First of all I would like to thank you for so great documented method for applying scorm into Flash-based content.

And now my problem
I’m currently working on the e-learning course (developed in Flash) which will be running on IBM WCL platform. Since it’s my first time with this plaform I ran some test using your “Scorm Demo”. I tried different browsers, but every time the only result I got was:

“LMS Communication Initialized: undefined
Initialized failed ”

Does anyone across such a problem when working with this particular platform (IBM WCL)/or have any idea how to solve it? Does this platform need special solution to communicate effectively with course using SCORM?

Thank you,
Piotr

Thank you
Amanda

I have a LMS developed based upon java content and now I wish to have the lms communicating with the flash content.

I have compared the apiwrapper.js in both cases and the one based on your example got some new stuff such as the error handing.

How do I make my lms work with the flash content then.
Do I need to create a launcher file which will execute the imsmanifest.xml and the apiwrapper.js?

I really need to have some light on those issues.

Big Thanks

Cheers !

There’s a couple of reasons for this, but basically it comes down to history and use.

Flash’s SCORM code that it provides out of the box are great — if you’re using Flash’s built in E-Learning templates. It’s not so great if you’re trying to roll your own types of interactive content. Then — and this is probably more of a historical perspective than anything I’ve really researched anew — their provided code becomes a lot harder to use, because you’re not working in the context in which they were intended for.

At that point, it becomes a lot easier to use proven JavaScript methods (like those provided by ADL themselves, or by another vendor like Rustici Software and use Externalnterface to build whatever kind of SCOs you want — advanced assessments, games, performance simulations — whatever.

This is great – just about the only useful and working example I can find!

Is there a particular benifit / reason as to why you’re using the JavaScript & functions you are – as opposed to those functions that Flash can autogenerate for you?

Upon entering page 4, completion status should be sent to the LMS correct? I’m wonding why the LMS is not showing the course as complete but still active.

I’ve tried both w/ the exit button programmed as in origianal demo and w/ code above and w/ the original code, not only does it not close the window, but a IE alert comes up saying “Not Terminated”.

I’m wondering why the exit button is not working and why the course is not tracking completion.

The course needs to be opened via the HTML file but this will close the window when clicking the Exit button.

exit_btn.onRelease = function ()
{
getURL(“javascript: window.close()”);
};

Has anybody tried this package on WebCT(Blackboard) Vista? When I tried to upload the SCORM module to WebCT I got the following msg:

The package could not be imported because it is not compliant with SCORM content packaging requirements; imsmanifest.xml must be at the root of the package.

Your help would be most appreciated!

Please look at Comment #4 above.

“LMS Communication Initialized: null
Initialized Failed ”

I am running the ADL test sweet and its not working. Is there something i need to do to get it to initialize.

I have used the following link to run javascript calls locally with the SCORM RTE. It also works with Flash Player 9, and is a great solution when you have a computer that cannot access the internet to add trusted sites.

http://www.whenpenguinsattack.com/2006/07/13/flash-8-and-security/

thanks

In creating a SCORM compliant course, i was only able to communicate with the LMS using fscommand and publishing the file for flashMX 2004.

I’m told I need to set this course up for bookmarking. I can successfully send a setValue number (cmi.core.lesson_location) call and receive a getValue number(cmi.core.lesson_location) call per the ADL SCO conformance test suite. I just dont know how to send the learner to the frame where they left the course.

Do you have any insight?

Thanks,

Shannon

Hope that helps!

Shannon

Which version of Reload Editor are you using? I’ll first test out your version and then attempt to walk you through it.

I had an issue with every content package I put together with some version of Reload Editor now that I’m thinking of it, but for the life of me I can’t remember the reason for it.

Shannon

There’s a good article on Adobe about the security settings that began with Flash Player 8:

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/fplayer8_security.html

What you’ll want to do is basically designate your C:/ drive (or wherever your content and the test suite are) as a safe zone. Restart your browser. That should be all you need to do.

Basically, without designating that Flash is allowed to execute scripting on your local drive (from your local drive), you’re not allowed to talk to javascript in the browser, which makes the whole SCORM testing thing impossible.

You can adjust your security sandbox areas here:

http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager04.html

I hope I can duplicate your demo…

Shannon

Is this what I should do: “To set this permission level, select Publish Settings > Flash, and then select Access Network Only from the Local Playback Security pop-up menu.” (Flash online help).

Do you have your security sandbox settings correct?

I’ve been having the most frustrating time trying to implement the JavaScript/Flash Integration kit, so here I am, back to ExternalInterface. I was wondering why the example you created does not load successfully into the ADL Test Suite. Am I doing something wrong?

Shannon

The APIWrapper.js file can really be anywhere in your content package as long as you reference it correctly in your HTML.

If you’re referring to the API for SCORM from the LMS, an LMS will provide that API. If you run this straight up on your regular ol’ webserver, you’ll get a bunch of alert messages letting you know that it can’t find the API… which is right because, um.. you won’t have one outside an LMS.

As far as the source code, it’s free and open to use. It’s provided as is all content on the site via a Creative Commons License that’s good for commercial uses, provided you a) Attribute the original work to me and b) share alike any modifications or enhancements to the work. You can read more about the license here.

By sharing-alike, you don’t have to open up your whole content to the world to see… just anything you modify as far as the SCORM stuff… you know, so that this body of work gets better and better through use.

If you’d like to donate toward my Nintendo Wii fund, I’ll humbly accept donations.

The other question i have is…is the source code free? Can it be edited and used?

P.s this has been by far the best resource online.

Regards

Alan

Just to say big thanks for the example. I have been bashing my head against my keyboard for a while now trying to get my project SCORM working, and then I found this and now things are looking a little bit happier in the I.T world.

Thank you!!

The .xsd files are needed by the LMS. They define the metadata schemae as identified in the manifest. no .xsd files and it won’t work.

Seriously, I think you are THE most helpful SCORM support poster. I really appreciate it!

What does your scormdemo course look like packaged for the LMS? When I used Reload, I did NOT import the xsd files. Are these required for communication with the LMS?

Thanks for all your help!

I’m guessing you’re using something Open Sourced like Moodle, because with any proprietary LMS they would provide you with some of the IT support you need to solve this problem.

I can answer this question at a high level, but understand that I’m not an IT guy. I’m the guy who goes on smoke breaks and out for beers with IT guys. You want to set up a content server — possibly several depending on how distributed your 84 centers are — like if it makes sense geographically to have several servers spread out to reach them all.

Depending on your LMS and the power of the actual box it sits on, 1500 users shouldn’t be a big deal. They’re not going to hit the LMS concurrently, and if you’re planning on doing something concurrent with 1500 users… you should be thinking about something other than SCORM (more like WebEx or Adobe Connect). You can probably get away with a single LMS server and one or more mirrored content servers.

You’ll need to set up server rules to route content use by IP range, and that way everybody hits the LMS, which then chooses from which content server you’re getting delivered the content. I would guess that most enterprise-level LMSs can handle something like this. And even Moodle — I’d guess you could check the boards and find someone who’s done what you’re looking to do.

I hope this helps. Actually, I hope I just didn’t tell you what NOT to do

Regard,
Rk

i was probably jumping in too early with your files. I’ll just run through what I did and my thinking.

My thinking was i got to develop some scorm compliant flash. A good first step use the 2004 conformance test suite 3rd edition, so I downloaded it.

I tested it against their non-flash example zip files. Seemed to work ok – got a load of green ticks, IMS Manifest is Well-formed, etc, etc….

Then I thought I better see if the test suite works with flash content. So I tried using it with your scormdemo.zip. I haven’t touched the zip file I just tested it as is. The test suite just seemed to stall – forever.

I’m up for writing code, but I wasn’t sure where to start with your zip file. Of course this a problem of my naivity and not your files.

Anyway thanks for responding so soon.

It’ll take me a couple of days to wipe an environment clean to do it, but I’ll capture how to do this with Camtasia or Captivate and walk through what I’d do to accomplish this.

Basically, the reason why the wait is so long is either that you don’t have the Java RTE configured correctly and/or your content in Flash is dependent on using scripting that requires it being hosted to get around security sandbox issues with Flash and JavaScript.

thanks for the scormdemo files, is it possible for you to run through the steps to test it in the ADL Content Package Conformance Test (that is, if it is worth using?). I am completely new to this and test suite asks a few questions like whether it is a Content Aggregation Content Package or a Resource Content Package? Anyway i’ve tried both and the test suite seem to take longer than the wait it warns you about.

thanks in advance

The Flash part of such an example would look almost exactly the same. The only difference would be in the calls to the Run-Time Data Model.

You’d also swap out the APIWrapper.js file for the APIWrapper.js file for SCORM 2004, which you can get off of ADLNet.gov (if it’s back up).

That all said, I’ll see what I can do about posting a SCORM 2004 version of the same example.

I have tested your file and it worked supred in reload player!! Do you have a similar example in flash that will work in SCORM 2004 (ver 1.3)environment ?

I am badly looking for it , so will appreciate if you can help me in this.

regards
Samir

I have been looking for an example of SCORM 1.2 using the External Interface stuff. I had managed to figure out Flash and SCORM using FS Commands and the old publishing template, but that limited me to Flash 7 player and I want to take advantage of a lot of the run-time things that have come out (better text, bit-map caching, 9-slice, etc.) in the newer players. Your example saved me because I don’t know enough coding to figure all of that stuff out on my own, but with your example, I am able to manipulate it to get my stuff SCORM content and working in our LMS.

Thank you for putting it together, providing the entire package including .fla and so nicely commenting your code.

THANK YOU!!!

You definitely don’t want to use _root.getURL() commands to access javascript if you can use Flash 8. Well maybe not “definitely,” but the whole idea behind this content example is how you can use ExternalInterface to send JavaScript commands, which should be less prone to unwanted results (// errors).

Testing in Reload Editor gives you a feel for how the content will play. Testing in the ADL Sample Run-Time Environment would be better.

The content example I have here is for SCORM 1.2, not SCORM 2004. You can switch them out (just switch out the APIWrapper.js for starters). But the code being used in the ActionScript is based on SCORM 1.2, so those Javascript calls in AS would need to be modified for SCORM 2004.

Also, since this is Flash running Javascript, chances are that it won’t run locally, so if you’re not in a server environment (even a server environment off your local drive), chances are good that it’s not going to initialize.

Unfortunately, the ADL website is in transition at the moment, so you’re going to have to hunt (via Google or Yahoo or the like) for someone else who might have the Sample RTE available. I couldn’t find it at first glance but I’m sure somebody’s got it available since your deadline is like… today.

basicaly a user enters runs through a flash slide presntation and then the exit say on screen 10 when they come back i want the file to open on screen ten i was stoke to find your file and add this code to the exit button
_root.getURL(“javascript: window.close();”);
_root.getURL(“javascript: window.top.close();”);

so that it would close in the scorm tester i use (reload scorm 1.2 player)
but when i clcik the exit button using my flash file (wit extra code) or yours without it comes back with “Not Initialized” dialog box??

any thoughts on whats going on please?
i wuld love to be able to run your file and see it open at the point of exit and display the infor in my scorm player (oh p.s. the deadline is 8th of the may so i got some long nights ) do you have direct urls to the ADSL site where this stuff is?

This content is probably not going to work locally unless you set your Security settings in the Flash 8 (or 9) player to accept local variable exchanges. And even then, some of the javascript won’t execute properly running locally, which is what the Test Suite does.

Though what I suggest would fly counter to a strict adherence of the use of the test suite, you might consider setting up IIS to run locally on your windows box and run the test suite via http. I’ve done that before — running the Test Suite via XAMPP and that allowed me to test content on my own computer before uploading it to the LMS.

I’m not a SCORM certification officer, so I can’t even tell you how they do it, but I’d guess it’d have to be something similar.

As for the integration in L5 SCORM producer, I don’t think that’s going to help much if you’re authoring any kind of Flash content. Not being as familiar with the tool as others are, if memory serves it auto-magically puts the code into your existing HTML content and then parses through your directory structure to build a manifest.

You can use Reload Editor to build content packages and the manifest, and it will work with everything. But if you’re building custom Flash content to run in an LMS — well, you’re bootstrapping it since there aren’t any plugins (that I know of) that do it all for you in Flash (Adobe/Macromedia made a noble attempt in Studio 8 and their templates “work” but I don’t like them much). I haven’t seen what CS3 will do for you yet, but since E-Learning isn’t a huge marketing segment for Adobe, I wouldn’t hold my breath that they’ve completely re-designed their SCORM support model.

There are a number of tools that will do it all for you — Articulate Presenter, Camtasia, Captivate — if the complexity of writing event handlers for all the interaction you want in Flash is too heavy for your timetables, you can always go the route of a more user-friendly authoring tool.

Long and short of it — working with Flash as an authoring medium isn’t brain surgery, but it isn’t as straightforward as anyone wants it to be.

I’ve tested it and saw it working on Moodle. However, I have been unable to test the course under the ADL SCORM 1.2 Test suite, and under the L5 SCORM producer preview for Dreamweaver as the initialization fails.

I am wondering if there is some kind of synchronization problem? Perhaps using some kind of event handler system? What are your thoughts on this?

Thx,

David