Flash End of Life
October 18, 2018 12:00 AM
eLearning Brothers has been preparing for this shift for a long time, and has developed a lot of interactions that are not Flash-dependent. If you launch the eLearning Brothers Template library in Lectora today, for instance, you'll see primarily (if not excluseively) HTML5 content. eLearning Brothers has retired its Interaction Builder that was heavily Flash-dependent, and its new interactions found in the template library use HTML5. However, this does mean that legacy content will need to be updated. If you're using an interaction from the old Interaction Builder you'll need to check if this resource is an FLV file and remove or replace it.
For Lectora itself, drag and drop questions and other question types that may have included Flash in the past now use HTML5 in current versions of Lectora. We've been working to remove Flash from Lectora since version 12, and have been able to increase those efforts as less browsers use Flash players for video, etc. You may need to re-publish your old titles in order to remove any Flash elements, especially if the title was created in version 12 or older. Flash interactions from the old Lectora stock library will also need to be replaced with more modern alternatives.
In order to help you with this Lectora 18 will have the option to publish without any Flash. This will be great for refreshing older titles that may have been created in version 10, 11, etc, and include functionality like video and drag and drop questions.
How are you handling the change? What are you doing differently? What tips and tricks can you provide people who stumble across a flash object but don't know what to do?
Discussion (8)
Currently using lectora/Publisher version 16 and 17. Any suggestions on how to remove the mention of 'flash' in trivantis javascript files? I have discovered that I can remove/delete the flashmediaelement.swf from the produced SCORM 2004 3rd Edition SCO package without any student related issues. I have information that Office of Secretary of Defense has mandated that all flash, to include mention of it in code, will be blocked or forced non-implementation by 1 August 2019. Is there any solution for Lectora versions 16/17 to remove the mention of flash from trivantis.js, trivantis-inline.js, trivantis-media.js and trivantis-mep.min.js?
respectfully,
Anthony Jackman
Update to my post above. I installed lectora version 18 yesterday to investigate their claim to remove 'Flash' from their products. I have found out that they removed the media player (.swf file) that they use. But what bothered me more, was they left all mentions of 'flash' in their javascript code. Does me no good for that stuff to be in there. Secretary of Defense has a new initiative to remove even the mention of flash in code.
Trivantis you are batting 500 now.
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What, in a Lectora course creates the .swf dependency in the published course files? Is it a generic "requirement" just for the course to run (regardless of the type of interactivity used within the course)? Will certain video players also add .swf elements (even if you eliminate other Flash elements)? We currently use Lectora Publisher v17.1.3
Thanks, in advance for any assistance to help better understand this...
Newest version still builds a JS file "trivantis-inline.js" with shockwave plugin and SWF calls (being generic here). While there are no SWF files created, this might easily show during a routine check and identify the course as Flash dependent.
I have twice had to edit the stock Trivantis-supplied JavaScript files. If you edit the copy in the Program Files (x86) directory, the edited versions will be included with your course. I would bet you could fairly easily remove all references to Flash and it would affect nothing (since no Flash is actually present in any case). Keep a backup, obviously.
@CarlFink, in the past, I edited JS files in the Program Files (x86) directory as well, but I then had issues whenever I updated the version of Lectora. It seemed like once I edited a file in this area, it would not be updated if a ran a patch or minor version update, which left my Lectora files "mismatched" and led to other run-time issues. The only files I have edited now are for my 16.2.2 version, which will no longer be updated. I haven't edited any files in v17 or v18.
For v18, I too am disappointed that the code isn't cleaned up when publishing to HTML5 only. Flash references are flagged by my customer's security scan, particularly the AllowScriptAccess="always" in trivantis.js. Should be "sameDomain" at the very least.
Hi Ann (@prg1792)
Sorry we didn't see this sooner. Our support group alerted us to this issue, we will write this up and see what we can do for the next release.
- Joe
SO, I just downloaded the newest Desktop Lectora version and purchased my first license -- total newbie. If I open old trainings (2010-2018) and save without flash, will all mentions of flash be gone from the code?
Once I publish to Review Link, how can I tell if there are instances of Flash? Or would I need to publish to my LMS for it to flag Flash needing to be enabled??
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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