Wired Movies and Sprites

HREFTrack Syntax

The syntax for an HREFTrack sample is:



 
[nn:nn:nn.n]

A<URL> T<frame>

[nn:nn:nn.n] is a timestamp in hours:minutes:seconds.timeunits, where timeunits are in the time scale of the track. The URL becomes active at the time specified and remains active until the next timestamp. The URL is active even if the movie is not playing.

The last specified URL remains active even after the movie has finished.

A<URL> specifies the URL. If the "A " is omitted, the user must click inside the movie during the period when the URL is active to cause the URL to load. If the "A " is present, the URL will load automatically when the movie is played.

The URL can be absolute or relative to the movie.

A relative URL is relative to the movie , not the Web page that contains the movie. If the movie and its parent Web page are in the same directory, this is the same thing, but if the movie and the Web page are not in the same directory, the difference is crucial.

The URL can include an internal anchor name as well as a path and file name (for example, "../HTML/Page1.htm#StepOne").

The URL can be a blank sample (CRLF ). Clicking inside the movie when a blank sample is active has no effect. Use a blank sample to deactivate the previous URL without activating a new one. You might commonly want to do this at the end of a movie.

T<frame> is an optional parameter. It specifies a target frame or target window. If a target is specified, the URL will be loaded in the specified frame or window. If there is no frame or window with that name, a new browser window of that name will be created.

You can combine the T<frame> parameter with the "A" in the URL to cause a movie playing in one frame to automatically load a series of URLs in another frame at specified points in the movie.

If no target is specified, the URL will load in the default browser window or browser frame. In this case, the Web page containing the movie will be replaced by the specified URL.

If the target "myself" is specified, the URL will be opened directly by the QuickTime plug-in. The specified URL will replace the currently-playing movie, rather than its parent Web page. This will only work properly if the URL points to a file that QuickTime can handle directly, such as a QuickTime movie or an AIFF audio file.

You can use the T<myself> parameter to link a series of QuickTime movies into a single virtual movie over the Web.