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Please review these technical FAQs to see if your question
is answered on this page. If your question is not addressed here, please
see the contact information for our Technical Support
department.
Download Problems
Installation and Start-Up Problems
Unlocking the15-day trial or
paid-for version of SWiSHmax software
General Application Problems
Output Problems
Publishing SWiSHmax Files
Other Problems
Download Problems
If you're experiencing difficulties downloading SWiSHmax, please read
the following before contacting us.
Factors that effect downloading the paid-for version
of SWiSHmax:
Please click here
to review common problems that occur when downloading the paid-for version
of SWiSHmax software. Factors
that effect downloading the trial version of SWiSHmax:
Please click here
to review common problems that occur when downloading the trial version
of SWiSHmax software.
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Where
can I find the downloaded file on my system?
When you use a
Web browser to go to CrystalGraphics’ web site and download the SWiSHmax
software, typically the browser will prompt you for a location where
you want to save the file, and it provides a default filename of "SetupSwishmax.exe."
During the download process, we recommend that you create a C:\Download
folder, and download the file into that folder. If you are still unable
to locate the SWiSHmax installer after you have downloaded it, try the
following:
- Click on the Windows
Start button>Search (or Find) tool and choose the "File/Folder"
option.
- Enter SetupSwishmax.exe
for the filename that you want to find
- Once you locate
the folder where the SWiSHmax installer was downloaded, you can proceed
with installation of the software onto your local hard drive.
To install the
SWiSHmax software onto your local hard drive, double click on the
downloaded file. The installation process should then automatically
install the file. Note: There is no difference in functionality between
the trial version and paid-for version of the downloaded SWiSHmax
software; the trial version simply limits the use of the software
to 15 days. Thereafter, you may purchase the software and be sent
a "Site Key," which will allow you to continue using the
software without any hindrance of limited time use.
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Installation
and Start-Up Problems
What
should I do if I experience problems installing SWiSHmax?
- Make sure that your hardware and system software meet SWiSHmax system
requirements. For instance, make sure there is adequate disk space available
on your local hard drive (you should have a minimum of 7 MB).
- Close all other
programs currently running while you install SWiSHmax. If you
downloaded the SWiSHmax software from the Internet, to start
the installation process, double click on the SWiSHmax installer file
(i.e. Swishmax.EXE) or go to the Windows Start menu and use the Run
command (typing in the appropriate name of the SWiSHmax installer file).
If you are installing the SWiSHmax software from CD,
insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive. An Autorun program should automatically
display a menu of choices, including the option to install SWiSHmax.
Click on this option to start the installation of SWiSHmax. If you do
not see the Autorun program display, you can initiate the SWiSHmax installer
by going to your Windows desktop, double-click on "My Computer" and
select the CD-ROM drive in which the SWiSHmax CD is inserted. Open the
SWiSHmax folder and double-click on SetupSwishmax.EXE.
- Whether you experience
problems installing the downloaded version or CD-ROM version of SWiSHmax,
run the installer on another computer that also meets the system requirements
of SWiSHmax.
If, after attempting to install the software on another machine, the
installer generates errors or exhibits unexpected behavior, it is likely
damaged (If you are installing from CD, examine the CD for any possible
physical flaws), so download the file again. Before installing again
(after re-downloading the file), be sure to delete any partially or
fully installed copy of SWiSHmax.
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What should I do if SWiSHmax does not recognize the "Site Key"
code entered?
- Make sure that
you are opening SWiSHmax on the same computer that you registered your
SWiSHmax software. Note: The SWiSHmax software generates a unique "Site
Key" ID code for each computer on which SWiSHmax is installed.
- Whether you are
trying to activate the 15-day free trial version of SWiSHmax
or unlocking a paid-for version of SWiSHmax, make sure
you have obtained an appropriate site key code.
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What should I do to unlock/activate the 15-day trial version of SWiSHmax?
Click
here to learn how to unlock the 15-day free trial version of SWiSHmax.
What should I do to unlock/activate the paid-for version of SWiSHmax?
If
you are unlocking the paid-for version of SWiSHmax,
make sure you use the same email address as when you first registered
your SWiSHmax software. Click hereto learn how to unlock the paid-for version of SWiSHmax
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What should I do if SWiSHmax does not start?
Make sure you launch
SWiSHmax on a system that meets the minimum system requirements --
IBM or compatible Pentium/AMD processor (900 MHz or greater), 512 MB
RAM or greater. 1024 x 768, 16-bit display (32-bit recommended)
Windows 2000 SP (Service Pack) 4+
Windows XP SP2+ x32 and x64 Editions
Windows Vista all SP x32 and x64 Editions
Windows 7 x32 and x64 Editions
NOTE: SWiSH Max4 requires the latest Adobe Flash Player installed on
your system for internal preview.
If you still are having
problems installing and starting SWiSHmax, please contact
us and advise the following:
- Were there any
error messages displayed? What were the details of these messages?
- Were you running
any other programs while installing SWiSHmax?
- What type of system
do you have (CPU, operating system, RAM, video card, and hard drive
space)?
- Has SWiSHmax been
installed on your machine before? If so, did you delete the previous
copy’s files or install the software in a different folder from the
original?
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General Application Problems
What should I do if I cannot I see the 'Export' panel?
The Export panel
is hidden when you first install SWiSHmax. You can show the Export panel
by selecting Panels >| Export from the main menu.
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What
should I do if I cannot I see the 'Tint' panel?
The Tint panel is hidden when you first
install SWiSHmax. You can show the Tint panel by selecting Panels >
Tint from the main Menu.
Use the View
>
Toolbars menu to turn on additional toolbars. Use Tool > Customize
to add, move or remove buttons from toolbars.
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How
can I set the panels and toolbars to the default layout?
You can restore
the panels to the default layout by selecting Panels > Reset to Defaults.
You can restore the toolbars to the default layout by selecting Tools
> Customize the select "Reset All" on the toolbars tab.
If the above methods
do not restore your panels and toolbars to the default layout, try the
following:
1. close SWiSHmax if it is running
2. press the Windows 'Start' button and select Run...
3. type "regedit" (without quotes) into the Open edit box
and press OK to open the Registry Editor
4. in the Registry Editor open the folder: My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\
5. select the SWiSHzone.com folder, right-click and select Delete
6. close the Registry Editor
7. restart SWiSHmax.
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What
should I do if the cursor continues to 'jump' even after I've turned off
the Grid?
You may have till
have Snap to Grid turned on even though the Grid itself is no longer displayed.
These are separate options under the View menu. You can have the Grid
hidden and snapping turned on. Conversely, you can have the Grid visible,
but no snapping. Use View > Snap to Grid to turn Grid snapping on or
off. You can also alter the Grid settings from the Movie panel.
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What
should I do if the masking applied does nothing?
Masking only occurs
when the movie or scene is playing. When you are editing, masking is turned
off automatically, so that you can see both the mask shape and the objects
being masked.
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Why
do objects turn into sprites when I group them?
Objects in a group
cannot have their own effects, unless they are (inside) a Sprite. If
any of the objects you are trying to group already have effects, then
that object is first converted to a Sprite so that your effects will
not be lost.
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What should I do when the sprite appears off center in the 'Layout' panel,
or is not visible at all?
When you expand
a Sprite to edit it, the system of co-ordinates in the Layout panel
changes from scene coordinates to Sprite co-ordinates. This will make
the objects in the Sprite go off center. Use the View > View at tool
set to 100% or View > Fit Objects in Window to recenter the Layout
panel.
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Problems
Why do the effects start one frame into the animation?
This is so effects
can be joined together seamlessly without the object 'sticking' for one
frame between the effects. If you need the initial frame of the effect,
simply shift the effect one frame to the right, and select "Place
Effect" to insert an effect in the first frame.
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should I do if the letters 'stick' to the edge of the movie when I import
my SWiSHmax animation into Flash?
You probably
have the "Do not animate off-stage objects" option checked on
the Movie Export Panel. Uncheck this option and re-export your SWiSHmax
movie.
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What should I do if the fonts display incorrectly when opening a SWiSHmax
movie that was created on another machine?
You may not have
the same font(s) installed on your machine. Missing fonts will be displayed
as Times New Roman. You need to install all the fonts used in the SWiSHmax
movie onto your computer. Note: Fonts do not need to be installed to
play SWiSHmax animations over the internet.
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page What
should I do if my imported SWF file does not play in Flash?
There is a bug in
Flash when importing a SWF that has masking. Even though it may appear
to be okay inside Flash itself, when Flash generates a SWF file, nothing
is visible. To avoid this, ensure that the [x] Mask off-stage objects
option is turned off in the Export Movie panel.
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page What
should I do if my movie gets slower and slower as it plays?
If you fade objects
out, they remain on the stage completely transparent (with zero alpha).
Even though you cannot see them, the Flash player still has to do expensive
transparency calculations on them, and that will slow things down.
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What should I do if objects have strange 'holes' in their appearance?
When you have several
completely transparent objects overlapping another object, the playback
may display as if there are "holes" in the objects. This can
happen if you use a Fade Out effect and do not put a "Remove"
effect immediately after the Fade Out. If you do not apply the remove
effect, the object remains stays on the stage (with zero transparency).
In fact, it is still active (for example if it is a button). If you do
not require the object to be active and you want it to be invisible, you
should apply a Remove effect after the Fade Out effect. This can also
greatly improve movie playback performance.
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should I do if my imported SWF file causes Flash to crash?
There is a bug in
Flash where it will not import some valid SWF files. In particular,
it will crash if a SWF file does not have a particular record that is
not actually required in a SWF file. There are two situations in which
SWiSHmax leaves out this optional record. The first is when you select
the [x] Solid shape with overlap filled checkbox on the Shape Panel.
This option tells SWiSHmax to export a shape as a font, which has different
behavior for self-overlapping shapes. The information Flash requires
is not applicable and so is not exported. The second is when you explicitly
turn off the font info record with the [x] Allow import of text as text
object checkbox on the Export Movie Panel. This tells SWiSHmax to omit
the optional record for all text, which reduces the size of the resulting
SWF file. For further information, please read the Help documentation
regarding Importing a SWiSH Movie into Flash.
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Publishing
SWiSHmax Files
Introduction
SWiSHmax creates flash format files
(.swf) for playback on the world wide web. They are mostly compatible
with the Flash 3 player, and entirely compatible with the Flash 4, Flash
5 and Flash 6 player. Since version 4 of the Netscape Navigator and Microsoft
Internet Explorer browsers, such players have been built in (and users
usually do not need to download a player).
How
to publish a file to the web
In order for any SWiSHmax created
animation to work, both a .html file and a .swf file must be produced
and uploaded to your web server. The HTML file serves as a container for
the .swf file. It will 'refer' to your .swf file. The reference tells
the browser how big to display the file, and which player to use (this
will always be the Flash player in SWiSHmax's case). If you are adding
a SWiSHmax animation to your web page, you will need to copy the necessary
tags into your web page. In SWiSHmax the menu option sequence File >
Export > HTML to Clipboard will copy the tags to the clipboard so you
can paste them into your page. If you don't know html or don't have an
editor, you can get a .html page fully made up for you, by using File
> Export > HTML. In SWiSHmax, you will need to use File > Export
> SWF to create the .swf files. Keep the two files in the same directory.
Upload them both to your web server. Unfortunately we cannot give generalized
instructions for uploading, as many web servers are different. However
if you are using ftp to upload your files, you must upload the .swf file
in binary mode otherwise it will be corrupted. All FTP programs have options
for this.
Why won't my movie play?
My browser
(Internet Explorer) sits there with a black window, and downloads the
file for 10 minutes! My browser (Netscape) displays a broken link or tries
to download the plugin again!
Cause: .swf file has not been uploaded to the web server.
Remedy: upload the .swf file as well as your .html file to your server
Cause: .swf file is corrupted on the server.
Remedy: upload the .swf file again via ftp and binary mode
Cause: your object and embed tags have the wrong filename
Remedy: edit your object and embed tags to have the correct file name
Cause: MIME types on your server are missing or incorrect
Remedy: visit this page at Macromedia for procedures to resolve this
http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/ts/documents/tn4151.html
My movie plays
in the Netscape web browser but not in Internet Explorer
Cause: the object tags are missing. This commonly occurs with older versions
of Microsoft Frontpage, which produce only embed tags when importing a
.swf file to a Frontpage managed website.
Remedy: use the File > Export > HTML to Clipboard to get a full
set of tags for your file, and paste that over your current object and
embed tags in your html editor.
My movie
plays in Internet Explorer but not in Netscape
Cause: the embed tag is missing
Remedy: use the File > Export > HTML to Clipboard to get a full
set of tags for your file, and paste that over your current object and
embed tags in your html editor.
Cause: the filename contains unusual characters such as spaces.
Remedy: Rename the file in SWiSHmax to have only alpha numeric . - and
_ characters, re-export the file, and recreate your tags (the File >
Export > HTML to Clipboard option). Paste in your updated tags.
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Other
Problems
What
should I do if a warning message displays when I try to select an Adobe
PostScript font?
Due to a bug in
Adobe Type Manager 4.0 (and earlier) for Windows NT, use of PostScript
fonts may cause SWiSHmax to close. To fix this, you can either: (a.)
Update to ATM 4.1 or later (ATM Lite is a free download); or (b.) Turn
off ATM 4.0, and convert your PostScript fonts to TrueType using Windows
NT TrueType Converter. If you opt to do (b.), do the following:
1. Turn off ATM
4.0
2. Restart Windows NT
3. Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Fonts > File > Install New
Font
4. In the 'Install Type 1 Font' dialog box turn on Convert Type 1 Font
to TrueType and Install Type1 Font Files for use on a PostScript printer.
Turn off Copy Type 1 Font Files to Fonts Folder
5. click Yes.
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How can I learn more about SWiSHmax?
For further information
on how to use the tools available in SWiSHmax, please read the SWiSHmax
Help documentation located at Windows Start>Programs>SWiSHmax.
There's also active beginner through advanced user forums located at
http://www.swishzone.com/forums/
which can be a very useful source of information. And, the SWiSH user
community offers tutorials for various experience-level users at http://archives.swish-tutorials.com/tutorials.php.
How
do I contact Technical Support?
For all registered users, CrystalGraphics' products include 30 days free
technical support, starting from your first contact with the Technical Support
department. If you were unable to find what you need above, please have
your product serial number available, and contact CrystalGraphics Technical
Support in any of the following ways.
- E-mail to Tech
Support (cgitech@crystalgraphics.com). Fax
your question or problem to 408-496-0970. Be sure to address your fax
to the attention of "Technical Support."
- Call the Technical
Support department Monday-Friday between 9 AM - 5:30 PM Pacific time
at 408-496-6175.
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