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Depth of Field in Flash
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Use the Z-axis and a blur filter in Flash CS4 to add depth of field to a static image.

Approximate download size: 13MB

Shadows in a Flash
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The drop shadow filter in Flash is OK. Then again maybe you want a shadow that looks a bit more realistic, or is in perspective. Here are a couple of approaches.

Approximate download size: 7MB

Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 4: Improvements (Cont)
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With Flash, interactivity isn't always about the content itself; sometimes it's understated. Sometimes, for example, it's merely about picking a SWF at random when the user decides to reload the HTML page — regardless of whether the Flash content is programmed or not. You might use an approach like this to randomly display a set of Flash banner ads or cartoons, just to keep the page "fresh."

Whatever your intent, if you've ever wanted to try something like this but didn't know where to begin, this series is for you. In the first three articles, we looked at a basic solution in JavaScript and then reinterpreted it in ActionScript 2.0 and 3.0. After that, we improved on the original approach by making our code more easily re-usable, which opened the way for displaying multiple random SWFs in a page. Here in Part 4, we'll continue the improvements by using browser cookies to remember displayed SWFs displayed previously.

The Loading SWFs Randomly Series:
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 1: JavaScript
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 2: ActionScript
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 3: Improvements
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 4: Improvements (Cont)
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 5: Improvements (Concluded)

Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 3: Improvements
Reader Level:

With Flash, interactivity isn't always about the content itself; sometimes it's understated. Sometimes, for example, it's merely about picking a SWF at random when the user decides to reload the HTML page — regardless of whether the Flash content is programmed or not. You might use an approach like this to randomly display a set of Flash banner ads or cartoons, just to keep the page "fresh."

Whatever your intent, if you've ever wanted to try something like this but didn't know where to begin, this series is for you. In Part 1 and Part 2, we looked at a basic solution in JavaScript and then reinterpreted it in ActionScript 2.0 and 3.0. Here in Part 3, and moving forward, we'll investigate improvements on the initial idea and then explore ways to implement those revisions in both JavaScript and ActionScript.

The Loading SWFs Randomly Series:
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 1: JavaScript
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 2: ActionScript
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 3: Improvements
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 4: Improvements (Cont)
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 5: Improvements (Concluded)

Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 2: ActionScript
Reader Level:

With Flash, interactivity isn't always about the content itself; sometimes it's understated. Sometimes, for example, it's merely about picking a SWF at random when the user decides to reload the HTML page — regardless of whether the Flash content is programmed or not. You might use an approach like this to randomly display a set of Flash banner ads or cartoons, just to keep the page "fresh."

Whatever your intent, if you've ever wanted to try something like this but didn't know where to begin, this series is for you. In Part 1, we looked at a basic JavaScript solution. Here in Part 2, we'll investigate an ActionScript alternative, in case you don't have control over the HTML document that houses your Flash content.

The Loading SWFs Randomly Series:
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 1: JavaScript
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 2: ActionScript
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 3: Improvements
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 4: Improvements (Cont)
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 5: Improvements (Concluded)

Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 1: JavaScript
Reader Level:

With Flash, interactivity isn't always about the content itself. Sometimes it's understated. Sometimes, for example, it's merely about picking a SWF at random when the user decides to reload the HTML page — regardless if the Flash content is programmed or not. You might use an approach like this to randomly display a set of Flash banner ads or cartoons, just to keep the page "fresh."

Whatever your intent, if you've ever wanted to try something like this but didn't know where to begin, this article is for you. The free SWFObject embedding solution, and a few lines of custom JavaScript, are all you need.

The Loading SWFs Randomly Series:
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 1: JavaScript
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 2: ActionScript
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 3: Improvements
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 4: Improvements (Cont)
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 5: Improvements (Concluded)

Quickshot: Let Flash Move Your Files
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Do you ever find yourself tediously moving SWF files from your Flash work folder to your website folder — again and again and again? As it turns out, there's a simple way to avoid this scenario, right in the preferences settings for each FLA file. Let's take a look, and let Flash do the work!

Embedding Flash Content, Demystified - Part 1: Introduction
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There are numerous ways to embed Flash content in a web site, from Dreamweaver's Insert > Media menu (for SWF files, Flash Paper, FLV files, and more) to the publishing templates provided by the Flash authoring tool itself. In spite of these varied options — or perhaps because they're so varied — many people lack confidence when it comes to marrying Flash content with an HTML document.

If this strikes a chord with you, then lay your fears to rest. In this series, you'll cut through the complexity, find out what your application's auto-generated embedding code actually means, and learn to avoid a handful of common Flash-related pitfalls.

The Embedding Flash Content Demystified Series:
Embedding Flash Content Demystified - Part 1: Introduction
Embedding Flash Content Demystified - Part 2: The Traditional Approach
Embedding Flash Content Demystified - Part 3: Optional Parameters
Embedding Flash Content Demystified - Part 4: Optional Parameters Continued
Embedding Flash Content Demystified - Part 5: Optional Parameters Concluded
Embedding Flash Content Demystified - Part 6: Common Pitfalls
Embedding Flash Content Demystified - Part 7: Using JavaScript
Embedding Flash Content Demystified - Part 8: Using JavaScript (cont)
Embedding Flash Content Demystified - Part 9: Using JavaScript (concluded)

Using the Bandwidth Profiler - Part 2
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As Tom Green mentioned in his end-of-2008 video "A Quick Tour of the Flash CS4 Interface," the latest version of Flash introduces a handful of eye-popping new tools. These are covered in detail in our latest collaborative effort, Foundation Flash CS4 for Designers (ISBN: 1430210931, by Tom Green and David Stiller, published by friends of ED). We've taken an introductory look at some of these new features already in this series — and there's more to come — but no matter what version of Flash you're using, if your content is distributed via the Internet, the time it takes to download and display is totally dependent on two things: a) the assets included in that content, which are under your control, and b) the flow of network traffic, which is not necessarily under your control. This is your chance to fall in love with the user and not the technology.

When we last touched base, we made the acquaintance of a longtime feature of Flash, the Bandwidth Profiler. In that previous article, you learned that the Bandwidth Profiler allows you to simulate various modem speeds in order to test your content as many of your users will experience it. As we continue in this installation — the second last of our Foundation Flash CS4 for Designers excerpt series — you'll learn how to actually use the information provided by the profiler to structure your content for optimized delivery.

Approximate download size: 2.5MB

The Using The Bandwidth Profiler Series:
Using the Bandwidth Profiler - Part 1
Using the Bandwidth Profiler - Part 2

Using the Bandwidth Profiler - Part 1
Reader Level:

As Tom Green mentioned in his end-of-2008 video "A Quick Tour of the Flash CS4 Interface," the latest version of Flash introduces a handful of eye-popping new tools. These are covered in detail in our latest collaborative effort, Foundation Flash CS4 for Designers (ISBN: 1430210931, by Tom Green and David Stiller, published by friends of ED). We've taken an introductory look at some of these new features already in this series — and there's more to come — but no matter what version of Flash you're using, if your content is distributed via the Internet, the time it takes to download and display is totally dependent on two things: a) the assets included in that content, which are under your control, and b) the flow of network traffic, which is not necessarily under your control.

This means you need to not only concentrate on what is in your movie, but also on who wants to access it. This is your chance to fall in love with the user and not the technology. Sure, the "bells and whistles" are usually exciting, but you need to regard the data transmission of your Flash content in much the same manner you regard your local highway. It may have six lanes for traffic and a posted speed limit of 60 mph or 100 kph, but all of that becomes irrelevant during rush hour. Traffic moves at the pace of the slowest car. It is no different with the Internet. Servers can become overloaded. In this excerpt, you'll learn how to take a few precautions.

Approximate download size: 1MB

The Using The Bandwidth Profiler Series:
Using the Bandwidth Profiler - Part 1
Using the Bandwidth Profiler - Part 2

Extracting Images from Flash Files
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As web developers, we sometimes receive FLA, or Flash files, to include in our web sites. Unfortunately, those Flash developers sometimes forget to include the original files used in creating the Flash Movie: files that would be really helpful in creating images used throughout the rest of the web site.

If you have the original FLA file, it is possible to export library items to create .png, .jpg and other useful files. While most tutorials here teach how to include images in your Flash file, in this tutorial we do the inverse.

In this tutorial I'll show you a simple method of exporting buttons, movie clips and graphics.

Using Audio in Flash CS4
Reader Level:

As Tom Green mentioned in his end-of-2008 video "A Quick Tour of the Flash CS4 Interface," the latest version of Flash introduces a handful of eye-popping new tools. These are covered in detail in our latest collaborative effort, Foundation Flash CS4 for Designers (ISBN: 1430210931, by Tom Green and David Stiller, published by friends of ED). We've taken an introductory look at some of these new features already in this series — and there's more to come — but it may encourage you in the meanwhile to hear that certain workflows haven't really changed much in Flash CS4, even though the user interface was overhauled completely.

One of these workflows pertains to timeline-based audio. In this excerpt, we'll take a look at the two basic types of sound in Flash: event and streaming. In a sense, it doesn't matter what version of Flash you're working with, these principles apply across the board — and amazingly, they haven't been covered before in a Community MX article, so let's jump in!

The Excerpts from Foundation Flash CS4 for Designers Series
Flash CS4: The 3D Rotation Tool
Flash CS4: The 3D Translation Tool
Flash CS4: The Motion Editor Panel - Part 1
Flash CS4: The Motion Editor Panel - Part 2
Using Audio in Flash CS4

Creating a Smart Skip Intro Button in Flash - Part 2
Reader Level:

Generally speaking, Flash designers have become more considerate. In the late 1990s, it was common to encounter dozens of Flash websites a day with bloated, pointless intro animations. Ultimately, sure, content was king, users would eventually get to the meat of a website, but all too often, were subjected to unnecessary bells and whistles, simply because Flash was the shiny new kid on the block. Fortunately, bloated intros are largely a thing of the past. Even better, designers have begun offering "Skip Intro" buttons that remember a user's preferences. And now you can, too.

In the last installment, you learned how to use the SharedObject class to create a banner ad that plays through once, but skips its animation on subsequent viewings. You also learned how to temporarily reverse this behavior for testing purposes. Finally, you associated the feature with an "Always Skip Intro" button. In this tutorial, you'll make the shared object a bit smarter, by having the animation play three times before skipping, and then resetting itself after a period of time.

The Creating a Smart Skip Intro Button in Flash Series:
Creating a Smart Skip Intro Button in Flash - Part 1
Creating a Smart Skip Intro Button in Flash - Part 2

Creating a Smart Skip Intro Button in Flash - Part 1
Reader Level:

Generally speaking, Flash designers have become more considerate. In the late 1990s, it was common to encounter dozens of Flash web sites a day with bloated, pointless intro animations. Ultimately, sure, content was king: users would eventually get to the meat of a web site, but all too often, were subjected to unnecessary bells and whistles, simply because Flash was the shiny new kid on the block. Nowadays, bloated intros are largely a thing of the past, but back then, designers were proud of these intros and assumed users were thrilled to see them. Frankly, it just wasn't so.

Fortunately, designers began to change their ways. Best practices took hold, and the "Skip Intro" button became a fashionable device (in fact, it appeared so often it became an industry joke). If users were really lucky, they'd even see a "Skip Intro Always" button, which remembered their preference for the next visit.

In this two-part series, you'll learn how to create such a button, and we'll examine other uses for the same mechanism. It's easier than you might think!

The Creating a Smart Skip Intro Button in Flash Series:
Creating a Smart Skip Intro Button in Flash - Part 1
Creating a Smart Skip Intro Button in Flash - Part 2

Evaluating Script Assist's Usefulness
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The concept of Script Assist has existed in many versions of the Flash authoring tool and has evolved over the years. Prior to Adobe's acquisition of Macromedia, Flash MX developers encountered a similar feature in an Actions panel preference setting for "Normal Mode" versus "Expert Mode." Nowadays, that feature is called Script Assist, which you can think of as a built-in form of on-the-job training that can potentially expand your overall understanding of the ActionScript 3.0 API. Just be advised, Script Assist can also be a very tedious tool, so its usefulness will largely depend on your personal learning preferences. This feature temporarily sets the Actions panel's script pane as read-only and provides an alternative approach to adding, removing, and editing code.

This article takes you on a brief trip that shows Script Assist in action. The journey should help you evaluate if this feature can actually help you in your daily work, or if you'd rather skip it and try your hand at writing ActionScript without assistance. While aimed at a Flash beginner, this article does move at a fairly brisk pace. Remember, this isn't an ActionScript tutorial, but rather a demonstration of how Script Assist works.

Ditching the Chipmunks: Choosing the Right Sample Rate for Flash Audio
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Flash is a terrific Web audio medium for a number of reasons. Most importantly, Flash Player is one of the most popular browser plug-ins in the world. It works on Windows, Mac, Linux, and even other operating systems, and it works fairly consistently across the board. In addition to that, Flash is capable of loading audio files dynamically. This makes it a popular choice for podcasters, who like to speak their mind, upload an MP3 file, and go. In fact, there are a number of Flash-based MP3 players specifically made for podcasters, such as the PodPress plugin for WordPress.

But an interesting bug happens for certain listeners, and it isn't always easy to pin down. Some listeners hear — are you ready for this? — chipmunks. Not the chirping of actual animals, but a too-speedy distortion of the actual recording. Think Alvin and the Chipmunks. Thanks to a change in the way Flash Player 9 handles external audio files, this issue doesn't come up as often as it used to on the forums, but if it happens to you ... now you'll know how to fix it.

ActionScript Basics - Part 1: Arrays
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If you are are creating any kind of logic or data storage/retrieval with ActionScript, you most likely will achieve that in part using arrays. Arrays are the most common and basic data structure, besides variables, in any programming language. Arrays allow storage of a series of one or more values in a single data structure.

In Part 1, we will cover the basics of creating arrays, adding, removing and returning values, and using methods of the array class. In Part 2, we will get more advanced with arrays and put arrays to use in a real world scenario.

The ActionScript Basics Series:
ActionScript Basics - Part 1: Arrays
ActionScript Basics - Part 2: Associative Arrays
ActionScript Basics - Part 3: Building Dynamic Menus and Associative Arrays
ActionScript Basics - Part 4: Building a Custom Button Class For the Dynamic Menu

HD Video and the FLVPlayback Component
Reader Level:

Let me guess, you have seen some of the HD stuff in Flash and thought: "Whoa! Too complex for me." What if I were to tell you that it can be done ... code-free ... using nothing more than a few mouse clicks. Let's go one better... let me show you...

Using XML and the ComboBox to Choose Multiple Videos in Flash CS3
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You are about to discover that Flash and XML are an unbeatable combination when it comes to playing a list of videos.

Using Video Maru - Part 6: Creating an XML Playlist
Reader Level:

Finding ways to make it easy for Flash designers to create a simple FLV video player has been a much sought-after goal for many who work with the Adobe suite of technologies. Nowadays, designers and developers have an array of options available to them, from the new and improved v3 (or 'CS3') FLVPlayback component, to a flurry of third party video player components, all designed to make a Flash designer's job easier and more productive.

One such third party player is the video.Maru component. In all my years developing with Flash, I have yet to encounter a component which makes it simpler and easier to create a custom FLV video player. We'll show that it's so easy to create a custom player with video.Maru, you'll be looking for the guide wires!

In this tutorial, we'll be playing videos sequentially from a simple XML playlist.

The Using Video Maru Series:
Using Video Maru - Part 1: The Basics
Using Video Maru - Part 2: Adding Playback Controls
Using Video Maru - Part 3: Timeline & Sound Controls
Using Video Maru - Part 4: Effects
Using Video Maru - Part 5: Building a YouTube Player
Using Video Maru - Part 6: Creating an XML Playlist
Using Video Maru - Part 7: Exploring the Code API Coming Soon

That Annoying stopDrag() Quirk in AS3.0
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I was surprised to see that in AS3.0, the onReleaseOutside mouse event was left out of the MouseEvent class. This was a very important mouse event when it came to drag-and-drop functionality. To find this out, and think of a work-around in AS3.0 has been annoying for many people to find / figure out. Fortunately, the solution is simple.

This article will cover the quick work-around to solve the missing onReleaseOutside functionality.

Exploring the Flash Brush Tool
Reader Level:

Flash offers quite a few drawing tools, even if you don't count the time-tested Oval, Rectangle, and Polystar tools, or even Flash CS3's new Oval Primitive and Rectangle Primitive tools. Those provide a great starting point from which to manipulate given shapes, but if your goal is to create strokes and fills of your own design, completely from scratch, you'll want to pick up the Pencil, Pen, or Brush tools. Each has its unique characteristics, and the Brush tool is the most configurable. This article provides an overview of the Brush tool and its options.

Using Video Maru - Part 5: Building a YouTube Player
Reader Level:

Finding ways to make it easy for Flash designers to create a simple FLV video player has been a much sought-after goal for many who work with the Adobe suite of technologies. Nowadays, designers and developers have an array of options available to them, from the new and improved v3 (or 'CS3') FLVPlayback component, to a flurry of third party video player components, all designed to make a Flash designer's job easier and more productive.

One such third party player is the video.Maru component. In all my years developing with Flash, I have yet to encounter a component which makes it simpler and easier to create a custom FLV video player. We'll show that it's so easy to create a custom player with video.Maru, you'll be looking for the guide wires!

In this tutorial, we're going to revisit the basics, for those who missed the first article in this series, and see how video.Maru can also be configured to play a video straight from YouTube. And without using a single line of code.


The video.Maru component playing a YouTube video.

The Using Video Maru Series:
Using Video Maru - Part 1: The Basics
Using Video Maru - Part 2: Adding Playback Controls
Using Video Maru - Part 3: Timeline & Sound Controls
Using Video Maru - Part 4: Effects
Using Video Maru - Part 5: Building a YouTube Player
Using Video Maru - Part 6: Creating an XML Playlist
Using Video Maru - Part 7: Exploring the Code API Coming Soon

Using Video Maru - Part 4: Effects
Reader Level:

Finding ways to make it easy for Flash designers to create a simple FLV video player has been a much sought-after goal for many who work with the Adobe suite of technologies. Nowadays, designers and developers have an array of options available to them, from the new and improved v3 (or 'CS3') FLVPlayback component, to a flurry of third-party video player components, all designed to make a Flash designer's job easier and more productive.

One such third party player is the video.Maru component. In all my years developing with Flash, I have yet to encounter a component which makes it simpler and easier to create a custom FLV video player. We'll show that it's so easy to create a custom player with video.Maru, you'll be looking for the guide wires!

In this tutorial, we'll be adding effects to our video.Maru player, all of which are built right into the component. We will show you how to add a reflection effect and place your controls in a fadeTray, which fade and appear when needed. Still with no code required. :)


A video.Maru player with fadeTray & reflection effects.

The Using Video Maru Series:
Using Video Maru - Part 1: The Basics
Using Video Maru - Part 2: Adding Playback Controls
Using Video Maru - Part 3: Timeline & Sound Controls
Using Video Maru - Part 4: Effects
Using Video Maru - Part 5: Building a YouTube Player
Using Video Maru - Part 6: Creating an XML Playlist
Using Video Maru - Part 7: Exploring the Code API Coming Soon

Exploring Flash CS3 Primitives - Part 2: Oval Primitive and Animation
Reader Level:

Flash CS3 introduces two new drawing tools: Rectangle Primitive and Oval Primitive. At first glance, they don't appear much different from the familiar Rectangle and Oval tools. After all, the new ones allow you to draw (you guessed it!) rectangles and ovals. So what makes these mysterious new tools so special? Doesn't "primitive" mean "simple" or "unsophisticated"? Isn't this a step backward? Hardly!


The Rectangle Primitive and Oval Primitive tools

In this two-part series, we'll take a look at what these newcomers do, how they work, and discover their uses and quirks. Last time, in Part 1, we focused on the Rectangle Primitive. Here in Part 2, we'll pick up with the Oval Primitive and examine a few interesting points on the animation of shapes drawn by these tools.

Using Video Maru - Part 3: Timeline & Sound Controls
Reader Level:

Finding ways to make it easy for Flash designers to create a simple FLV video player has been a much sought-after goal for many who work with the Adobe suite of technologies. Nowadays, designers and developers have an array of options available to them, from the new and improved v3 (or 'CS3') FLVPlayback component, to a flurry of third party video player components, all designed to make a Flash designer's job easier and more productive.

One such third party player is the video.Maru component. In all my years developing with Flash, I have yet to encounter a component which makes it simpler or easier to create a custom FLV video player. We'll show that it's so easy to create a custom player with video.Maru, you'll be looking for the guide wires!

In this tutorial, we'll be adding timeline and sound controls to the Video Maru component, for what are more commonly known as the seek bar, progress bar, volume slider and mute controls. Still with no code required. :)


A video.Maru player with timeline & sound controls.

The Using Video Maru Series:
Using Video Maru - Part 1: The Basics
Using Video Maru - Part 2: Adding Playback Controls
Using Video Maru - Part 3: Timeline & Sound Controls
Using Video Maru - Part 4: Effects
Using Video Maru - Part 5: Building a YouTube Player
Using Video Maru - Part 6: Creating an XML Playlist
Using Video Maru - Part 7: Exploring the Code API Coming Soon

Using Video Maru - Part 2: Adding Playback Controls
Reader Level:

Finding ways to make it easy for Flash designers to create a simple FLV video player has been a much sought-after goal for many who work with the Adobe suite of technologies. Nowadays, designers and developers have an array of options available to them, from the new and improved v3 (or 'CS3') FLVPlayback component, to a flurry of third party video player components, all designed to make a Flash designer's job easier and more productive.

One such third-party player is the video.Maru component. In all my years developing with Flash, I have yet to encounter a component which makes it simpler and easier to create a custom FLV video player. We'll show that it's so easy to create a custom player with video.Maru, you'll be looking for the guide wires!

In this tutorial, we'll be adding playback controls to the Video Maru component. Still without using a single line of code! :)


A video.Maru player with playback controls

The Using Video Maru Series:
Using Video Maru - Part 1: The Basics
Using Video Maru - Part 2: Adding Playback Controls
Using Video Maru - Part 3: Timeline & Sound Controls
Using Video Maru - Part 4: Effects
Using Video Maru - Part 5: Building a YouTube Player
Using Video Maru - Part 6: Creating an XML Playlist
Using Video Maru - Part 7: Exploring the Code API Coming Soon

Exploring Flash CS3 Primitives - Part 1: Rectangle Primitive
Reader Level:

Flash CS3 introduces two new drawing tools: Rectangle Primitive and Oval Primitive. At first glance, they don't appear much different from the familiar Rectangle and Oval tools. After all, the new ones allow you to draw (you guessed it!) rectangles and ovals. So what makes these mysterious new tools so special? Doesn't "primitive" mean "simple" or "unsophisticated"? Isn't this a step backward? Hardly!


The Rectangle Primitive and Oval Primitive tools

In this two-part series, we'll take a look at what these newcomers do, how they work, and discover their uses and quirks. Here in Part 1, we'll focus on the Rectangle Primitive. Next time, we'll pick up with the Oval Primitive and examine a few interesting points on the animation of shapes drawn by these tools.

Using Video Maru - Part 1: The Basics
Reader Level:

Finding ways to make it easy for Flash designers to create a simple FLV video player has been a much sought-after goal for many who work with the Adobe suite of technologies. Nowadays, designers and developers have an array of options available to them, from the new and improved v3 (or 'CS3') FLVPlayback component, to a flurry of third-party video player components, all designed to make a Flash designer's job easier and more productive.

One such third-party player is the video.Maru component. In all my years developing with Flash, I have yet to encounter a component which makes it simpler and easier to create a custom FLV video player. We'll show that it's so easy to create a custom player with video.Maru, you'll be looking for the guide wires!

In this first tutorial, we'll take a basic look at the Video Maru component, getting a video to play without any controls. And without using a single line of code.


A simple player built with the video.Maru component.

The Using Video Maru Series:
Using Video Maru - Part 1: The Basics
Using Video Maru - Part 2: Adding Playback Controls
Using Video Maru - Part 3: Timeline & Sound Controls
Using Video Maru - Part 4: Effects
Using Video Maru - Part 5: Building a YouTube Player
Using Video Maru - Part 6: Creating an XML Playlist
Using Video Maru - Part 7: Exploring the Code API Coming Soon

Sound Visualization in Flash CS3
Reader Level:

Sometimes a little foreknowledge is a good thing. Let's all take a deep breath and explore a sound visualization exercise in Flash Professional CS3.

Motion Tween Effects in Flash CS3
Reader Level:

In a series of excerpts from their new book, Foundation Flash CS3 for Designers, Community MX partners Tom Green and David Stiller show you how to apply the Glow effect to Jay Maynard, better known as Tron Guy.

The Foundation Flash CS3 for Designers Excerpts
Motion Tween Effects in Flash CS3
Optimizing Flash Content for Use in Video
Adding Audio to Flash CS3
XML Captions for Video
Notes from the Photoshop File Importer
Create a Soft Mask in Flash CS3
Going Mobile in Flash CS3
Using XML in Flash CS3 to Build a Slideshow

Flash CS3: Customizing Components Just Got Easier!
Reader Level:

Since early in its life, Flash has proven itself the leader in Web animation. In recent years, that dominance has nudged into the realm of online applications as well. For user-facing applications, you need user interface (UI) elements, plain and simple — something to receive input from the person viewing your content or to display information in a specific way, such as in a grid or selection box.

The UI components that ship with Flash CS3 are an improvement over the Flash 8 set in a number of ways: size (much smaller), performance (faster, better) and ease of customization. Let's take a brief overview of this last point, customization, by way of the Button component in Flash CS3 Professional. The following tutorial is slightly modified from an excerpt of the components chapter in Foundation Flash CS3 for Designers, by Tom Green and David Stiller, to be published summer 2007 by friends of ED.

Approximate download size: 674k

Dude, Where Do I Put My Code? - Part 3
Reader Level:

Beginners to Flash programming often find themselves asking a fundamental question: "Dude, where do I put my code?" A quick sweep of the 100s of Community MX Flash tutorials, as well as other code repositories on the Web, reveals quite a few choices. You can put ActionScript into keyframes; attach it directly to objects, such as buttons; put it into external text files; and even write a special kind of external file called a class. So, which approach is best? Are some better than others?

To arrive at an answer, this series takes a stroll among the various techniques mentioned. This is not an article on ActionScript syntax or how to program, but rather, an overview of approaches you might take while getting your feet wet. In Part 1, we looked at code attached to timeline keyframes. In Part 2, we rode a carriage down memory lane to examine code directly attached to objects. Here in Part 3, we conclude with a brief discussion on code in external files.

The Dude Where Do I Put My Code Series:
Dude, Where Do I Put My Code? - Part 1
Dude, Where Do I Put My Code? - Part 2
Dude, Where Do I Put My Code? - Part 3

Dude, Where Do I Put My Code? - Part 2
Reader Level:

Beginners to Flash programming often find themselves asking a fundamental question: "Dude, where do I put my code?" A quick sweep of the 100s of Community MX Flash tutorials, as well as other code repositories on the Web, reveals quite a few choices. You can put ActionScript into keyframes; attach it directly to objects, such as buttons; put it into external text files; and even write a special kind of external file called a class. So, which approach is best? Are some better than others?

To arrive at an answer, this series takes a stroll among the various techniques mentioned. This is not an article on ActionScript syntax or how to program, but rather, an overview of approaches you might take while getting your feet wet. In Part 1, we looked at code attached to timeline keyframes. Here in Part 2, we'll see how things differ when code is directly attached to objects. Part 3 will conclude the discussion with a brief look at code in external files.

The Dude Where Do I Put My Code Series:
Dude, Where Do I Put My Code? - Part 1
Dude, Where Do I Put My Code? - Part 2
Dude, Where Do I Put My Code? - Part 3

Dude, Where Do I Put My Code? - Part 1
Reader Level:

Beginners to Flash programming often find themselves asking a fundamental question: "Dude, where do I put my code?" A quick sweep of the 100s of Community MX Flash tutorials, as well as other code repositories on the Web, reveals quite a few choices. You can put ActionScript into keyframes; attach it directly to objects, such as buttons; put it into external text files; and even write a special kind of external file called a class. So, which approach is best? Are some better than others?

To arrive at an answer, let's take a stroll among the various techniques mentioned. This is not an article on ActionScript syntax or how to program. If you were an aspiring chef, this might be a tour of various kitchen facilities, to give you a feel for what's available at each venue. After a brief look at the options, you may just find that the best approach is simply the one that makes you the most comfortable, even on a project-by-project basis. We'll start with timeline code, here in Part 1, then address the other procedures in subsequent articles.

The Dude Where Do I Put My Code Series:
Dude, Where Do I Put My Code? - Part 1
Dude, Where Do I Put My Code? - Part 2
Dude, Where Do I Put My Code? - Part 3

Avoiding a Common Pitfall with Text-only Buttons
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Buttons come in all shapes and sizes. Some include text and others don't — and then there are buttons that contain nothing but text. Historically in Flash, text-only buttons have been a bit tricky. Without careful attention to the symbol's Hit frame, such buttons can be very difficult to click, which makes for a frustrating experience to the end user. A change in Flash Player 8 improved matters, but not in all cases. Ultimately, it's up to you, the developer, to ensure that text-only buttons are comfortably usable. This tutorial helps steer you clear of the pitfalls.

Creating a Soft Mask in Flash - Part 2: Flash Player 8 and Later
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Masking has been available in Flash for as long as I can remember. This feature can be very useful and is easy to implement, either by hand or with ActionScript. The only regrettable point, in fact, is that soft masking (where the edges are blurry) has always required a tricky and tedious workaround ... until now.

This two-part series examines both the historical workaround — that's the tedious one — and a new (as of Flash 8) approach that is much easier. Knowing both will allow you to apply soft masks in SWFs published to just about any version of the Flash Player. Here in Part 2, we'll learn the approach for SWFs published for Flash Player 8 and later.

The Creating a Soft Mask in Flash Series:
Creating a Soft Mask in Flash - Part 1: Flash Player 7 and Earlier
Creating a Soft Mask in Flash - Part 2: Flash Player 8 and Later

Create Your Own iPod Ad
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So Apple creates these really cool ads for the iPod. The ones that have black silhouettes against bright backgrounds. Ever wondered how they do it? They aren't telling but here's one way.

Approximate download size: 15.6MB

Understanding Classpaths
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All objects in recent versions of ActionScript are defined by something called classes. Think of classes as blueprints that determine the unique combination of characteristics, actions, and reactions that comprises a particular object of a certain type. By "object," we are talking about the familiar things a Flash developer deals with every day: movie clips (the MovieClip class), text fields (the TextField class), buttons, sounds, math functions, components, you name it. They are all defined by classes.

Out of the box, Flash provides hundreds of built-in ActionScript classes. The great part is, you can even write your own! But there's a catch: the Flash compiler, which converts ActionScript into Flash Player bytecode, must be told where new classes are located, or it won't be able to find them. That's what this article is about.

Shape Tweening: Squaring the Circle (and More!)
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So, you'd like to use a timeline to animate visual elements in Flash? Well, allow me to introduce you to the Tween siblings: Motion and Shape. Motion tweens and shape tweens have been helping designers produce eye-catching animation for years. Their relationship is a little out of balance, though. Sibling rivalry between the two is generally won by Motion Tween, who gets the greater share of lime light in the authoring environment. Let's root for the underdog, then, and take a look at what Shape Tween has to offer.

Masking Flash Video
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Sometimes you are handed a video that is just so good, it should be framed. For instance there was that video shot when Chris Flick, whose career has been built on "slandering" me, and I "hooked up" at TODCON and I did my version of "Kill Chris"! Here's how to put it in a frame and, along the way, you learn how to mask a video.

Flash Text Effects and Adobe After Effects 7
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Ever wondered how to do a cool motion graphic text effect without knowing how to use Flash or even do a tween? If you have After Effects, a simple drag and drop is all you need to know.

Using Script Assist in Flash Professional 8
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It vanished in Flash MX 2004 but has been returned, all spiffed up and using a a new name in Flash Professional 8. Script Assist is a great way to learn how to use ActionScript in Flash. Script Assist won't write your code, but it is a great addition to Flash 8 if you are just getting into writing ActionScript.

Bitmap Versus Vector: Part II
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As the line between vector and bitmap applications become more blurred it is very important to understand the difference between vector and bitmap artwork. Part I of this two-part series dealt with the pros and cons of bitmap and vector artwork.

This article will discuss when it is best to use each and look at how some Macromedia applications work with bitmap and vector artwork. In addition we will check out the applications that contain both vector and bitmap tools and discuss what to watch out for when using them.

Creating a Video Player in Flash Professional 8
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Macromedia seems to have pulled off a magic trick: Make Flash video more complex but easier than ever to use.

In the first part of this overview of the new video features of Flash Professional 8, I showed you how to use the new tools in Flash Professional 8 — The Wizard and the Flash 8 Video Encoder — to create the FLV file. In this installment I will walk you through the use of the new FLVPlayback component and the new FLV Custom PlayBack UI components.

The Basics of Using Math with ActionScript: Part 1
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Fear of math is more than common with beginner Flash developers (and completely understandable). What most beginner Flash developers don't realize at first is that they can get very far using just the basic math they learned in public school to create more advanced Flash movies. ActionScript functions, classes and methods can only take you so far. To expand on ActionScript, math is needed to create logic, affect object properties, and create artificial intelligence in a Flash movie. This two-part article will help make using math in Flash a bit more comfortable for you to work with.

Digital Video: What Happens Before the FLV?
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You are handed a QuickTime movie and told, "Get it ready for web playback." Here's what you have to know about that video, how it was created, and why, sometimes, video simply doesn't work.

The Basics of Sound in Flash MX 2004 - Part 2
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Maybe Hillman Curtis was on to something when he stressed to any Flash developer that would listen: "Pay attention to the pipe". With sound, you can clog the pipe even before you open Flash!

In the previous article in this series I dealt with the basics of sound in Flash. In this one, we move to the next step in the process — importing sound and working with it in a variety of locations ranging from the Library to the Property inspector.

Understanding Easing in Flash Animations
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Easing is the process of adding acceleration or deceleration to an animated sequence in Flash. That's a rather sterile description for an effect that can go a long way to adding realism to an animation. In this article you'll see just how easing is accomplished, which settings to use to create a a particular effect, and how easing is applied to a tweened object on the Timeline. And since easing is a technique best seen rather than described, there are several examples of how the effect is accomplished here.

The Basics of Sound in Flash MX 2004 - Part 1
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There are a lot of articles at Community MX that deal with the use of sound in Flash. If you are new to Flash, or even sound, this article - the first of a two-part series - is designed to get you going.

The Transition Class in Flash MX 2004
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The Transition class is a pre-built set of classes that ship with Flash MX 2004. Transitions in Flash are used to create dramatic and appealing exits and intros to images, sections and other objects within a Flash movie. Just think about how one shot goes to another on TV and in movies, transitions serve the same purpose in Flash.

Laszlo: Part 1 - Overview
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Macromedia has done a lot to promote Flash as a platform for the delivery of media-rich Web applications using Flash, Flash Remoting and ColdFusion to build and deliver applications or using the Flex platform to deliver them.

However, the open source Laszlo platform from Laszlo Systems, offers a complete, intergrated, powerful environment for delivering Flash-based Web applications and offers a compelling alternative to Flex for server-driven delivery of generated Flash movies.

The Laszlo Series:
Laszlo: Part 1 - Overview
Laszlo: Part 2 - Installation
Laszlo: Part 3 - Hello World
Laszlo: Part 4 - Laszlo Widgets and Elements
Laszlo: Part 5 - Managing Layouts
Laszlo: Part 6 - Working With Data Coming Soon

Following the Data: Using the XMLConnector Component in Flash MX Professional
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Have you ever wondered how those mysterious DataConnection components in Flash MX Professional actually work? In this tutorial I will walk you through using the XMLConnector component to create a Rich Media Application that uses data from an XML document.

Finishing the Chat Room
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In the previous two installments I explained how the Comm Server works and how to connect to it using the Communication components. In this third installment, we build an actual Chat Room which includes text, audio and video chat. Our task is to build the room, wire it up and test it.

Building a Text Chat Application in Flash Comm Server
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In Part one of this series, we reviewed the concept behind the project, determined the plan and the assets needed and went on a tour of the Flash Communication Server. In this installment we build the Text Chat using the Communication Components in Flash MX Professional and test it locally using the Comm Server.

Getting connected to the Flash Communication Server involves nothing more than knowing where a couple of components are located and how to use a keyboard.

Flash Communication Server for the Rest of Us
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If you are at all interested in creating streaming media applications a familiarity with the Flash Communication Server is important. In this series we will use the Comm Server to create a Chat Room. We will start by gaining an understanding of how to use the Comm Server.

Freehand, It's Not Just For Print Anymore
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Freehand is a bit of an oddball amongst its Macromedia Studio siblings. Fireworks, Dreamweaver and Flash are built for web development; Freehand is built for print. Other than the Macromedia name, what do they have in common? The creation of web pages and artwork for print require two completely different sets of skills. Moving a project from print to web can be tedious. Freehand has recognized this and offers tools to simplify the conversion. By providing seamless integration with Flash and Fireworks, Freehand is making itself a useful tool in this web development family

Case Study: Using the New Flash Remoting Classes
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Recently, one of our subscribers made me an offer I couldn't refuse. He created a ColdFusion component (CFC) that sends mail using CFMAIL, and queries an Access database. But he was having difficulty getting the data into Flash, and sending the results of a contact form to the CFC. He offered to send me the database, CFC, and FLA source file if I could use the new Flash Remoting classes to tie it all together.

In this article, you'll learn how to call methods on a Flash Remoting service and return the results to Flash MX 2004 components. Includes coverage of the following Flash Remoting classes: Service, PendingCall, RelayResponder, ResultEvent, FaultEvent, Log, RecordSet, DataGlue.

Support Files: ColdFusion component, Microsoft Access database, Flash document, ActionScript file.

Creating a Silhouette Effect in Flash
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One common Flash animation technique that you see on the Web a great deal, especially in ads, is the silhouette effect. With this technique the background behind an object is removed, the object is outlined in a contrasting color, and the results are animated to produce an eye-catching graphic. In this tutorial you'll see one method for creating this effect using the Tint effect and some simple tweening.

The Basics of Flash Buttons and Navigation Bars
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You've designed a great Flash button, or a series of Flash buttons for a navigation bar, but now what? In this tutorial you'll learn the basics of working with Flash navigation objects, including the all-important step of making them actually work in your HTML pages.

Sound Playback in Flash MX 2004
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In this tutorial, I show you two really simple, yet effective, methods of managing sound playback in a Flash MX 2004 movie. It is dead simple. Really.

The Basics of Animation with ActionScript
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So you want to learn the basics of animating with ActionScript? Well, here you go - a step-by-step video walkthrough that teaches all the basic concepts you need to know to start making animation entirely with code.

Playing With the Context Menu - Part I
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One of the important new features in Flash MX 2004 is the ability to customize the context menu. With this new version, we can now play with the menu you get when right-clicking (Windows) or Control-clicking (Macintosh).

Using the Load Movie Function--Part II
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Loading a SWF file into another Flash movie is a very common way to present information in an efficient manner. By loading a movie, rather than composing a Flash file with all the graphics contained in a single SWF, you are able to dramatically decrease download times and provide a better experience for the viewer. In addition, loading movies allows you to perform all sorts of cool tricks with navigation objects and other simple slights of hand that can take your Flash skills up a notch.

Using the Load Movie Function--Part I
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Loading a SWF file into another Flash movie is a very common way to present information in an efficient manner. By loading a movie, rather than composing a Flash file with all the graphics contained in a single SWF, you are able to dramatically decrease download times and provide a better experience for the viewer. In addition, loading movies allows you to perform all sorts of cool tricks with navigation objects and other simple slights of hand that can take your Flash skills up a notch.

Creating Tool Tips in Flash
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Tool tips are a common interface object when you want to add a bit more information to a button. In HTML there are methods for generating tool tips by controlling the visibility of layers. In Flash the methods for generating tool tips are surprisingly similar. In this tutorial you'll learn how to create tool tips, but more importantly, you'll see how visibility properties for movie clips can be controlled through the use of some simple ActionScripting.

Creating an Auto-Start CD using Flash
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So you've got a client who has no internet access and you want to show them the beautiful website you've built for them? Or maybe you want to put your website on a CD as a promotional/marketing tool. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Just copy the site files to the CD, and you're off! Believe it or not, many folks won't know what the heck to do with the CD, or which file to open to get to the material you want them to see. Make it easier for them by making a CD that will launch their browser automatically for them. This technique will use Flash, but the user won't need to have Flash installed in order for it to work.

12 Steps to creating your first Flash Communication Application
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In this article you will learn in 12 easy to follow steps the fundamentals of building an application with Flash Communication Server. You will set up the folders on the Communication Server, construct the Flash Movie with Communication Components and publish them to your web site.

Flash Remoting 101
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When you hear the term "Flash Remoting", you might be wondering what exactly is being referred to. Macromedia's latest push towards the Rich Internet Application has at its core the Flash Remoting technology. This article will give you a brief introduction and show you the necessary requirements to getting it up and running on your machine and your web server.

Introduction to Macromedia FireFly
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Macromedia FireFly is the new tool that allows you to connect your Flash movies to any type of data. In this introduction article you will be introduced to FireFly and how you can use it to rapidly build a Rich Internet Application using no ActionScript.

Animating text in Flash MX
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Flash MX added two important capabilities that made text animation and effects much easier--the ability to break text into individual text boxes, each contatining a single letter, and the ability to distribute the text boxes to their own layers. With those two tools animating text in Flash became much easier, as you'll learn in the 3 tutorials here, creating a motion effect, fade effect, and fade and zoom effect.

The Elements of Vector Graphics
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Vector graphics are at the heart of the three primary drawing tools in the MX suite. Freehand, Flash, and Fireworks all depend on vectors for drawings that range from the simple to the astoundingly complex. No matter how they are created though, all vector drawings share a common structure that is explored in this multi-part series.