New Preloading Option - Next Clip Preloading

We've added a new feature in Main Settings -> Media Settings -> Next Clip Preloading:

When set, the IMO will preload media for all clips it computes are likely to be the next clip after the current clip. This lets you preload a clip just ahead of when it is needed. Note also that all interactions associated with the next clip will also be preloaded (images only).

This feature can be used alongside other preloading features. So, you can preload a portion of your IMO up front, and then use Next Clip preloading after that. Once an element is preloaded, it is not preloaded again, so you don't need to worry about re[eat preloads.

Works in both Flash and HTML5.

Flash Issues for Large IMOs

A client using ClicFlic for a large simulation IMO with well over a hundred images and audio files was preloading all images and media in a preload clip. On the ClicFlic workstations, this worked fine, but on the client's workstation, Flash presents the Gray Circle of Death (GCOD). It looks like this:

According to Adobe, the GCOD appears when the flash application is consuming too much memory or if it is doing something that could be harmful to the operating system.

We are still learning how to interpret this symbol with respect to ClicFlic IMOs. The only time we've encountered it was this time and it appears to be related to trying to preload too many media files. We'll update this blog as more information becomes available.

Tracing Back Errors

A number of enhancements have been implemented to help diagnose issues where the IMO was reloaded one or more times in mid-administration, or the IMO appears to malfunction at some point.  All of these changes involve writing more data to the result XML so that you can better reconstruct what is happening.

Please refer to the revised API guide, which lists all changes in he very beginning for a summary of these new information elements.