About the tutorials

About the tutorials

Each tutorial provides an overview, a description of the user experience, a procedure for creating the user interface and the ActionScript code, and a suggested methodology for testing your application. Files associated with the tutorials (FLA, SWF, HTML, and ASC) are available through each tutorial's main information page, linked below.

You can review the following tutorials:

Tutorial 1: Recording a Stream	Recording a Stream records a video stream and streams it back to the Flash movie.
Tutorial 2: Shared Text	Shared Text shows how multiple users can connect to a remote shared object, update the object, and see the results on the stage.
Tutorial 3: Shared Ball	Shared Ball shows how you can share graphic objects as well as text objects.
Tutorial 4: Hello Server	Hello Server demonstrates basic connectivity to the server.
Tutorial 5: Text Chat	Text Chat shows how to use shared objects to create a simple text chat application.
Tutorial 6: Record a List	Record a List shows how to record a stream, put it into a playlist, and then allow the user to select the stream from the playlist and play it back.

Before using the tutorials, set up your working environment; for more information, see Developing Communication Applications Help.

Sample Applications

Sample Applications One of the quickest ways to learn about Macromedia Flash Media Server 2 is to look at existing sample files to see how they were created. Flash Media Server provides you with source code (FLA files) and SWF files so you can see the examples in action. You can learn how to use the server using two kinds of examples: Tutorials are step-by-step procedures that illustrate Flash Media Server programming techniques and how to use many of the Flash Media Server objects. In general, these tutorials are simple applications that have been designed specifically to show certain individual features in context, such as recording a stream or working with a shared object. Live Sample Applications are more complex, working applications that help you understand how the server’s features can work together with the rich presentation capabilities of Macromedia Flash. These examples use server-side scripting and might include components. Before diving into this code, be familiar with the basic communication concepts demonstrated by the tutorials. Live Sample Applications Panel Presentation In this sample, you would typically create a presentation in advance. It allows for 3 speakers who can broadcast audio and video. Many more people can attend the presentation and may choose to participate via text chat. Concepts: live audio and video, shared objects In "About Flash Media Server > Writing your first application" you can follow some simple steps and in under 20 lines of code, connect to the server and send and receive video. Flash Media Server is not only for video, without a camera or microphone, you can effectively communicate with text. Use SharedObjects for distributed data management and synchronization. In Sample Applications > Tutorial 2, SharedText shows a simple use of SharedObjects to synchronize text fields for multiple users. Any user can update the text on the stage, and other users can see it immediately updated on their own stages. Guestbook This sample allows users to record audio, video and text messages in a guestbook. The guestbook extends a scroll panel to display all of the recorded messages. Concepts: record and playback Sample Applications > Tutorial 1: Recording a Stream shows how to record a stream to the server and play it back. Sample Applications > Tutorial 6: Record a List demontrates keeping a list of streams as they are recorded, and playing back a specific stream from a list. This is a key concept used in the Guestbook. Video Conference This sample shows how to manage a large number of streams for dynamic video conferencing. Note that every user of this application publishes one stream and subscribes to everyone else stream. This can provide a very effective user experience when each meeting attendee has equal importance; however, bandwidth usage of your server grows exponentially (with the number of streams) as the number of users increase. Concepts: shared state using shared objects In Sample Applications > Tutorial 3, Shared Ball: demonstrates shared context using remote shared objects to synchronize x,y coordinates of a graphical object viewed by multiple people. This concept is used in the video conference for the position and movement of the windows. Lobby and Audio Conference These samples are tied to each other. They demonstrate how you can create a portal for accessing multiple instances of an application. It uses a "room" metaphor that allows users to create named application instances or join an existing session. It also allows users who are in the lobby to chat with each other and see who else is present. Concepts: using applications instances for different groups of people In Sample Applications > Tutorial 5, Text Chat: shows a simple way to create multiple "rooms" each with a list of people and a text chat area with history. Survey and Survey Admin There are two components to this application. The first demonstrates how you can create a client application for visiting a survey, voting and viewing results. The second demonstrates how you can create one or more surveys, enter your questions and answer choices. Broadcast Presentation This sample shows how to host a presentation with one speaker and many subscribers. There is a single audio/visual piece, a questions and answers capability, and a slide show, into which other swfs can be loaded. Note Room This sample allows users to create and save notes. The notes can be viewed and edited by more than one user at the same time. This application is a great example of how to use remote shared objects for on-line and off-line editing. Camera Snapshot demostrates how to capture a single frame, save it on the server, and play it back.