Re: SVG Scripting

In php.general, you wrote: >I know (at least the claim) that PHP can do marvelous thing to Flash >files (with libswf), presumably including "streaming" realtime >feedback of a script's action. It can't. PHP can generate Flash files directly (and using Ming - it beats libswf handily - http://www.opaque.net/ming/) but cannot edit existing movies. Since Flash allows you to load other Flash movies on the fly, you can mix static and dynamically generated Flash movies into the same presentation. As an example, you might have a master interface which is carefully hand-tuned in Flash/LiveMotion and has specific areas where generated movies are loaded. Flash does offer the ability to load content from URLs, but not in a live fashion - you need Director / multi-user server for that. Since Director allows Flash objects, you could theoretically have your Flash interact with the server by sending communications through Director / MUS, but I haven't personally done this. Since Flash / Director performance will already be pathetic, introducing any sort of network overhead would probably reduce it to comical levels. >Is there an existing library for SVG manipulation? Are there >enthusiasts for this option? SVG files are XML, which means you can use either of PHP's native XML parsers to do low-level manipulation (the entire SVG + scripting option should be very similar to conventional HTML + CSS + JavaScript work). If you're doing much at all, I'd strongly recommend you develop the appropriate function libraries / objects using the underlying primitives. I'm doing this with some extensive Flash generation and it greatly civilizes things - you cannot plan ahead too much with this. >If SWF is indicated, is there any known difference so far as libswf >is concerned between Flash and LiveMotion generated SWF? libswf / ming can't edit existing files; if you're using LoadMovie, either one should be identical. On thing which may be an issue is Action Script - if LiveMotion doesn't support it or causes problems "navigating" the action script variable hierarchy, getting multiple movies to cooperate would be difficult and kludgy.