Hi Amrita,
I faced exactly similar problems.
Here is a simple straight forward way to display Flash movies (SWF files) that are driven by XML and use other resources, such as images, etc.
This certainly is NOT the best way; but it works for sure. We will see the disadvantages later in the message
Goal:
Display Fireworks movie with Text - using SWF + XML
Flash Movie Files:
fireworks001.swf
fireworks001.xml
===== Assumptions about the DNN site ======
Your DNN Main Installation = www.Domain.com
Child Portal: www.Domain.com/movie
Portal Id for child2 portal = 23
Assume that you want to display the Flash movie on the HOME page of the movie portal (whose portal id is 23)
DNN server paths:
WEBROOT\DNN552\ <------ DNN installation (points to www.Domain.com)
WEBROOT\DNN552\movie\
WEBROOT\DNN552\Portals\23\
=======================
STEPS
==============
1. Download and install FireBug addin for FireFox. Use FireFox until you are done with all the steps
FireBug addin allows us to see where the web page is looking for a given resource file. Any missing file will be highlighted in RED; so simply look for suc RED lines and upload the resource files to specific folders shown on the RED statement.
2. Upload the SWF file and all the associated resources (folders and files) to portal's ROOT folder.
in this case, it is: WEBROOT\DNN552\Portals\23\
3. Add HTML module to the Home Page (or any page; but let's start with Home page of "movie" portal)
4. Click on "Edit Content"; wipe out the default text; click on "Source" button (TOP -LEFT corner on the Editor Menu). Paste the following code [AFTER replacing the SWF file, portal path etc. to suit your needs] Instead if using DigFlash we are directly using the HTML module play the SWF movie.
============= Start of Code ======================
===================== End of Code ==================
Once you "save" and come out of the HTML module, you will "see" the Flash Movie; But it may be static or just a black rectangle (based on the Flash file's intended function)
Now "Switch on" the FireBug at the bottom of the Home page (using FireFox).
Click on ALL (FireBug menu). Refresh the Portal Home page (where you intend to show the movie)
Now you will see several lines of code appearing in the FireBug window at the bottom of the page (you can resize it )
Look for any RED lines ending with the Flash Movie Resource file names (typically these would be the XML files, Image Files or Video files that are suppose to be "driving" the SWF file)
For example you may see a RED line looking for the XML file.
www.Domain.com/movie/fireworks001.xml
Though we uploaded this XML file (along with the SWF file) to the Portal ROOT folder (WEBROOT/DNN552/Portals/23), the SWF file is NOT able to use the XML file right next to it in the same folder. Instead, it is looking for the XML file in a different folder WEBROOT/DNN552/movie (which maps to the URL, www.Domain.com/movie/fireworks001.xml)
Now simply upload the XML too that location. and you are done.
It becomes more interesting (and frustrating) when to come to the home page from different sources. If you want to show this movie on a different Page (other than home page) you will see a RED line looking for the XML file with different URL: www.Domain.com/movie/deeperpage/fireworks001.xml
But DNN doesn't create a folder automatically for every "page" you add to the Portal. The only way to get rid of the RED line would be to create a folder with the name "deeperpage" and upload the XML file there.
I don't have "deeper knowledge of DNN" to understand this behavior. That is left to experts on this site
But you can make any complex SWF with several XML files, image files, etc. with this technique.
Vut because of the "weird" requirement of having to upload XML files based on where DNN is looking for (actually DNN is influencing the SWF file to look for the XML file in a different location though the relevant XML file is right there next to the SWF file in the same folder. This is the issue I want to understand
Please feel free to post any further questions on this. Having struggled a lot with this problem I would like to help others facing the same problem.
My thanks to all the people who helped me with this; especially to Mike (the owner of DigFlash) who suggested to use FireBug too debug this problem. There is a version of FireBug for IE but it is better to use FireBug with FireFox to debug this or ANY other website problems.
Thanks!
VR