flash and max/msp

robbiebee's icon

to all, hi, im currently working on a ptcher for my gear setup, and also working on a flash graphics , only if these two programs could intermingle.

my flash movie incorparates some small animation at the start and onto a list of buttons, this is where i end my flash experience and where i enter the mental breakdown of max/msp. if only i could use what i have done in flash with max.

it involves the designing of a interface with modular in mind, a devise that could work in conjunction with the midi/cv interface and program changes, program changes, and general manipulation of modular controls.

i have done some work on midi in max, but cant figure out how i can involve the flash media as a graphic design, and a interaction of flash animation with max.

how do i incorparate flash buttons with max? and also short animation for visual display?

can anyone help me further in this project?

rob

Floating Point's icon
mr_mapes's icon

Flashserver has been my friend here. Fast bi-directional communication between the two platforms. Have used it to both visualise sound and generate sound from flash.

Disappointing to see that the site no longer seems to be active. I have the windows download of flashserver 1.1 if that's of any use to you? I couldn't tell you if it's compatible with the latest release of Max though, I've been running 5.0.7 since the stone age...

Steve

derhess's icon

I wrote a tutorial about connecting flash and max msp without additional software, like flashserver or flosc. Maybe it helps...

robbiebee's icon

thanx for the posts, and i will look more into these tutorials an flosc, to mr,mapes - i would love a copy of flashserver 1.1 and hope you get back to me on this, any help would be great on designing this and to work.

if i explain that im trying to start on the basics of max and midi control, with eventuality of incorparating flash graphic interaction and also touchscreen control, then youll understand what hills i have to climb.

all posts are very welcome on this and any help would be apprecited. rob

mr_mapes's icon

There's some useful .swf help files with the download to help you get the basics of adding XML port code into your Actionscript. I guess the basic sort of info you would be feeding from Flash would be simple things like x,y position of movieclips, velocity of movement, collision bangs, that sort of thing? It should all be covered there.

It's good to be ahead with the Max and MIDI stuff - it's best that you have all the Max control stuff nailed for when you start getting numbers sent from Flash.

If I remember correctly, Flashserver is polling constantly so even when numbers aren't changing you'll still be getting bangs when you don't want them. [change] will sort that out. Worth bearing in mind.

Keep me posted with what you're getting on with - would be interesting to see how your project grows :)

Steve

2540.flashserver1.1test8.zip
zip
robbiebee's icon

thanx mr mapes, finding it very difficult, but got the two devices connecting to each other, having problems with how i tell a flash button to send commands to the max, any advice.

mr_mapes's icon

It depends on how you're handling the button code (this is the thing I hate about AS2 is that code can be embedded absolutely everywhere with no sense of order or hierarchy it's impossible to get any sense of some of it) if you're using the classic AS2-attaching-the-code-directly-to-the-movieclip method then this should already handle all of the button states for you - all you need to do is add some actionscript to whatever button state you require in the form of:

_root.maxsendvars(foo, var);

and when connected to max a receive object (foo) should receive whatever you've sent e.g. var=1 when button is pressed then another line of code to send var=0 when released... Hope that helps.

Steve

mr_mapes's icon

I shall dig out one of my first flash/max projects for you - a simple bouncing ball physics sim which has a bunch of flashserver code sending stuff like x,y and bounce detection into max - that might answer a few questions and maybe give you some ideas. It's on my other PC though and it's late! Check back tomorrow for some files :)

Steve

mr_mapes's icon

...as promised!

Have put a few comments in the actionscript that should help you. There's a maxpatch too that shows the data in action when the animation is running.

2549.maxflash.rar
rar
robbiebee's icon

cheers steve, thanx mate, rob