book

Adobe® Flash® CS4 Professional Bible

Name: Adobe® Flash® CS4 Professional Bible
ISBN: 9780470379189

by Robert Reinhardt, Snow Dowd

February 2009

Beginner to intermediate

1238 pages

32h 45m

English

Wiley

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Copyright
About the Authors
About the Technical Editor
Credits
Preface
How to Get the Most out of This BookIcons: What Do They Mean?How This Book Is OrganizedPart I: An Introduction to Flash Web ProductionPart II: Mastering the Flash EnvironmentPart III: Creating Animation and EffectsPart IV: Integrating Media Files with FlashPart V: Adding Basic Interactivity to Flash MoviesPart VI: Distributing Flash MoviesPart VII: Approaching ActionScriptPart VIII: Applying ActionScriptPart IX: AppendixesGetting in Touch with UsAdobe Wants to Help You
Acknowledgments
I. An Introduction to Flash Web Production
1. Understanding the Adobe Flash CS4 Blueprint
1.1. The Key Is Integration1.1.1. The topography of Flash CS41.1.2. File types in Flash CS41.1.2.1. Flash documents1.1.2.2. Flash movies1.1.2.3. Flash ActionScript files1.1.2.4. Flash video files1.1.2.5. Flash Component files1.2. The Many Worlds of Flash CS41.2.1. Bitmap handler1.2.2. Vector-based drawing program1.2.3. Vector-based animator1.2.4. Video engine1.2.5. Audio player1.2.6. Multimedia authoring program1.2.7. Animation sequencer1.2.8. Programming and database front end1.2.9. Desktop application authoring program1.3. Summary
2. Exploring Web Technologies
2.1. Contextualizing Flash in the Internet Evolution2.1.1. High expectations for Web experiences2.1.2. To Flash or not to Flash?2.1.2.1. An effective use of Flash2.1.2.2. When not to use Flash2.1.3. Alternative methods of multimedia authoring2.1.3.1. Dynamic HTML2.1.3.2. XML and XSL2.1.3.3. Adobe Director2.1.3.4. Macromedia Authorware2.1.3.5. Scalable Vector Graphics2.1.3.6. Microsoft Silverlight2.1.3.7. Microsoft PowerPoint2.1.3.8. SMIL, Real Systems RealPlayer, and Apple QuickTime2.2. Exploring Companion Technologies2.2.1. HTML is here to stay2.2.2. Client-side scripting using JavaScript2.2.3. The world of Web services2.2.4. Adobe server technologies2.3. Recognizing Project Potential2.3.1. Linear presentations2.3.2. Interactive presentations2.3.3. Data-driven presentations2.3.4. Data-driven applications (or Rich Internet Applications)2.4. Summary
3. Planning Flash Projects
3.1. Workflow Basics3.1.1. Phase I: Establishing the concept and goals3.1.1.1. Determining the project's goals3.1.1.2. Creative exploration: Producing a solution3.1.1.3. Approving a final concept and budget3.1.2. Phase II: Producing, testing, and staging the presentation3.1.2.1. Assembling assets3.1.2.2. Making the Flash architecture3.1.2.3. Staging a local test environment3.1.2.4. HTML page production3.1.2.5. Staging a server test environment3.1.2.6. Quality assurance testing3.1.2.7. Maintenance and updates3.2. Using the Project Panel in Flash CS43.2.1. 1. Establishing a project structure3.2.2. 2. Creating the project in Flash CS43.2.3. 3. Changing project and panel preferences3.2.4. 4. Opening and editing files in the project3.2.5. 5. Publishing the entire project3.3. Summary

II. Mastering the Flash Environment
4. Interface Fundamentals
4.1. Getting Started4.1.1. Welcome to Flash CS44.1.2. Start Page4.1.3. Help menu options4.1.4. The Flash CS4 interface on Macintosh and Windows4.1.5. What to expect from the Properties panel4.2. Managing Windows and Panels4.2.1. Contextual menus4.2.2. Floating and docking panels4.2.3. Focus: Making panels or windows active4.2.4. Creating custom workspace layouts4.2.5. Keyboard shortcuts4.3. The Tools Panel4.3.1. Controlling the Tools panel4.3.2. Reading the Tools panel4.3.3. Using Tool options4.3.4. Customizing the Tools panel4.4. The Document Window4.4.1. Controlling the Document window4.4.2. Reading the Document window4.4.2.1. Stage view control4.4.2.2. Edit options4.4.3. Using scenes4.4.4. Using Document window menu options4.4.5. Working with Flash templates4.5. The Timeline Window4.5.1. Controlling the Timeline window4.5.2. Using the Timeline Controller toolbar4.5.3. Reading the Timeline4.5.3.1. Visual display of time4.5.3.2. Visual display of depth4.5.3.3. Timeline window features4.5.4. Editing frames and layers4.5.4.1. Frame specifics4.5.4.2. Layer specifics4.5.4.3. The Layers contextual menu4.5.5. Using Frame View options4.6. Printing4.7. Summary
5. Drawing in Flash
5.1. Using Geometric Shape Tools5.1.1. The Oval tool5.1.2. The Oval Primitive tool5.1.3. The Rectangle tool and Rectangle Primitive tool5.1.4. Join and Miter settings5.1.5. The PolyStar tool5.1.6. The Line tool5.2. Using Drawing Tools5.2.1. The Pencil tool5.2.2. The Brush tool5.2.2.1. The Brush mode menu5.2.2.2. Brush size and shape options5.2.2.3. Additional Brush options for drawing tablets5.2.3. The Eraser tool5.3. Creating Precise Lines and Bezier Curves with the Pen Tool5.4. Using Fill and Stroke Controls5.4.1. Choosing colors5.4.2. Choosing line styles5.4.3. Controlling Stroke Scale behavior5.5. Optimizing Drawings5.6. Putting Selection Tools to Work5.6.1. The Selection tool5.6.1.1. Moving multiple elements with the Selection tool5.6.1.2. Modifying Selection preferences5.6.1.3. Using Selection tool arrow states to adjust or move drawings5.6.1.4. Knowing your Selection tool options5.6.2. The Lasso tool5.6.2.1. Polygon mode5.6.2.2. The Magic Wand option and Magic Wand properties5.6.3. The Subselection tool5.7. Designing and Aligning Elements5.7.1. Simplifying snapping settings5.7.1.1. Snap Align5.7.1.2. Snap to Objects5.7.1.3. Snap to Grid5.7.1.4. Snap to Guides5.7.1.5. Snap to Pixels5.7.2. Design panels5.7.2.1. The Align panel5.7.2.2. The Info panel5.7.2.3. The Transform panel5.8. The Edit menu5.9. Creating Patterns with Symbols Using the Spray Brush Tool and the Deco Tool5.9.1. Applying random "ink" with the Spray Brush tool5.9.2. Creating order and pattern with the Deco tool5.9.2.1. Growing patterns with the Vine Fill drawing effect5.9.2.2. Tiling patterns with the Grid Fill drawing effect5.9.2.3. Creating reflected patterns with the Symmetry Brush drawing effect5.10. Summary
6. Symbols, Instances, and the Library
6.1. Understanding the Document Library6.1.1. Working with Common Libraries and External Libraries6.1.2. Working with multiple Document Libraries6.1.3. Reading the Library panel6.1.4. Organizing Library panels6.2. Defining Content Types6.2.1. Raw data6.2.2. Drawing objects and shape primitives6.2.3. Groups6.2.4. Native symbols6.2.4.1. Graphic symbols6.2.4.2. Movie Clip symbols6.2.4.3. Button symbols6.2.4.4. Components6.2.5. Imported media elements6.2.5.1. Bitmaps6.2.5.2. Vector graphics6.2.5.3. Sounds6.2.5.4. Video assets6.2.5.5. Font symbols6.3. Editing Symbols6.3.1. Modifying a symbol in Edit mode6.3.2. Editing a symbol in a new window6.3.3. Editing a symbol in place6.3.4. Editing symbols from the Library6.3.5. Returning to the Main Timeline or scene6.4. Modifying Instance Properties6.4.1. Applying basic color effects to symbol instances6.4.2. Changing the symbol type of an instance6.4.3. Swapping symbols6.5. Building Nested Symbol Structures6.5.1. Converting a raw shape into a Graphic symbol6.5.2. Using Graphic symbols in a button6.5.3. Animating Graphic symbols in a Movie Clip6.5.4. Adding a Movie Clip to a Button symbol6.5.5. Modifying a MovieClip instance6.6. 9-Slice Scaling for Movie Clip Backgrounds6.7. Using the Movie Explorer6.7.1. Filtering buttons6.7.2. The display list6.7.3. The Movie Explorer Options menu6.7.4. The contextual menu6.8. Using Authortime Shared Libraries6.9. Summary
7. Applying Color
7.1. Introducing Color Basics7.1.1. Discussing Web-safe color issues7.1.2. Using hexadecimal values7.1.3. Using color effectively7.2. Working in the Swatches Panel7.2.1. Swatches panel options7.2.2. Importing custom palettes7.2.2.1. Loading a custom color theme from the Kuler panel7.2.2.2. Loading a custom GIF color palette7.2.2.3. Creating and loading a custom color table7.3. Using the Color Panel7.3.1. Adjusting fill and stroke transparency7.3.2. Working with gradient fills7.3.3. Controlling gradient fill colors7.3.4. Using alpha settings with gradients7.3.5. Selecting bitmap fills7.4. Working with Droppers, Paint Buckets, and Ink Bottles7.5. Summary
8. Working with Text
8.1. Considering Typography8.2. Text Field Types in Flash8.2.1. Static text boxes8.2.2. Editable text fields: Dynamic and input8.3. The Text Tool and the Properties Panel8.3.1. Working with the Text tool8.3.1.1. Creating static text boxes8.3.1.2. Modifying or deleting text8.3.2. Setting text attributes in the Properties panel8.3.2.1. Static text options8.3.2.2. Editable text options8.3.2.3. Character Embedding8.3.2.4. Application menu commands8.4. Font Export and Display8.4.1. Smoothing text with anti-alias settings8.4.2. Rendering outlines with the Bitmap text setting8.4.3. Understanding device fonts8.4.4. Working with the Use Device Fonts setting8.4.5. Troubleshooting font display8.4.6. Controlling font substitution8.5. Font Symbols and Shared Font Libraries8.5.1. Creating a font symbol8.5.2. Updating font symbols at authortime8.5.3. Using font symbols in runtime shared libraries8.6. Modifying Text8.6.1. Editing text manually8.6.1.1. Scaling text8.6.1.2. Sampling and sharing text attributes8.6.1.3. Converting text into vector shapes8.6.2. Moving beyond the box with live filter effects8.7. Summary
9. Modifying Graphics
9.1. Sampling and Switching Fills and Strokes9.1.1. The Eyedropper tool9.1.2. The Ink Bottle tool9.1.3. The Paint Bucket tool9.1.4. Using the Paint Bucket Gap size option9.1.5. Using the Paint Bucket Lock Fill option9.2. Transforming Gradients and Bitmap Fills9.2.1. Adjusting the center point with the Gradient Transform tool9.2.2. Rotating a fill with the Gradient Transform tool9.2.3. Adjusting scale with the Gradient Transform tool9.2.4. Setting gradient fill overflow styles9.2.5. Skewing a bitmap fill with the Gradient Transform tool9.3. Gradient Transform Used for Lighting Effects9.4. Applying Modify Shape Menu Commands9.4.1. Convert Lines to Fills9.4.2. Creating scalable artwork9.4.3. Expand Fill9.4.4. Soften Fill Edges9.5. Free Transform Commands and Options9.5.1. The Transform panel9.5.2. The Modify Transform menu9.5.3. The Free Transform tool9.5.4. Transforming shapes, symbols, text, and groups9.5.4.1. Free Transform limit options9.5.4.2. Free Transform special shape options9.6. Manipulating Symbols in 3D Space9.6.1. Controlling the camera view: Perspective and vanishing point9.6.2. Transforming symbols with the 3D Rotation tool9.6.3. Moving symbols with the 3D Translation tool9.7. Modifying Item Types9.7.1. Stacking order9.7.2. Grouping9.7.3. Applying Break apart9.7.3.1. Breaking apart text9.7.3.2. Breaking apart bitmaps9.7.4. About the Magic Wand option9.7.4.1. Magic Wand Threshold setting9.7.4.2. Magic Wand Smoothing setting9.7.5. Tracing bitmaps9.8. Working with Drawing Objects and Combine Object Commands9.9. Working with Compound Shapes9.10. Editing with Find and Replace9.11. Using the History Panel9.11.1. Replay Steps9.11.2. Copy Steps9.11.3. Clear History9.11.4. History View9.11.5. Save As Command9.12. Summary
III. Creating Animation and Effects
10. Animation Strategies
10.1. Establishing Ground Rules10.2. Defining Variables10.2.1. The environment10.2.2. The materials10.2.3. The motion10.3. Adding Personality10.4. Manipulating Perception and Illusion10.4.1. Viewpoint, framing, and depth10.4.2. Anticipation10.4.3. Secondary motion10.5. Understanding the Laws of Nature10.5.1. Law #1: Inertia10.5.2. Law #2: Acceleration10.5.3. Law #3: Action/reaction force pairs10.6. Summary
11. Timeline Animation and the Motion Editor
11.1. Basic Methods of Flash Animation11.2. Frame-by-Frame Animation11.2.1. Adding keyframes11.2.2. Creating frame-by-frame animation11.3. Modifying Multiframe Sequences11.3.1. Onion skinning11.3.2. Editing multiple frames11.4. Using Tweens for Animation11.4.1. Shape tweening11.4.2. Adding shape hints11.4.3. Motion tweening11.4.4. Modifying motion tween properties11.4.5. Working with motion tween spans and layers11.4.6. Editing motion paths11.4.7. Adding control to animation along a motion path11.4.7.1. Using Orient to path11.4.7.2. Registration and center point alignment11.4.8. Working with motion presets11.5. Adjusting Easing and Tween Properties with the Motion Editor11.5.1. Controlling property views in the Motion Editor11.5.2. Editing tween curves and property key frames11.5.3. Eases and custom eases11.5.4. Animating 3D properties11.6. Integrating Multiple Animation Sequences11.6.1. Moving tweens onto symbol timelines11.6.2. Organizing symbol instances on the Main Timeline11.7. Reusing and Modifying Tweened Symbol Instances11.7.1. Controlling symbol instances with ActionScript11.7.2. Make Flash work for you11.8. Summary
12. Applying Filters, Blends, Guides, and Masks
12.1. Applying Filters in Flash12.2. Adding and adjusting filters12.2.1. Creating dimensional shadows12.2.2. Combining filters and saving custom presets12.2.3. Animating filters with motion tweens12.2.4. Using the Motion Editor to control filter interpolation12.3. Controlling Color: Properties versus Filters12.3.1. Adjust Color filter12.3.2. Color properties12.3.3. Using advanced color effects: Understanding relative and absolute color settings12.3.3.1. Relative color control12.3.3.2. Absolute color control12.4. Layering Graphics with Blend Modes12.4.1. Understanding blend modes12.4.2. Applying basic blends12.4.3. Applying compound blend modes: Alpha and Erase12.4.4. Creating an animated Alpha blend12.5. Working with Special Layer Types: Guides and Masks12.5.1. Using guide layers12.5.2. Adding masks12.5.3. Masking with a filled shape12.5.4. Masking with a group12.5.5. Masking with a symbol instance12.5.6. Masking text12.6. Using Distribute to Layers12.7. Summary
13. Character Animation Techniques
13.1. Working with Large File Sizes13.1.1. Storyboarding scenes and shots13.1.2. Flash scenes and project files13.1.3. Voices, sound effects, and ambient sound13.2. Some Cartoon Animation Basics13.2.1. Expressing motion and emotion13.2.2. Anticipation13.2.3. Weight13.2.4. Overlapping actions13.2.5. Blurring to simulate motion13.3. Animator's Keys and Inbetweening13.3.1. Walk cycles (or walk loops)13.3.2. Repeaters13.3.3. Types of walks13.4. Coloring the Art13.4.1. The model sheet13.4.2. Gap problems13.4.3. Speed coloring13.4.4. Temporary backgrounds13.5. Flash Tweening13.5.1. Panning13.5.2. Instance swapping13.5.3. Motion guides13.6. Lip-Syncing13.6.1. Shape morphing is not for lip-syncing13.6.2. Expression and lip-syncing13.6.3. Lip-sync tricks13.6.4. Syncing with music and sound effects13.7. Backgrounds and Scenery13.7.1. Runtime bitmap caching13.7.2. Bitmaps13.7.3. QuickTime limitations13.7.4. Building layered backgrounds in Photoshop13.7.5. Flash mask layers13.7.6. Long pans13.7.7. Multiplane pans13.7.8. Blurring to simulate depth13.8. Creating IK Armatures with the Bone Tool and Bind Tool13.9. Finishing Up13.9.1. Final output13.9.2. Post production13.10. Summary
IV. Integrating Media Files with Flash
14. Adding Sound
14.1. Identifying Sound File Import and Export Formats14.1.1. Import formats14.1.2. Export formats14.2. Importing Sounds into Flash14.3. Assigning a Sound to a Button14.4. Adding Sound to the Timeline14.5. Organizing Sounds on the Timeline14.5.1. Enhanced viewing of sound layers14.5.2. Organizing sound layers with a layer folder14.6. Synchronizing Audio to Animations14.6.1. Event14.6.2. Start14.6.3. Stop14.6.4. Stream14.7. Stopping Sounds14.7.1. Stopping an event sound14.7.2. Stopping a single instance of a stream sound14.7.3. Stopping all sounds14.8. Editing Audio in Flash14.8.1. Sound-editing controls14.8.2. Applying effects from the Effect menu of the Properties panel14.8.2.1. Creating a custom Fade-In or Fade-Out14.8.2.2. Other controls in the Edit Envelope control14.8.2.3. The Repeat/Loop option14.9. Sound Optimization Overview14.10. Publish Settings for Audio14.10.1. The Set options14.10.2. Supporting audio and MP3 playback14.11. Fine-Tuning Sound Settings in the Library14.11.1. Settings for audio in the library14.11.2. Combining methods for controlling sounds14.12. Final Sound Advice and Pointers14.12.1. VBR (Variable Bit Rate) MP314.12.2. Optimizing sounds for bandwidth usage14.12.3. Extracting a sound from a Flash document14.13. Summary
15. Importing Artwork
15.1. Defining Vectors and Bitmaps15.2. Knowing the File Formats for Import to Flash15.3. Preparing Bitmaps15.4. Preserving Bitmap Quality15.5. Importing and Copying Bitmaps15.5.1. Importing sequences15.5.2. Working with layered bitmap files15.5.2.1. Importing Photoshop (PSD) files15.5.2.2. Importing Fireworks (PNG) files15.5.3. Copying and pasting a bitmap into Flash15.5.4. Applying color effects, alpha, and filters to bitmaps15.6. Setting Bitmap Properties15.6.1. Being prepared for common problems15.6.2. Cross-browser consistency15.7. Using the Bitmap Buttons in the Properties Panel15.7.1. Swap15.7.2. Edit15.8. Making Sense of Bitmap Compression15.8.1. 24-bit or 32-bit lossless source files15.8.2. 8-bit lossless source files15.8.3. Source files with lossy compression15.9. Converting Rasters to Vectors15.10. Using External Vector Graphics15.11. Importing Vector Artwork15.11.1. Copying and pasting a vector image into Flash15.11.2. Importing Adobe Illustrator files15.12. Optimizing Vectors15.12.1. Interpreting complex vector artwork15.12.2. Converting text to outlines15.12.3. Optimizing curves15.12.4. Runtime bitmap caching15.13. Working with XFL: The Flash Format of the Future15.14. Summary
16. Displaying Video
16.1. Integrating Video: The Solutions16.1.1. Loading a Flash Video file at runtime16.1.2. Real-time streaming a Flash Video file at runtime16.1.3. Embedding video into a Flash movie16.2. Importing the Video16.2.1. An overview of codec options16.2.2. Compressing video with Adobe Media Encoder CS416.2.2.1. General export settings16.2.2.2. Video tab16.2.2.3. Audio tab16.2.2.4. Cue Points section16.2.2.5. Crop tool16.2.3. Using the Video Import wizard16.2.3.1. Choosing a target Flash Player version16.2.3.2. Choosing a source clip: The Select Video screen16.2.3.3. Formatting the embedded video content: The Embedding screen16.2.3.4. Controlling the video content: The Skinning screen16.2.3.5. Reviewing your settings: The Finish Video Import screen16.2.4. Deploying video files with Flash CS416.3. Using the FLVPlayback Component (AS3)16.3.1. Working with the Component parameters16.3.2. Using FLVPlayback Custom UI components16.4. Working with Cue Points16.5. Working with Video Alpha Channels16.5.1. Live action footage16.6. Summary
V. Adding Basic Interactivity to Flash Movies
17. Understanding Actions and Event Handlers
17.1. Actions and Event Handlers17.1.1. What is ActionScript?17.1.2. Navigating the Actions panel17.1.3. A brief primer on code syntax17.1.3.1. White space17.1.3.2. Parentheses17.1.3.3. Semicolons and curly braces17.2. Your First Five Actions17.2.1. gotoAndPlay() and gotoAndStop()17.2.2. nextFrame() and prevFrame()17.2.3. nextScene() and prevScene()17.2.4. play() and stop()17.2.5. navigateToURL()17.3. Making Actions Happen with Event Handlers17.3.1. Combining an action with an event handler to make a functioning button17.3.2. The Flash event handlers17.3.2.1. Working with mouse events and buttons17.3.2.1.1. MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN17.3.2.1.2. MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP and MouseEvent.CLICK17.3.2.1.3. MouseEvent.ROLL_OVER17.3.2.1.4. MouseEvent.ROLL_OUT17.3.2.2. Capturing time events with keyframes17.4. Creating Invisible Buttons and Using getURL17.5. Summary
18. Building Timelines and Interactions
18.1. A Brief History of Movie Clips: The Key to Self-Contained Playback18.1.1. How Movie Clips interact within a Flash movie18.1.2. One movie, several timelines18.2. Targets and Paths Explained18.2.1. Absolute paths18.2.2. Relative paths18.3. Targeting Movie Clips in Flash CS418.4. Summary
19. Making Your First Flash CS4 Project
19.1. The Main Timeline as the Site Layout19.1.1. Creating a plan19.1.2. Setting up a local folder structure19.1.3. Determining Flash movie properties19.1.4. Mapping presentation areas to keyframes19.1.5. Creating content for each area19.2. Adding Navigation Elements to the Main Timeline19.2.1. Creating text buttons for a menu19.2.2. Browsing the video items19.3. Text Scrolling with the TextArea Component19.4. Using the Custom BlurFader Component19.5. Making the Movie Accessible19.6. Summary
VI. Distributing Flash Movies
20. Publishing Flash Movies
20.1. Testing Flash Movies20.1.1. Using the Test Scene or Test Movie command20.1.1.1. Test Movie20.1.1.2. Test Scene20.1.2. Using the Bandwidth Profiler20.1.2.1. View menu20.1.2.2. Control menu20.1.2.3. Debug menu20.1.3. Using the size report20.2. Publishing Your Flash Movies20.3. Publish Settings20.3.1. Selecting formats20.3.2. Using the Flash settings20.3.3. Using the HTML settings20.3.4. Using the GIF settings20.3.5. Using the JPEG settings20.3.6. Using the PNG settings20.3.7. Creating Windows and Mac projectors20.4. Publish Preview and Publish Commands20.4.1. Using Publish Preview20.4.2. Using Publish20.5. Using Publish Profiles20.6. Summary
21. Integrating Flash Content with Web Pages
21.1. Writing Markup for Flash Movies21.1.1. Using the <object> tag21.1.2. Using the <embed> tag21.2. Detecting the Flash Player21.2.1. Plug-in versus ActiveX: Forcing content without a check21.2.2. Detecting the Flash Player with Flash CS421.2.3. Detecting the Flash Player with SWFObject21.2.3.1. Reviewing the content21.2.3.2. Creating the HTML document21.3. Using Flash Movies with JavaScript and DHTML21.3.1. A word of caution to Web developers21.3.2. Understanding how Flash movies work with JavaScript21.3.3. Changing HTML attributes21.3.3.1. Adding ExternalInterface actions to a Flash movie21.3.3.2. Enabling JavaScript for Flash movies21.3.4. Adding a percentLoaded() method21.4. Summary
22. Using the Flash Player and Projector
22.1. Using the Stand-Alone Flash Player and Projector22.1.1. Creating a projector22.1.1.1. Method 1: Using the Publish command22.1.1.2. Method 2: Using the stand-alone Flash Player22.1.2. Distribution and licensing22.1.3. Distribution on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM22.2. Stand-Alone Limitations and Solutions22.3. Using the Flash Player Plug-in for Web Browsers22.3.1. Supported operating systems22.3.2. Supported browsers22.3.3. Plug-in and Flash movie distribution on the Web22.3.4. Plug-in installation22.4. Using the Settings in Flash Player 6 and Later22.4.1. Privacy22.4.2. Local Storage22.4.3. Microphone22.4.4. Camera22.5. Player Utilities22.6. Summary
VII. Approaching ActionScript
23. Knowing the Nuts and Bolts of Code
23.1. Breaking Down the Interactive Process23.1.1. Define your problems23.1.2. Clarify the solution23.1.3. Translate the solution into the interactive language23.2. The Basic Context for Programming in Flash23.2.1. Accessing ActionScript commands23.2.2. Actions list organization in the Actions panel23.2.3. The Help documentation23.2.4. ActionScript 1.0 and 2.023.3. One Part of the Sum: ActionScript Variables23.3.1. String literals23.3.2. Expressions23.3.3. Variables as declarations23.4. Declaring Variables in ActionScript23.4.1. Using actions to define variables23.4.2. Loading variables from a predefined source23.4.3. Establishing variables with HTML23.5. Creating Expressions in ActionScript23.5.1. Operators23.5.1.1. General and numeric operators23.5.1.2. String operators23.5.1.3. Logical operators23.5.2. Checking conditions: if . . . else actions23.5.3. Branching conditions with switch() and case23.5.4. Loops23.5.4.1. while (condition) { actions }23.5.4.2. do { actions } while (condition);23.5.4.3. for (initialize; condition; next) { actions }23.5.4.4. for (variableIterant in object) { actions }23.5.4.5. for each (propertyValue in object) { actions }23.5.4.6. break23.5.4.7. continue23.5.4.8. Adding a loop to your actions list23.5.5. Properties23.5.6. Built-in functions23.5.7. Creating and calling subroutines23.6. Creating a Login Sequence with Variables23.7. Summary
24. Controlling Movie Clips
24.1. Movie Clips: The Object Overview24.1.1. Movie Clip properties24.1.2. Movie Clip methods24.1.3. Event listener methods: The flexible Movie Clip handler24.1.4. Other classes and functions that use the MovieClip object24.1.4.1. ColorTransform class24.1.4.2. Mouse class24.1.4.3. PrintJob API24.1.4.4. with() action24.2. Working with Movie Clip Properties24.2.1. Positioning Movie Clips24.2.2. Scaling Movie Clips24.2.3. Rotating Movie Clip instances24.3. Creating Draggable Movie Clips24.3.1. Drag-and-drop basics24.3.1.1. Lock mouse to center24.3.1.2. Constrain dragging area to a rectangle24.3.2. Detecting the drop position: Using dropTarget24.3.3. Making alpha, scale, and blur sliders24.3.3.1. Assembling the parts24.3.3.2. Building the sliders24.3.3.3. Checking the positions of the sliders24.3.3.4. Removing Movie Clip instances24.4. Summary
25. Using Functions and Arrays
25.1. What Are Data Types?25.1.1. String25.1.2. Number25.1.3. Boolean25.1.4. Object25.1.5. Function25.1.6. Undefined25.1.7. Checking data types with typeof25.1.8. Checking class type in ActionScript 3.025.1.8.1. Using the is operator25.1.8.2. Using the getQualifiedClassName() method25.2. Overview of Functions as Procedures25.2.1. What functions do25.2.2. When to create a function25.2.3. How to define a function25.2.4. How to execute a function25.3. Managing Related Data: The Array Class25.4. Creating a Dynamic Reusable Flash Menu25.5. Summary
26. Interacting with Movie Clips
26.1. Movie Clip Collision Detection26.1.1. Using dropTarget26.1.2. Collision detection with hitTestObject() and hitTestPoint()26.2. Using the Mouse Class26.3. Manipulating Color Attributes26.3.1. Creating a ColorTransform object26.3.2. Setting multiplier and offset values26.4. Enabling Sound with ActionScript26.4.1. Creating sounds with ActionScript26.4.2. Creating a SoundTransform object26.4.3. Creating volume and balance sliders for sounds26.5. Printing with ActionScript26.6. Summary
VIII. Applying ActionScript
27. Animating with ActionScript
27.1. Reviewing the Tween Parameters27.2. Making an Object Move Back and Forth27.3. Animating 3D Properties27.4. Following the Mouse Cursor27.5. Summary
28. Sharing and Loading Assets
28.1. Managing Smooth Movie Download and Display28.2. Preloading a Flash Movie28.3. Loading Flash Movies28.3.1. Basic overview of Flash site architecture28.3.2. Loading an external .swf file into a movie28.3.3. How Flash handles loaded movies of differing dimensions28.3.4. Placing, scaling, and rotating externally loaded Flash movies28.4. Loading Images into Flash Movies28.5. Loading MP3 Audio into Flash Movies28.6. Loading a Flash Video into a Flash Movie28.7. Displaying a Flash Video at Its Native Size28.7.1. Adjusting video size with metadata28.7.2. Setting the video size without metadata28.8. Accessing Items in Shared Libraries28.8.1. Setting up a shared library file28.8.2. Specifying the shared library's location28.8.3. Publishing the shared library movie file28.8.4. Linking to assets from other movies28.8.5. Updating shared assets28.9. Summary
29. Sending Data In and Out of Flash
29.1. Using Text Fields to Store and Display Data29.1.1. Input text fields29.1.2. Dynamic text fields29.2. Defining a Data Process with States29.2.1. Input state29.2.2. Send state29.2.3. Wait state29.2.4. Output state29.3. Creating a User Comment Form29.4. Using XML Data in Flash Movies29.4.1. Understanding XML29.4.2. Loading an XML document into a Flash movie29.4.2.1. The XML object29.4.2.2. The URLLoader class revisited29.5. Summary
30. Applying HTML and Text Field Formatting
30.1. Exploring HTML Usage in Text Fields30.1.1. Supported HTML tags30.1.1.1. Font and paragraph styles30.1.1.2. URL and ActionScript linking30.1.2. Formatting text with the Properties panel30.1.3. Inserting HTML tags into text fields with ActionScript30.1.4. Formatting fields with the TextFormat object30.1.5. Applying style sheets to text fields30.1.5.1. Making the style sheet30.1.5.2. Loading the style sheet into a Flash movie30.1.6. Inserting images into text fields30.1.7. Using the TextEvent.LINK event with anchor tags30.2. Controlling Text Field Properties30.2.1. Scroll properties30.2.2. Text rendering properties30.2.2.1. Working with authortime TextField instances30.2.2.2. Controlling anti-aliasing with runtime TextField instances30.2.2.3. Comparing anti-aliasing effects30.3. Pixel-based Text Scrolling with Movie Clips30.4. Summary
31. Creating a Game in Flash
31.1. The Game Plan: Four Phases of Game Design31.1.1. Game design31.1.2. Interaction design31.1.3. Visual and sound design31.1.4. Scripting31.2. Building the Project31.3. Scripting the Game31.4. Initializing the Game31.4.1. Main Timeline and Document Class overview31.4.2. The Hangman.as document class31.4.3. The shared font layer31.4.4. The placeholder GameView instance31.5. Building the Interface31.5.1. Creating text fields31.5.2. Creating the alphabet31.6. Starting the Game31.6.1. Display the letters of the alphabet31.6.2. Choose a random word31.6.3. Create the letters of the displayed word31.7. The User Input31.8. Interpreting the User Input31.8.1. Was the letter selected before?31.8.2. Is the letter part of the word?31.9. Checking the Status of the Game31.9.1. Is the word complete?31.9.2. Is the hangman complete?31.9.3. Are there more words to guess?31.9.4. How do you end the round?31.9.5. Removing the hangman31.9.6. Reset the game or just the round?31.10. Added Feature: Storing User and Game Information31.11. Summary
32. Using Components
32.1. What Are Components?32.2. Why Use Components?32.3. Compiled Clips: A Specific Component Format32.4. How to Add a Component32.5. Where to Find Components, Assets, and Parameters32.5.1. Components panel32.5.2. Component Inspector panel32.5.3. Library panel32.5.4. Actions panel and ActionScript32.6. Modifying Component Color Properties and Parameters32.7. Removing Components from Your Movie32.8. Components in Flash CS432.8.1. Button component32.8.1.1. Parameters32.8.1.2. How it works32.8.2. CheckBox component32.8.2.1. Parameters32.8.2.2. How it works32.8.3. ComboBox component32.8.3.1. Parameters32.8.3.2. How it works32.8.4. List component32.8.4.1. Parameters32.8.4.2. How it works32.8.5. RadioButton component32.8.5.1. Parameters32.8.5.2. How it works32.8.6. ScrollPane component32.8.6.1. Parameters32.8.6.2. How it works32.8.7. TextArea component32.8.7.1. Parameters32.8.7.2. How it works32.8.8. UIScrollBar component32.8.8.1. Parameters32.8.8.2. How it works32.9. Understanding the Listener Event Model for Components32.9.1. What a typical listener looks like32.9.2. Letting the component know who its listeners are32.10. Using Components in Your Movie32.11. Modifying Components32.11.1. Global style formats32.11.2. Changing styles for a component class32.11.3. Changing styles for individual instances32.12. Using Embedded Fonts with Components32.13. Modifying AS3 Component Skins32.14. Using the UILoader and ProgressBar Components32.14.1. Adding a UILoader component to your Flash movie32.14.2. Applying the ProgressBar component32.15. Custom Components32.15.1. Live preview32.15.2. Exchanging and acquiring components32.16. Summary
33. Building an Image Gallery Component
33.1. Creating a Plan33.1.1. Describing the feature set33.1.2. Determining the server-side scripting requirements33.1.2.1. files.php33.1.2.2. resize.php33.1.2.3. JPEG-Meta.php33.2. Phase 1: Setting Up the Gallery Class33.2.1. Reviewing the starter files33.2.1.1. EasyFilter.as33.2.1.2. main_starter.fla33.2.2. Constructing the Gallery component33.3. Phase 2: Loading Thumbnails into the ScrollPane33.3.1. Uploading scripts and images to your Web server33.3.2. Building data properties for the Gallery class33.3.3. Architecting the Thumbnail class33.3.4. Creating thumbnail holders in the Gallery class33.4. Phase 3: Displaying the Full-Size JPEG Image33.4.1. Loading the full-size image33.4.2. Updating the scroll bar and auto-loading the first image33.5. Phase 4: Enhancing the Thumbnail and Image States33.5.1. Tracking the selected thumbnail33.5.2. Framing the selected thumbnail with the BevelFilter class33.5.3. Creating a loading transition with the BitmapData and BlurFilter classes33.5.4. Transitioning thumbnail states with the Tween and ColorMatrixFilter classes33.5.5. Setting the image caption33.5.6. Completing the thumbnail button handlers33.5.7. Building a right-click download menu item for the full-size JPEG33.6. Phase 5: Finalizing the Component33.6.1. Copying existing component class files33.6.2. Adding the component definition33.6.3. Changing script paths for final deployment33.7. Summary
IX. Appendixes
A. Using the CD-ROM
A.1. Reviewing Example .swf and .fla FilesA.2. Installing and Using Plug-Ins and ApplicationsA.3. Source Files and ApplicationsA.4. TroubleshootingA.5. Customer Care
B. Guest Experts' Information
C. Digital Audio Basics
C.1. Understanding the Basics of Sampling and QualityC.1.1. What is sound?C.1.2. What affects the quality and size of sound files?C.1.2.1. Sample rateC.1.2.2. Bit resolutionC.1.2.3. ChannelsC.2. Getting Tips on Production
D. Digital Video Basics
D.1. Garbage In, Garbage Out: Controlling Video QualityD.1.1. Source formatD.1.2. Image qualityD.1.3. Sound qualityD.1.4. Subject matterD.2. Editing FootageD.3. Choosing an Import Format

Content preview from Adobe® Flash® CS4 Professional Bible

Chapter 29. Sending Data In and Out of Flash

A powerful feature of ActionScript is the extraordinary control of data acquisition and management it provides within a Flash movie. You can load external text data into Flash movies, making it possible to include fresh dynamic content every time a Flash movie is viewed over the Web. In this chapter, you learn how to access text data stored in a variety of formats that are separate from the actual Flash movie.

Many Flash-enabled Web sites use external data to display a wide range of information in a user interface. The home page of this book's support site, www.flashsupport.com, features a Flash movie that consumes and displays an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed of our recent articles and tutorials from Community MX. You can use dynamic data to display current news articles, catalog information, weather information, and more!

Tip

Flashloaded.com offers the rssReader component to easily consume and display RSS feeds in your own Flash movies. For more information, go to www.flashloaded.com/flashcomponents.

Note

In this edition of the Flash Bible, all ActionScript code is presented in ActionScript 3.0. For legacy ActionScript 2.0 coverage, refer to Flash CS3 Professional Bible (Wiley, 2007) or earlier editions.

Using Text Fields to Store and Display Data

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