Hi,
Is there a way to use OpenCV in fusion?
Thanks!

Is there a way to send and receive MMS ?
Or get MMS that was received and stored on the phone somewhere?
Thanks.

Hi, does anybody knows what permissions are needed for this object?

Found a way to make the maps darker, so they would not glow at night:
The maps have a circles entities type, that can be added in defined latitude/longitude locations. I add one very big circle...

Ok, thanks!

I would like to make the Google map darker, so it would not glue so much at night, so wanted to put other objects on top and use alfa.
When I put any objects on top, they just don't show up at all....

First, thanks for your prompt reply.
I managed to solve it according to your instructions in another thread. I was using the last stable build - 286.6 with an old map object, the one installed with...

Fernanado, I see that in the sample app compiled by me, the maps object does not seem to appear at all. In your screen shot there is a gray rectangle for the map object.
I suspect that the current...

Fernando, thanks for your reply. In the example app I don't see the Latitude and Longitude. The text fields show the word 'Text'.
See pic attached. Any idea? thanks.


21668

Do I need to publish the app as Alfa/Beta on google store to have the google maps service operational?
Or just copying the APK to the phone and then installing it should work?

Does the example runs ok for others?

Yes, the api key is correct.

Yes I did try the example. I changed all that is needed in the 'Release mode' section of the example.
The example compiled OK, and the example app run on my phone, but the maps would not show.
I've...

Hi,
I compile the app and run it on my Android 4.4 phone, but the maps does not show up at all.
It does not seem to be account password or keys issue, as the app compiles and runs ok, apart from...

I got to try it today and switched to API 19, and it solved the issue.
At the moment everything runs smoothly.
Thanks for the advice!!

The phone is running Android 4.4.3. I use API 14 for the build.
Minimum version and also target is: 2.3/2.3.1/2.3.2
I will try higher API, as suggested, thanks.

Cannot run my app on my android device. When I try, either with 'Build and Run, or by copying and installing the APK, I get a message on the device: 'Unfortunately, Balloon has stopped' with OK...

Well, the picture seems to shrink to the point its hard to see anything...
Hope this one will be somewhat clearer.

14640

Hi Anders,
Attached is a screen shot with the error I get when trying to compile.
Thanks a lot.

14639

Hi,
I'm using Xcode 4.6.2 (my Mac is old and OS cannot be further upgraded, so I cannot use latest Xcode).
I can no longer compile games due to GameController error.
Is there a way to bypass this...

Hi Anders,
This is the error:

ld: framework not found GameController
clang: error: linker command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)

Thanks Olivier for this update. :-)

Well, I'm still having this GameConroller issue and cannot compile. I use Xcode 4.6.2 as my Mac will not go beyond that. :-(
Is there a way to fix that for Xcode below version 5?

I've got the same error, and Xcode will not compile.

Thanks Danny, that's good news!
I reported all the bugs I encountered in the bug tracker, and also sent sample application showing some of the issues.
The main issue that prevents any further...

Simon, just to support what Crian have said. I completely stopped development with MMF or Fusion for a couple of months now. I invested a lot of time in developing games that I cannot release due to...

Hi Anders, is there a new file? If so where can I download it?
Thanks a lot! :)

Take a look at:
C:\Users\YOUR_NAME\AppData\Roaming\MMFApplications

Well?... any news about an update? There are critical issues to be fixed, and looking at the bug tracker it seem as if progress is very limited since February.

Here it is:
http://community.clickteam.com/threads/70953-iOS-Get-Device?highlight=iOSGetDevice

I think you will have to copy the files manually to the extensions directory.
I've looked at it in Fusion 2.5, and the devices in the list are from older devices and up to iPad 3, iPhone 4s and 4th...

I left you the same message in another thread:

mr_mercury06uk, did you take a look at the 'iOS Get Device' object?
I used it in MMF2 with some success. I don't know when and if it was updated, as...

mr_mercury06uk, did you take a look at the 'iOS Get Device' object?
I used it in MMF2 with some success. I don't know when and if it was updated, as it had a few issues back then.
I would certainly...

Thanks for the information. I would rather use Fusion 2.5 as it is much more friendly to work with, just need to be sure.

I was developing a game for iOS and had all kind of issues (which I reported).
The game constantly crashes, and I think this is due to the use of physics.
I know ClickTeam are working hard to fix...

Hi Anders, is it possible to get a new beta version ASAP? Shouldn't take a lot of time to fix this specific issue:
I tried to build a new application but it will not compile. It show linker errors,...

Thanks for the update Anders. I've checked my game with it, but I still get frequent crushes when running on iPad (although somewhat less frequent than before).
I think it is related to the Rope and...

I tried to use it in F2.5 - I have no previous experience with it. When I close Fusion 2.5 it crushes.
It seems that this extension is not fully compatible and needs an update.
Does anyone else...

Is there a way to change individual pixels colors in Active objects (or any other picture type object), that can be used on iOS/Android game?
I see that effects are only for Windows, they become...

Me too. My game made with Fusion 2.5 crushes a lot on iOS. I stopped development of it for several weeks now.
I hope things will be fixed soon, so I can continue.

I would be happy to know too, when the next update coming?.. Any news?

Several issues and problems I had in my app seems OK now.
Version 281.0 seems a big improvement.
CT, Thanks a lot!

Parent\child relation is automatic, and is really helpful.
But I learned that for some actions like Destroy, the parent child relation will not be sufficient to identify the child.
You will have to...

Thanks Danny,
I follow the sample and it does the job - this really saves a lot of time and headache.
However, there is still something that I'm probably doing wrong, or it might be a bug:
When I...

I have object A and object B. During the game I randomly create duplicates of object A, and with code inside this newly object A1, I create a new object B1.
I control the movement and animation of...

I don't know if this issue is iOS related or Fusion 2.5, as zooming does not work on PC, so I report the issue here:

1) My frame is 2048 pixels wide. On iPad, when I zoom out (e.g 0.5) some active...

I'm using Fusion developer 2.5. 280.32.
The frame width is 2048 and scrolling left right works OK.

On PC no problems at all, but On iPad there are issues:

When I run an animation (active...

While developing with version 2.0 the game was rock solid, exporting the game now from Fusion 2.5 is not (I'm using 280.30)
The game, which is quite simple at this stage, crushes every few screen...

Hi Kieth,
I had the same issue, but now it seems OK.
1) I deleted my project history in Xcode.
2) I created new 'Final iOS project' and deleted the old one.
Now things work. I use 280.30 which...

Ok, I'll tell it to ignore it. Thanks.

During installation all the box2d related files, like box2dstatic.mvx, were marked as virus and quarantined by Norton. It identifies it as Suspricious.Cloud.7.F.
Anyone encountered this issue?

I also have a lot of crushes, once every few minutes. Mainly happen when I try to edit existing conditions in the event list editor.
When I select edit in the popup menu, the expression editor will...

I see version 280.28 in the bug tracker list, but can't seem to find where to download it.
I looked in the owners lounge of MMF 2 and the exporters forums.
Is there owners lounge for Fusion 2.5?

Another vote for number 3.
It would defiantly make life much easier.

Hmmm... thanks Gustav for the info. I will buy it on ClickTeam web site.

Should I have to be registered on Steam to buy it through steam?
Will it be possible to buy the upgrade on ClickTeam web site and not through steam?

Thanks greenfrog, I'm very happy to hear that, and surely many other community members.
Nowadays people come to expect this feature in their games, so this is great news!! :)

Does anybody know if MMF2.5 will have screen zooming?
I saw the list in the thread but, is it confirmed?
I'm starting to develop a new game and this will influence the game design greatly.

Very nice promo! Waiting anxiously!

Hi Everyone,
Crush Shop was released today on the App store after a long development. It is an action\arcade game that consists of hundreds of short animations (close to 400 I think...). Programming...

Ok, thanks for the explanation. I guess they will fix it in Fusion 3 which is a code overall.

The main issue that I encounter is not that they are not working well or that they are full of bugs. The main issue is the naming.
If you read an object's variable from within the main event editor,...

In MMF 2, when you refer from within one object to variables of another object, the names of the variables are not the name you set but rather A,B,C etc. This is very annoying and the cause of many...

Apart to TouchArchade which I know about, where do you recommend to announce a new iOS game?
Thanks for any direction about this. :)

Thanks Popcorn for this info.

I've uploaded the iPhone version of my game to Apple for review.
Although it was accepted, I've got a notification about a non critical issue:

"Missing recommended icon file - The bundle does not...

I tried it again and I could install Ad-hoc beta on my iOS7 devices, using I tunes, without any problems.
It appears that I have made a mistake earlier by selecting the wrong distribution...

I have the same issue that the game runs VERY slow on iPhone 4, while on 4S it runs good.
I thought that it might be the hardware until I found this thread.
If it can be fixed it would be great,...

This is a very valuable info, thanks for sharing this.
I intend to release my iOS games on Android too, so I think you just saved me a few red bumps on my forehead. :-)

Koji, I have tested my game on iOS7, and there is no problem that I can detect with the Date & Time object.
I also use Chrono > X in my code, as you do, and it works OK.

StingRay, thanks a lot for letting me know about TestFlight! its a joy to use and really makes life easier.
Cheers :-)

Hopefully I'll manage to test my app on iOS7 this week. It uses date and time heavily, I'll let you know.

Sound something I would defenetly try. I have a lot of headaches with Apple procedures, especially testing.

Thanks for this info about test flight, never heard of testflight before. Is it free? I could not see any info about pricing.

I created ad hoc instillation file, which passed all Apple's verification on my Mac.
Then I tried to install it on my iPhone 4s running iOS7.
Connected it to iTunes on my Windows PC, (apple says...

Ok, thanks very much!

I would like to have 2 versions of my single game - one for iPhone and one for iPad.
This way I can take advantage of the iPad's stronger hardware, and enable some features on the iPad which will be...

It seems to be a bug with colors when copying with code one object color to another.
Also when setting RGB values directly through code, I get the same issue, as if iOS interprets the values...

I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out why one of the Date & Time object does not work.
After a long search I found that it was positioned too far out of the frame, just a little further...

That would be helpful, thanks a lot!

A couple remarks:
If the INI object (or other extension) was added to the project AFTER the version you currently have installed on the iOS device, you will have to create 'iOS Xcode project' or...

You are so right! We do tend to forget that this is actually a miniature computer.
Re-booting is the first thing I'll do on my PC, but for some reason was the last thing I did on my iPhone - go...

I found a cure but not the low level cause:

After a few weeks I had the same problems and I was not able to load the game again, for no apparent reason.
I tried everything: installing previous...

You can't directly expose the time the app was minimized, but you can calculate it yourself if you have the last saved time and now time. If the user changed the device time, I don't think you have a...

I had the same issue, but after exporting as final project the issue was gone, so it seems to work ok.

Crush shop is a game I'm working on for more than a year.
It is not finished yet, but it's getting closer every day.
I've started an IndieGoGo campaign today which also contain a trailer.
If you...

Thanks a lot! :-)

There are music files that come with MMF installation and music files in the bonus packs.
Are they completely free to use in the games I make with MMF? :o
Can someone at Clickteam answer?
Thanks...

I've created a new thread for the above post.

Good things!

I installed version 257.14 and updated my OS from 6.1.2 to 6.1.3 on my iPhone 4s.
Everything works very good now. Before, the app would not run if more than 1 or 2 other apps were in...

Good things! :)
I installed version 257.14 and updated my OS from 6.1.2 to 6.1.3 on my iPhone 4s.
Everything works very good now. Before, the app would not run if more than 1 or 2 other apps were...

From my experience with it, yes.
It was supposed to be fixed but was not.

The notifications object seems to work as long as you don't leave the frame to another frame. Whenever I did, my app would crush.
If you build your app so everything is done within one frame the...

I noticed that a game that was running on iPone 4s before, was not able to load any more. I had to invest many hours to try and solve it by managing memory consumption. Only after creating and...

Thanks, this helps a lot with this PITA issue. ;)

Sorry for the double post, fat fingers... :-)

I've read today on the internet that Android applications in the background (and iOS too) will be closed by the operating system when it needs the memory. I've also found that you can declare an...

I've read today on the internet that applications in the background will be closed by the operating system when it needs the memory. I've also found that you can declare an app to run as a service,...

1) Is it possible to create and show notifications with the Android exporter?
If so, is it possible to play specific sound with the notification?

2) I see that the option 'Run when minimized' is...

Active system box will react to user left clicks on it, even if it is not visible (set to 'Make invisible').
Only when adding the condition 'Is visible' to the event, it will stop reacting to...

Thanks a lot for the update. At least I now know it's not something I did wrong.

I've noticed that after installing the last beta 257.9, the text inside iOS edit box was doubled in size on the iPhone. On the PC it stayed the same.
To make it fit in again I had to set the size...

Hi,
Is there a way to read the iPhone contact list and retrieve the info?

Sure :)

Thanks Jeff :)

Hi Everyone,

Here is an iPhone application that I've just released. This is a water drinking reminder.
I wrote it for the PC some years ago and now made an iPhone version using MMF.

Link to...

Thanks for the reply. I've checked but it was not it.
I've gone back to older app versions which did work and after some investigation (and frustration) found the cause.

I have added INI object...

Hi,

I have an app that runs fine on my PC and also on the iPhone simulator, saving INI data correctly.
It runs on iPhone 4s too (iOS 6), but will not save data to the INI file.
When it is...

4.5.2 seems to work OK.
I had to upgrade, I could not renew developer certificates and provisioning without a recent XCode version.

Hi Tim,

Whats up? Possible update in the coming weeks?

Thanks, ;)
Yos

Ok. I've tested about 160 fonts..
150 fonts were converted to Arial when ported to iOS.

The attached picture show the 10 fonts that convert to iOS correctly.
(Well, more or less, there are...

Thanks DTownTony. I've already read it but I can't find what I need.
It seems that no such list is available on the forum. I will prepare one and upload it.

I've selected several fonts in MMF, but all will display as Arial on iPhone/iPad.
I would like to use fonts and not techniques like converting to backdrops.

Are there fonts that will convert...

Some more info about graphics conversion and memory conservation:

Files converted using 'Nearest Color' tend to be smaller by 10%-%30 compared to 'Error Diffusion' ones, depending on the...

Did anyone had any results with Crazy Mike?

All kind of software was used to create it, 2d and 3d.
I'll drop a note when it is on the app store, hope people will like it.

Thanks. :) This is an actual screen grab from the game (section of it).
I find it very hard to squeeze the game into the iPhone memory (iPad is easier).
Managed to squeeze it in so far, but there...

Well yes. I have used this technique too, separating animations of one character into several active objects.
Handling life like animations in a tight memory can be tricky. The alligator below is...

Yes, the original item that contains the animation is hidden. I concluded from my tests that even if an animated object is not playing (= showing only one image from the entire animation), the entire...

I would like to share a few things that I learned about running graphic intensive games on iOS devices.

I develop a game that contains many active objects, each containing quite a lot of...

I understand, I didn't know its a paid add-on.
Thanks.

Hi,
I was trying to install the unicode version, but it will not accept my license code and I cannot complete the installation.
I tried the codes for MMF and the ones for the iOS exporter but none...

Hi Andos,
Can you take a look at it? Do you want me to prepare a sample app and send it to you?

Ok, I've prepared screen grabs of Xcode screen.
I attach a few of them. I can send you the rest by email if you send me your address via PM.

7831783278337834

Thanks for the info, it helps.

About the current bug: the app will load and work fine as long as you don't try to jump to another frame (in the previous bug the app freeze while loading).
Now,...

Hi Tim,
I've made a small check:
I've added the extension to the other frame (the one that I try to jump to), but it does not make any difference, it still crushes.
I hope this bit of information...

Hi Tim,
I'm still having problem with the extension.
Before the last version, the App was frozen during start-up.
Now the App will load, however, when trying to switch from a fame that has the...

Questions about the extension:
1) I've set several notifications. How can I later clear them, if I don't want them to appear?
How do I clear a specific notification? How do I clear the entire...

Hi Tim,

I can confirm that it works fine now.
Thanks a lot for this wonderful extension!!

Cheers, Yos

Hi Tim,
As of Beta 5 (I think) Get Device extension will no longer react to general the general inquiries "Is device iPhone" or "Is device iPad".
It will react only to specific models inquiries,...

Hi Andos,
I've sent you by email sample Xcode app showing the issue.
If you have not received it please let me know.
Thanks. :)

It helps, however this is not a decent solution.
I hope ClickTeam will add a proper search in MMF3.

Hi,

I've got a lot of code and somewhere in it there is "Open Debugger" instruction (In know its there somewhere).
How can I find it without scanning the code line by line?
In traditional coding...

Hi Tim,
I attach a screen garb of the error shown in XCode.
Hope it can help.

7701Yos

Hi,

I've done as you said and made a little App with one button.
I works like a charm, showing notifications, great! :D
To see the notification I need to close the App to the background -...

Hi Tim,
I've spent a few hours trying to pin-point what is the cause of the problem.
I tried to delete items from my App or modify them (INI calls, timers and others) to see if there is any change....

Hi Tim,
I've tried to use the extension. Whenever I add the extension object to the App, it will not run on the iPhone. :(
The App freeze in the first displayed screen and will not react to any...

wow! this fix was quick.
I'll try it and report any bugs if found.
Thanks a lot Tim! :)

I can confirm that the above issue is now solved in Beta 5.
Thanks very much for the quick beta 5 update!

I had a similar situation, just that I wanted the back active...
I assigned a variable to every active and kept track of its status along the game - front or back.
When clicked, I initiated action...

Great news! This plugin can be so useful.
I'll be happy to try it again when done.
Thanks much.

An update: When I set to 'Fit inside' it runs Ok on iPad 3 too. It seems that the issue is with the 'Fit Outside'.

Hi,

I'm using Beta 4 and I still have problems with the screen display.

The application window size is 1024x768 pixels (which is iPad 2 screen resolution).
The size of the main frame is bigger...

Hi Tim,
A question about the Plugin:
If I ignore the message that I attached in the post above, will it work on the device, or is it not compatible?
I also tried to use it with Build 256 Beta one...

I attach the warning message, it can probab7630ly help.

Hi Tim,

I tried to use the extension but it does not seems to show up in the list of extensions.
When I try to use the example that you attached to the download I get a warning, basically saying...

Additional information about this issue:
Checked on iPad 3 and iPad 2, both with iOS version 5.xx
It is not only iOS 6 issue.

First, thanks a lot for the new update!

I would like to report the following issue:

I've selected Landscape (Right) and Fit outside.
Built a new xCode project.

The result I get:
The frame...

Thanks! :-)

I would like to change the size and position of of buttons during runtime, depending if it is iPhone or iPad.
How can I check if the app is currently running on iPhone or iPad?

Thanks. the number you quote represents the total size of game, but not all of it is loaded into memory at one time.
I'm interested in the maximum amount of memory per one frame. A number that if...

What is the largest game in MB that iPhone 4 and above can handle? What about iPad 2 ?
Especially when the game consists of one main frame.
Does anyone have an experience or a clue?
Thanks.

Ok, thanks.

There is an option under: View--->Data elements--->Sounds tab, which is 'Play from disk' .

1) Does it apply to the iOS exporter?
2) If it does, can it help preserve memory when running iOS app?...

Hi,

There is an option 'Play from disk' under View--->Data elements--->Sounds tab.
If I select 'Play from disk' for all my app sounds, will that help to save memory?
Is this option relevant...

Hi Cray_Ivan,

A couple of questions\suggestions:

1) Add specific sound to a notification, it this technically possible? (even for local notofications only).
I would like the user to hear the...

Thanks a lot!

1. Text on IOS buttons always appears small. Setting the size does not have effect.
2. Bitmap push buttons do not become disabled on IOS (on PC they are OK).

If you reduce the pic colors to 32k it might help (I assume that it is currently 24bit). Better do it with Photoshop or alike, and use error diffusion. You will hardly see any quality reduction.

Great idea, thanks!

I would like to detect when a specific object collides with any other object, without having to define an event for every possible collision.
Something like: "When object X collides with any other...

Hi Crazy Ivan, that would be great. :)
Thanks a lot for all your efforts so far.

I guess that a full notifications version will take longer to complete.
Is it possible to have a smaller beta version for local notifications only?

Thanks a lot for the advice guys. I'll probably go with the 480x320 size.
It can also let me add new features in future versions, without going into memory problems.
Thanks again.

I would like my app to work on iPhone 4 and above with 960x640 resolution (the app is in landscape). My app have a lot of graphics and will not fit into the iPhone memory. I think of changing the...

I encountered the same issue too.

Thanks a lot for the tip. I will try to use it and see how it works for me.
:)

Hi,
Is there a way to change the SIZE of animation frames of an Active object, without doing it one by one?
(Something similar to the command for changing all the animation frame's hot spot).
The...

Thanks for the update. :-)

Any news when this plugin will be available?
I really have good use for this one..

This is great news!

What can I say... the more I use Multimedia Fusion Developer the more I like it.
Wonderful software!
Looking forward to version 3.

ClickTeam, Cheers and thanks!

Thanks for the info. I now will follow your advice.

In the 'main' event editor there is no problem doing it, and user animations for the same active object appear on then lists, as well as all the active object movements.
Can't see why it does not...

I have encountered the following issues\bugs when working on active object behaviors:

1) In the active object animation window I added new animations and gave the animations names. However when I...

Hi ClickTeam,

Do you think you could fix the sound problem soon?
Reproducing the bug is fairly easy:
Run the app on the iPhone and then make a call to that iPhone.
When the call is finished and...

Today I was playing on my iPhone with a simple app that I've created. Its a simple 'pop the bubbles' app which I sell on the app store.
In the middle of the game I received a phone call. When I...

Jeff, just a thought as I'm not familiar with iPhone internals:
If several application have the same name on the iPhone (but different bundle identifier), can it cause an issue like the 'sound goes...

Important note: On iOS device that is... (PC and simulator works ok).

I can also confirm that fastloops have stopped working.

Yes I can send a demo of it.
What is Andos's email?

On the Mac I deleted the directory of the app completely. I tried CCI and also exported a whole new Xcode Zip and transferred it to the Mac.
Is there anything else that I should do to clean Xcode?...

When I try to give an application a build filename other than 'Application' (either CCI or xCode project), the project will not compile in xCode giving the following error (twice):

"File......

Thanks for the new beta 4. I would like o report the following issue:
I have a string with a lot of text that contains the End User License Agreement.
When the frame loads, I copy the text from the...

Hi,
About the sound problem, I would like to add some information that might be helpful and also correct a couple of things:
1) Removing an app from memory and then launching it again will regain...

Hello,
Is there a way to create 'Local Notifications' or 'Push Notifications' via iOS Notification Center? Notification Center allows showing scheduled messages to the user while the application is...

Jeff,
I've tried the 'sample is not playing condition' and it does not help.
I tried all kind of solutions to this issue but nothing helps. I really don't have a clue how to overcome this issue.
I...

A small clock bug I encountered:
Setting the text color of a clock at run time is OK on the PC, but does not work on the iPhone.
The text remains in its initial color and will not change.

Hi Jeff,

Haven't tried the 'sample is not playing condition'. I will, but I doubt it will solve it.

To reproduce the issue:
Install on the iPhone two or more apps that have sounds. In my apps...

Hi Captain_Harris,

Thanks for the detailed instructions. I have tried the solution but it did not work for me. :(
I would appreciate it if someone from ClickTeam could address the issue, thanks....

Hi Captain_Harris,
Thanks for the reply. :)
Can you explain more about your workaround? I did not fully understand it.
Yos

Can anyone help with this issue? I need urgent help. In every application that I make the sound goes away on the iPhone after a short time.
After a couple of times of opening and closing the...

Hello,
I have 2 applications which I test on the iPhone. The first one works without a problem and will always play sounds. The second one will work ok for sometime, but suddenly at one of the times...

I know, however using 'regular' buttons makes it more easy to convert the application to other OS.
I could run the app as a standalone on the PC, but when adding iOS buttons it is not possible...

Hi,
I've encountered the following issue:
On iOS 'regular' buttons (not iOS buttons) remains active, and does not become disabled when instructed.
(I did not check the iOS buttons to check how...

Hi,

I have sent you a sample application a few weeks ago and Andos already reported that he fixed it, a day after my post.
You can see my post in the iOS forum (not the owners lounge).
I'm stuck...

Hi,

When do you estimate that you will have a beta release with a fix for this problem.
At the moment I can't even test my app on the iPhone, as it would not operate without this fix.

Thanks,...

Hi,
When will it be possible to download an update with bug fixes?
Can it be downloaded with the 'Help\Check for update' ?
Thanks.

Here is a sample application that shows the issues with the buttons.
(Note: the background image was chopped on the left and right, so the file size would be ok for upload).

Thanks,
Yos

Hi,
I found the following issues:

1) I have bitmap push buttons in my application that have transparent background (to clarify: not iOS buttons) .
When exporting to iOS the background of the...