src|url)|"
" value=$AVQ((")\0(((*\?)\1*)|\1)\2$TST(\0)))+{2}|"
"*src=$AVQ((")\0(((*\?)\1)*|\1)\2$TST(\0)))"
"&(*(<param name=$AV(flashvars) value|flashvars)="
"$AV(\3)$SET(4=?)$SET(5=\4\3)|)"
"&*width=$AV(\6)*&*height=$AV(\7)*"
Replace = "<span class="ProxIframe ProxToggle" style="display:inline">"
"<a class="ProxToggle&#x20;ProxTogO-A" href="j//""
" onclick="prxOint.iToggleA(this.parentNode);prxOint.iToggleC(this.parentNode.nextSibling);""
" target=_self>Fetch[/url]"
"<a class="ProxToggle&#x20;ProxTogO-A" href=\0\2\5\0 title="Entire&nbsp;Window" target="_top">Object/Embed[/url]"
"</span>"
"<iframe class="ProxIframe" style="display:none;" width="\6" height="\7" src="about:blank" longdesc=\0\1\4\0></iframe>"

The "classes" are relative to sidki's config, but the idea does seem to work - to place that Flash within an Iframe and then toggle it...

[z12]

Thought I'd post the flash image I'm using.

As a side note, I have commented out the document.write intercept code and all seems well so far.

ProxRock Wrote:I do NOT want the hosting site of that toggled item "notified" via a "prefetch" that I 'requested' the item UNTIL I chose to toggle the item and render it "activated"...

This filter does not load or prefetch the file until you click on the image. It doesn't toggle either, at least not now. Once you load the flash, there is no way to hide it again.

As for using local flash, the idea is the same, do not load the hosts flash file until you request it. The advantage of this method is that a web filter would not be required.

The problem with using a web filter is matching the flash. When js is used along with createElement to generate the flash, this becomes impossible as there are just too many ways to do it and no html is present to match against. Fortuneately, most sites don't do this right now.

As for the filter you posted, I don't see a need to insert an iframe.

Mike