[Typo3-dev] Flash Front-End for Typo3

[Richard Bausek]

Hi Radu,

I was thinking of making something similar, if I only had the time to 
(aarrgh ;-) ). But if you start a Typo3 Flash project, I'd love to help out.


If you want to do the data exchange with XML look at the extension "XML 
Content Rendering" 
(http://typo3.org/extensions/repository/search/xml_contentrendering/). 
Its still a proof of concept, but I think it is the way to go.

Using AMFPHP also would be nice, since it is a more OOP approach and the 
project is quite active again.

>> Basically I will create a Flash API that will load using XML or flash
>> remoting the content served by Typo3, it should be fully configurable
>> from the BE (using TS)

Will that API just take care of the data exchange between Typo3 and 
Flash (get content, handle users, access schemes) or will it also 
contain code to display it in Flash? I'd prefer a clean flexible API 
which only gets the data into Flash and vice versa.

>>  MainPanel = FLASH_PANEL
>>  MainPanel.align = fill (this will fill all the remaining space)
>>  MainPanel.content{
>>         news = FLASH_COMPONENT
>>         news.class = Typo3_tt_news
>>         news.content < temp.XMLNews
>>         news.content.type = XML
>>         news.width = fill
>>         news.height = fill
>>  }
>> 
>> }

Why would you create a "FLASH_PANEL" type? We could also just manage 
movieclips with all their properties and frames in Typo3.

MainPanel = MOVIECLIP
MainPanel._x = 100
MainPanel._y = 0
#here we could also apply transition information to the movieclip
MainPanel.startTransition = FLASH_TRANSITION
MainPanel.startTransition._alpha.begin = 0
MainPanel.startTransition._alpha.end = 80
MainPanel.startTransition._alpha.animType = easeInOut
MainPanel.startTransition._alpha.duration = 500 #ms
....

MainPanel.frames = FLASH_TIMELINE #COA of FLASH_FRAME records
MainPanel.frames{
   1.label = framelabel
   1.framescript = AS Code to be included
   1.content = COA
   1.content.1 = TEXT
   1.content.1.data.field = title
   ...
}


MOVIECLIP could be a page type so you could build your Flash structure 
in the page tree.

Did you already think of using Ming(http://ming.sourceforge.net/) for 
the dynamic generation of .swf files. A possibility would be to have an 
Action-Script Editor in Typo3 and then compile the finished AS into a 
.swf. That way you could manage your AS classes on the server. Also you 
could generate Content .swfs on the fly.

What are your ideas regarding text transformation to Flash, as Flash 
only understands HTML 1 and a little CSS. Will you create a Flash RTE 
configuration or will you write funtions to strip the code.

So that are some of the ideas which came to my mind.

Good luck on that project and let me know if you need help.

richard



Radu Cocieru wrote:
> Hello everybody !
> 
> I have to make a fully customisable and configurable Flash Front-End
> using any existing CMS or build one.
> 
> I've been using Typo3 for my small-medium projects for about an year
> so I thought Typo3 could be a good CMS to use for a Flash Front-End.
> 
> I have to do it so there is no doubt on will it or will it not be
> created. The thing is will it be just a proof of concept or can it be
> really useful. I know there are some polemics about full flash sites
> (search engines, big files to download, etc.).
> 
> I think it can be really useful particularly when it comes to
> E-Learning (with all that flash offers streaming Video, Audio etc.) as
> Typo3 is a good collaborative Framework.
> 
> I have most of ideas on how it should work, I can compile them into
> one document so that it would be more clear.
> 
> Basically I will create a Flash API that will load using XML or flash
> remoting the content served by Typo3, it should be fully configurable
> from the BE (using TS)
> 
> Example:
> 
> flash = PAGE
> 
> flash.5 < FLASH_APPLICATION
> flash.5{
> 
>  libraries = flashAPI.swf, mySkin.swf, myComponents.swf, newsComponents.swf
> 
>  TopPanel = FLASH_PANEL
>  TopPanel.align = TL (top left)
>  TopPanel.width = 100
>  TopPanel.height = 200
> 
>  TopPanel.content{
>         menu = FLASH_COMPONENT
>         menu.class = myMenuComponent
>         menu.content < temp.level1_XML_Menu
>         menu.content.type = XML or AMF
>         menu.align = T (Top)
>         menu.width = fill
>         menu.height = 30
>    
>         time = FLASH_COMPONENT
>         time.class = myTime
>         time.align = R
>       .......
>  }
> 
>  MainPanel = FLASH_PANEL
>  MainPanel.align = fill (this will fill all the remaining space)
>  MainPanel.content{
>         news = FLASH_COMPONENT
>         news.class = Typo3_tt_news
>         news.content < temp.XMLNews
>         news.content.type = XML
>         news.width = fill
>         news.height = fill
>  }
> 
> }
> 
> I will create the flash components to display standard Typo3 content
> like TEXT, TEXT with Pictures, HTML, MENU etc. as well as For some
> very used extensions like news.
> 
> This would be to set up the main view of the "site". After the main
> part are loaded the Flash APP will query the Typo3 for content using
> XML or AMFPHP (that's to be discussed) Typo3 will also pass to Flash
> any TS changes.
> 
> This mail is quite long already so I'll stop here.
> 
> Please tell me if this is viable or am I dreaming and will it be
> useful for the Typo3 community.
> 
> Any help will be very appreciated... especially with the BE
> configuration and customisation.
> 
> Thank you for your time.
> Radu Cocieru