August 1, 2008 at 7:23 pm · 348 views · Filed under tutorial
Overview
Allowing users to use the keyboard as well as the mouse is a great way to incite interaction with your flash. This tutorial will show how to code it and what you can do with some keyboard events. This changed with actionscript 3, note this tutorial is AS3.
altKeY (Boolean) Indicates whether the Alt key is active (true) or inactive (false).
charCode (uint) Contains the character code value of the key pressed or released.
ctrlKey (Boolean) Indicates whether the Control key is active (true) or inactive (false).
keyCode (uint) The key code value of the key pressed or released. KeyboardEvent
keyLocation (uint) Indicates the location of the key on the keyboard. KeyboardEvent
shiftKey (Boolean) Indicates whether the Shift key modifier is active (true) or inactive (false).
Steps
import KeyboardEvent,
import flash.events.KeyboardEvent;
assign any keycodes
//keycodes
var left:uint = 37;
var up:uint = 38;
var right:uint = 39;
var down:uint = 40;
function keyDownListener(e:KeyboardEvent) {
trace(e.keyCode.toString());
}
or
function keyDownListener(e:KeyboardEvent) {
if (e.keyCode==left){
ship.x-=10;
ship.rotation = 90;
}
if (e.keyCode==up){
ship.y-=10;
ship.rotation = 180;
}
if (e.keyCode==right){
ship.x+=10;
ship.rotation = 270;
}
if (e.keyCode==down){
ship.y+=10;
ship.rotation = 0;
}
}
Example
Here we have a swf with the keyboard event listener on the stage, and feedback boxes to give us all we can know about the event. It will tell us about certain keys (alt, ctrl (cmd), and shift) with a Boolean, it will tell us the keyCode and the charCode. The keyCode is the number that is tied to the actual button pressed or key, and the charCode relates to the character represented by the button(s) pressed. So hitting ’s’ and then hitting ’shift + s’ will tell you different charCodes, ’s’ and ‘S’. but you’ll see that the s key has the same keyCode (you’ll also see the ’shift’ keyCode as well). If needed you can use the String.fromCharCode function to determine what the charCode for something is. The location on the keyboard is even reported, this helps distinguish between the left shift and the right shift and even the numbers across the qwerty and the numpad on the right of the screen.
July 14, 2008 at 8:02 pm · 531 views · Filed under tutorial
Overview:
Often I’ve had some dynamically created movieclip and then wanted to reference it in my code. This is hard to do if it is named dynamically as well, such as with an incrementing variable. If you use one (or more) variable to name an instance in runtime, you can’t always know what it will be called.
There are two ways (that I know of) to reference these clips, one is the array operator [] and the other is using the eval() function is as2 (but I’ve noticed that as3 has removed the eval function, so I’d recommend getting used to array notation).
Steps:
Create the object dynamically (or with a variable) (_root.myClip.duplicateMovieClip (”myClip”+i, i);)
Reference it with either array notation or with eval. (thisOne = _root["myClip"+i];) or (eval(”myClip” + i))
Example:
I create some movie clips dynamically using a for loop and name them all incrementally with a variable (myClip+i). But then i want to refer to some of them later, specifically. I don’t know what they are named though. They are all myClip1 myClip2 myClip3 and so on. I can use array notation to reference these (or eval). I’ve found it’s easiest to create a reference to the name once and then use it to refer to the clip I want. I imagined a scenario that when you click a mc you would want a different one to be moved. So clicking myClip3 moves myClip4 and so on. I’ve made it wrap so that 5 moves 1… They change the _y property of the next to match the one that’s clicked. Clicking the refresh button will loop through all the clips and (this time using eval) randomize the y coordinate.
this.createEmptyMovieClip("outer_mc", 1); // create a mc called outer_mc
outer_mc.createEmptyMovieClip("inner_mc", 1); // create a mc called inner_mc inside outer_mc
// 3 different ways of targeting inner_mc
trace(outer_mc.inner_mc);
trace(outer_mc["inner_mc"]);
trace(this["outer_mc"]["inner_mc"]);
// all output _level0.outer_mc.inner_mc
TheCanadian@Kirupa states it nicely: The Problem
How can I reference objects using a variable? This is commonly a problem with dynamically created buttons:
The Answer
This is probably the question that gets asked the most. Referencing an object with a variable is done using something called associative array referencing or array notation. The fundamental concept behind this is that:
Are the same thing. Associative array referencing follows the pattern of scope["prop"] where scope is the object which contains the property and prop is the name of the property you wish to reference. Save appearance, array notation works in exactly the same way as dot notation.
Going back to the original, problematic, example, the correct code would look like this:
The button string is concatenated (joined) with the i variable, forming a new reference with each iteration of the loop. First button0, then button1, et cetera.
That’s the quick, but some of you may think that that’s the same notation that is used with instances of the Array class. While that is true, the converse is actually more correct: Array instances use that notation.
Arrays are exactly the same as generic Objects, the only difference is that they have a collection of methods to deal with their properties. And because they require a need for organization, they typically only use numerical properties. Given the array myArray = ["a", "b", "c"], you could theoretically reference the indices using myArray.0, myArray.1 and myArray.2. The reason that we must use array notation is because the compiler doesn’t allow the reference of numerical properties with dot notation.
July 2, 2008 at 6:57 pm · 231 views · Filed under portfolio, work
StomperTools Plugin
StomperLabs is proud to announce another cool, FREE software tool. The StomperTools Firefox plug in! We’re going to pack many tools into this plugin in the future, but to start it off we’ve bundled two functions into this plug in.
StomperNet Ranker
The first is called StomperNet Ranker, and it allows your prospects to quickly survey the rankings for a keyword query. We built an interactive graphical representation of a search showing results from three top search engines: Google, Yahoo and MSN.
How to use StomperNet Ranker?
I’ll give an example… Here’s the page as it loads a search for ‘circlecube’. The green nodes represent Google results, red is Yahoo, and blue is MSN. Each result that is for an identical page is connected with a thin line, and when you hover over a node it will grow and also any nodes for identical pages. Nodes for same domain pages will grow slightly as well to give an idea of the saturation on the search results by the specific domain. Below you can see that I’m hovering over the top-left node (the screen shot helpfully removed my cursor), the title of the page is shown and you can see that the same page (my home page) ir ranked number 1 in Google and MSN (hence the line connecting them, and also they have both grown to be large nodes). Also notice that pages of the same domain (circlecube.com) are at the top 2 slots in Google, the top 3 in Yahoo, and the top 2 in MSN (the medium sized nodes). Hovering over a node displays information to the right of the node chart. Clicking on a node loads that url below the ranker ui. You can also click the Google, Yahoo, and MSN buttons above the chart to see the actual search results at each engine specifically.
Ranker had the potential to become a great comparative tool for search engine optimization and comparison.
Scrutinize This
Not only does StomperTools give you access to Ranker right in your browser, but also you can instantly “Scrutinize” any page you’re viewing right from the browser (once you have the Stomper Scrutinizer tool, so go get it too!) Use the plug in to seamlessly aim your Scrutinizer browser to whatever page you’re browsing in Firefox.
June 24, 2008 at 10:34 pm · 843 views · Filed under tutorial
Overview
Having things drift around or move randomly has always interested me. Having an animation that is never going to be the exact same thing is very exciting. The focus turns from key-ing exact animations to programming a feel and letting the animations take car of themselves! One type of seemingly random motion is Brownian motion. This gives the movement a random walk wandering look, it will just drift around with no real direction.
Steps
Step by step this process is very simple. In every random motion you create the random number, and apply it to the property. If you want constant random action (motion) rather than just random placement, you repeat that over and over.
Make a random number (random velocity)
Apply the random number (apply velocity to property)
Repeat (if needed)
To create a random number in actionscript, use Math.random(), which creates a random number between 0 and 1. Usually you’ll want to scale it to a range you want to use. If you want a number between 50 and 100, you’d do Math.random() * 50 + 50. *50 to scale it to 0-50, and + 50 to bring it up to 50 - 100. Also if we want to get a 100 range around 0 (-50 - 50) we would do Math.random() * 100 - 50. In the code below I’ve abstracted this to Math.random() * this.randomRange - this.randomRange/2.
Example
Here I’ve got dots created and placed randomly, with randomly set scale and alpha. On every frame each dot has a random velocity applied to it’s x and y coordinates.
The yellow dot is the simple example (code below) and the rest are included in the complex example below.
Actionscript
Simple Example:
dotOne.onEnterFrame = function(){
//create a random velocity for x and y direction
vx = Math.random() * 4 - 2;
vy = Math.random() * 4 - 2;
//apply velocity to coordinates
this._x += vx;
this._y += vy;
}
Complex example:
var numDots = 25;
var randomRange = 1;
for(var i=1; i<=numDots; i++){
//create a new dot
duplicateMovieClip(_root.dot, "dot"+i, i);
//save it's ref path for use
theDot = _root["dot"+i];
//give it random coordinates
theDot._y = Math.random() * Stage.height;
theDot._x = Math.random() * Stage.width;
//give each dot a distinct random range
theDot.randomRange = i/numDots;
//give each dot a random size and transparency
theDot._xscale =
theDot._yscale =
theDot._alpha = i*4;
//apply this code on the dot every frame
theDot.onEnterFrame = function(){
//create a random velocity for x and y direction within the specifically created random range for each dot
June 16, 2008 at 7:10 pm · 185 views · Filed under personal, work
Serious internet businesses require serious internet tools.
Firefox 3 is a dramatic step forward! Help Mozilla.org set a Guiness Book record by downloading the new release on Tuesday the 17th of June 2008 (11 AM PST).
To celebrate, StomperNet and Appcelerator are hosting a release party in Atlanta at Park Tavern as a part of a world-wide network of celebration Tuesday, June 17th at 7pm. RSVP at upcoming.org.
Join us if you’re in town, otherwise, check the downloads for Firefox 3:
StomperTools with SN Ranker and Scrutinize this, and the recent Scrutinizer 1.0 release.
Park Tavern
www.parktavern.com
500 10th St Ne
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 249-0001
The Scrutinizer is a web browser, based upon the Adobe AIR toolkit and the WebKit browser, that offers a simulation of the human visual system. Specifically, it illustrates the distinction between foveal and peripheral vision in visual acuity and color perception. Using this simulation, you can get a better idea of how users interact with your site design. We explain this, and some of the succes we’ve had, in a 30 minute video called Click Fu. It’s also a great tool for observing users interacting with your pages. By slowing them down, the Scrutinizer makes it easier for you to figure out what information the user is consuming and what actions they are considering. Learn about other ways to use the tool at our Top Ten list.
How it Works
The Scrutinizer browser applies a visual filter to where the mouse is located, simulating foveal vision centered around the mouse. For parts of the screen far away from themouse, the display deteriorates into lower resolution, both in detail and color. You can use the browser to get a better understanding of the low level mechanics of how users interact with your site design. Attempting to accomplish a key task on your site using the Scrutinizer can be very enlightening. Watching a user unfamiliar with your site attempt a key task with the Scrutinizer is even better at revealing how your site design affects the way the user extracts meaning from your presentation. Learn more in the Click Fu video, covering practical examples of improved e-commerce, or the 52 second ” Your Vision is an Illusion“, presenting a dramatic illustration of foveal vision. Finally, check out using the Scrutinizer for a findability challenge on Amazon.com.
May 30, 2008 at 7:56 pm · 1,924 views · Filed under tutorial
Add this to the list of things I should have already known!
Story
I’ve got an html enabled text box and was trying to devise a way that I could have a hyperlink anchor tag not link to a webpage but actually do something flash. It didn’t seem possible, and I looked through all the different html css combinations I could think of. I finally resorted to trying to use some component like Deng or FlashML. FlashML had a smaller footprint and seemed to do more what I wanted, so I started investigating it. To my dismay, the support for it was few and far between. I found an older version that came with an example file and then a newer one with some documentation but no example and I found no examples any where else. So Lee, if you ever read this, some new examples could be nice. In the documentation I was reading about a functino called AddASFunction and the example html line was very interesting:
I started looking through the rest of the documentation to find this asfunction use. But all it had was:
The href attribute can include the asfunction string which allows the link provided by the anchor to call a function in Flash. More of this can be found within the addASFunction definition in this help document.
I knew I was on to something, asfunction. So a quick google search and I found the official doc! I was shocked that I had the tool to do this the whole time! Well, shocked and feeling like an idiot for never having heard of it before. I knew it could be done somehow, but had no idea that it was already a feature of htmlText in flash! So now that you know my embarrassing story, I’ll let you in on the secret.
Overview
In flash, you can allow html text within a text area. You either set the text html property as true with actionscript (my_txt.html = true;) or click the ‘Render text as HTML’ button in the properties window of the text area. You cannot enable html text on static text areas however. You can have links and various html elements (but not full html). Usually links have a url in the href attribut of the anchor tag, but flash will read a special value of ‘asfunction’ which specifies that an actionscript function is to be called rather than a url. The correct syntax is asfunction followed by a colon and then the name of the actionscript function to be called, optionally followed by a comma and a possible single argument to be passed to the specified function (href=”asfunction:functionName,argument”).
Steps
Enable html in the text box.
Have your function (ex: functionName) ready to be called from the html link.
Give the href attribute of the anchor tag a property “asfunction:functionName,argument” Notice that the official documentation calls for spaces after punctuation, but any space you put after the colon (:) or comma (,) will be sent to the function in the argument, or will expect a space in the function name and give you a headache.
Example
In this example I’ve got an html enabled text box with 4 links. The first is a standard link (I hope you know what that does). The next link calls an actionscript function with asfunction. The third link sends a single argument to another function. And the last link sends multiple arguments to yet another function. Wait! Multiple arguments? I thought I said only one was supported, well this example shows how to send multiple arguments disguised as a single param and parse them. It’s pretty simple actually.
Actionscript
importTextField.StyleSheet;
myHTMLText = "Sample text in an html enabled text box. "+
"Here's a normal link to <a href='http://blog.circlecube.com' target='_blank'>circlecube</a>! "+
"And some more links that don't go anywhere, they call functions in actionscript. "+
"<a href='asfunction:clickLink'>Click this one</a>, "+
"to see the actionscript function called from the html text box. "+
"<a href='asfunction:clickWithArg,Click this too'>Click this too</a>, "+
"and see that the actionscript function you're calling can have an argument passed to it. And "+
"<a href='asfunction:clickWithMultipleArgs, one,two,three args'>click me three and four</a> "+
"to see a way to send multiple arguments from your htmlText. "+
"Also, one last example of what not to do "+
"<a href='asfunction: clickWithArg, arg with preceding space'>Click for nothing</a>";
May 22, 2008 at 9:36 pm · 2,551 views · Filed under tutorial
I’ve had a couple special requests to explain flashvars and how to use it and show it in action.
Overview
The property “FlashVars” can be used to import root level variables to the flash movie or swf. The flashvars propery is used in codes for embedding flash in the html page. The string of variables passed in as flashvars, will be imported into the top level of the movie when it is first instantiated. Variables are created before the first frame of the SWF is played. The format of the string is a set of name=value combinations separated by ampersand (&) symbols.
Steps
Include the flashvars property in your embed codes and voila! You have these variables to use in your swf.
That’s the one step
Code
HTML Embed Codes
Here's some sample embed codes, including object and embed tags:
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