Documentation for FindAll tool xtra for Director
Purpose
Use this movie in your Director Xtras folder to add an extended search functionality to your director projects.
FindAll is an Authoring-Xtra for Macromedia Director (version 8 and higher)
- Provides a search through all of your scripts for a given expression (regular expression optional) and lists all occurrences found
- Provides replace functions (regular expression optional) to either replace all occurrences or only the selection in the list you obtain with 'Find All'
- Search/replace in #text and #field members
- Search/replace in names and comments
- Search/replace in behavior initializers
- Select all occurrences of the selected castmember in the score
Requirements
Adobe Director authoring environment
In fact FindAll doesn't require other Xtras, but in order to take advantage of all functionality you need the following:
In order to open the script editor and highlight the match (clicking on a match in the list) the UIHelper xtra (Win: JavaUiHelper.x32) is required The UIHelper Xtra is one of the standard Xtras, which were delivered with Director until version 8, as part of the 'save as java' xtra components.
The UIHelper xtra is also in the standardinstall of Directoppr MX and MX2004
Director 8.5 is missing the xtra, but fortunately the UIHelper Xtra from version 8 works with 8.5 as well. If you use FindAll with D 8.5, copy the UIHelper Xtra from previous versions over to your D 8.5 Xtras folder. Note: You need to have the java components installed in Director 8 for the UIHelper Xtra (Win: JavaUiHelper.x32) to appear in your xtras folder. You'll find the installer on your D8 CD (Mac: run 'Install Java Components' from the rootlevel of the D8 CD; Windows: run setup.exe which is contained in the folder 'Java Components' on the root level of the D8 CD)
The PRegEx Xtra is required, if you want to search/replace using regular expressions. Also it speeds up the search/replace. IMHO it is one of the must-have Xtras for director. It is an open source project and free to use. Get the xtra at http://openxtras.org/ MANY, MANY, MANY THANKS to Chris Thorman and Ravi Singh for this great Xtra !!
Installation
- Download and unstuff
- Move the file "FindAll.dcr" to your Director Xtras folder. (Director application folder -> Configuration -> Xtras)
- Restart Director and choose "FindAll" from the "Xtras" menu
Usage
The button 'Find All' adds a functionality, which I always wished for director. It lists all occurrences of the searchstring instead of repeatedly needing Cmd-G... In the same dialog you have the option to 'Replace All', which does the same as directors 'Replace ALL' except that it can use regular expressions. more...
Additional notes
IMPORTANT NOTE
This movie calls the sleep method of the UIHelper xtra on idle, as otherwise the CPU usage would permantly be very high and not only consume my powerbook battery power, but also heat the computer up and make the fan spin as if there is no tomorrow. In order to avoid that stupid behavior I spin the performance down making the engine release the cpu for 1 tick on mac (1/60 second) and 1 millisecond on a windows PC on every idle event. This impacts the playback speed of your movie too. So keep in mind, to close the tool miaw, if you make performance tests with your movie.
