Mimic Movie LinksIf you have MadCap Mimic installed, you can create videos to be displayed in the output format of your choice—Mimic Movie Format (MMF), Microsoft Silverlight, or Adobe Flash.
After creating a Mimic movie, you can insert a link to it. The movie will open and play in the appropriate window (e.g., movies generated in MMF are viewed in the MadCap Movie Viewer or MadCap Help Viewer). After you insert a movie link, a small movie frame icon 
displays next to it. You can insert movie links into topics, tables of contents, or browse sequences.
Here is an example of a Mimic movie link: Click here to see the movie.
Note: When you insert a Mimic movie link, the appropriate movie files are not copied to your project's content files. Instead, they are automatically copied to the output files when you generate the target.
You can insert links to Mimic videos generated in one of the following output types: Mimic Movie Format (MMF), Microsoft Silverlight, or Adobe Flash. For more information not provided here, see the MadCap Mimic online Help.
About the MadCap Mimic Movie Format
The Mimic Movie Format (MMF) is designed to be opened by users from their desktop, rather than being accessed from a server. If you need to integrate your movies into a software application, MMF is a good solution.
Following are some important characteristics of MMF:
- Built-in navigation If you generate a project (as opposed to a standalone movie), navigation is automatically built in to the interface so that users can access all movies in the project.
- Compile time The time required to generate output in this format is typically much less than it is for other formats.
- Output file size The generated file size is much smaller in this format than it is for other formats.
- Output file types The output consists of files using an .mcmovie extension (for individual movies), and another file using an .mcmoviesys extension (when creating projects).
- Viewer Movies can be viewed in the freely distributable MadCap Movie Viewer or the MadCap DotNet Help Viewer.
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XML The output files are XML-based, so you can open them in any XML editor to modify them.
In addition to generating the output, what other actions are required?
- MadCap Movie Viewer You must also provide your end users with the freely distributable MadCap Movie Viewer. If you are distributing MadCap Flare output with the DotNet Help format, your end users can use the freely distributable MadCap DotNet Help Viewer instead of the MadCap Movie Viewer to see the integrated Mimic movies: http://madcapsoftware.com/downloads/redistributables.aspx.
About the Microsoft Silverlight Movie Format
The Silverlight format is designed by Microsoft. According to Microsoft, "Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web."
Following are some important characteristics of the Microsoft Silverlight format:
- Built-in navigation If you generate a project (as opposed to a standalone movie), navigation is automatically built in to the interface so that users can access all movies in the project.
- Output file types The output consists of an HTM file (XML-based), as well as various ancillary files.
- Skins You can edit the interface of the movie output (e.g., the navigation features) through the use of skins, including language skins.
- Viewer Movies can be viewed in a browser window.
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XML The output files are XML-based, so you can open them in any XML editor to modify them.
In addition to generating the output, what other actions are required?
- MIME type (from server) In order for end users to see Microsoft Silverlight movies delivered from a server, the MIME type must first be set up correctly. This is something that your server administrator would need to do. You should provide the admin with the necessary steps.
- Silverlight (from desktop) In order for end users to see Microsoft Silverlight movies locally on their desktop, they must have Microsoft Silverlight installed.
About the Adobe Flash Movie Format
The Adobe Flash format is a common method for adding animation and interactivity to Web pages.
Following are some important characteristics of the Adobe Flash format:
- Built-in navigation If you generate a project (as opposed to a standalone movie), navigation is automatically built in to the interface so that users can access all movies in the project.
- Output file size The generated file size is somewhat small. The only output format with a smaller file size is the Mimic Movie Format (MMF).
- Output file types The output consists of files that use the .swf extension and XML-based files using the .htm extension. In addition, various ancillary files are created to help display the navigation. If you do not use an embedded skin, you can use the HTM files as the main entry points to view the movie output. The HTM files are used to display the Flash video (SWF), as well as the navigation for it. However, if you use an embedded skin, you can just distribute the SWF file.
- Skins You can edit the interface of the movie output (e.g., the navigation features) through the use of skins, including language skins. With Flash output, you can use a regular skin or an embedded skin, which integrates the navigation into the SWF file.
In addition to generating the output, what other actions are required?
- Java 5.0 Update 13 or later In order to take advantage of the Flash output format, you need to install the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) before generating output. You can download the JRE from http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp.
- Flash Player 10 Flash output from Mimic must be viewed on a browser with Flash Player 10 (minimum).
Note: Users might experience issues with skin buttons (i.e., buttons used for navigation) in Flash output under certain circumstances. If you distribute Flash movie output from a Web server, end users should not experience any problems with the buttons in the skin. However, if you distribute Flash movie output, for example, on a CD so that end users can access the movie locally, buttons in the skin may not function correctly when users open the movie in the HTM file. If you create movie output that you intend to be opened locally—rather than via the Web—it is recommended that you use MMF or Microsoft Silverlight instead of Adobe Flash.
See Also