Extending Flash MX 2004 : Complete Guide and Reference to JavaScript Flash

by Peters, Keith

• ISBN13: 9781590593042
• ISBN10: 1590593049
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag New York Inc

Summary

With this book you'll learn the new, powerful features in the new release of Flash. Covers all new areas of extensibility: commands, tools, timeline effects, behaviours, and advanced topics. This book will allow you to streamline day-to-day development by showing you how to custom-build your own commands and tools. Plenty of useful examples are included throughout to demonstrate each area. The reference content and example files will be available from the book's companion site. This site aims to be the premier site for designers and developers to go to for Flash extensibility material.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xi
About the Authors	xiii
About the Technical Reviewer	xiv
About the Cover Image	xv
Acknowledgments	xvii
Introduction to Flash Extensibility	1	(18)
What Is Flash Extensibility?	2	(5)
Commands	3	(1)
Tools	3	(1)
Timeline Effects	4	(1)
Behaviors	5	(1)
Advanced Tools	6	(1)
What Extensibility Isn't	7	(1)
The Underlying Technologies	8	(4)
JSFL---JavaScript Flash	8	(1)
The DOM	9	(2)
XML to Ul	11	(1)
Creating Your First Command	12	(2)
More Than Just a Book	14	(2)
Tutorials	14	(1)
Reference	15	(1)
Sample Files and Supporting Website	15	(1)
friends of ED Forums	16	(1)
Styles Used in This Book	16	(3)
Custom Commands	19	(46)
The History Panel	20	(6)
Commands Through the History Panel	23	(2)
Specifying Fill and Stroke Colors	25	(1)
JSFL Commands	26	(19)
Coding It By Hand	30	(4)
Timelines, Layers, and Frames	34	(2)
Accessing the Output Panel	36	(3)
Selections	39	(3)
User Input with XML to Ul	42	(3)
Putting It All Together: Some Useful Commands	45	(18)
Selection to Grid	46	(6)
Text Effects	52	(7)
Adding ActionScript	59	(4)
Summary	63	(2)
Custom Tools	65	(52)
Event-Based Code	67	(5)
Standard Tool Functions	68	(3)
Setting Up a New Tool	71	(1)
Creating a Tool	72	(40)
Grid Tool	75	(5)
Adding Options	80	(3)
Custom Cursors	83	(1)
Snap to Grid	84	(2)
Constraining a Shape	86	(2)
Enter the Matrix	88	(5)
Arrow Tool	93	(3)
The Path	96	(3)
Setting the Properties Panel	99	(8)
3D Cube Tool	107	(5)
Packaging Extensions	112	(3)
Summary	115	(2)
Timeline Effects	117	(46)
Timeline Effects vs. Commands	118	(1)
Blur Effect	119	(4)
Creating Timeline Effects	123	(26)
Slide Effect	124	(6)
Removing an Effect	130	(3)
Move in Circle Effect	133	(8)
Easing the Pain of Development	141	(1)
Checkerboard Transition Effect	142	(7)
Custom Effect Ul and Preview	149	(11)
Summary	160	(3)
XML to Ul	163	(34)
XML to Ul in Action	164	(2)
The Beauty of XML	166	(2)
Elements	167	(1)
Attributes	167	(1)
Character Data	167	(1)
Comments	167	(1)
Root	168	(1)
Declaration	168	(1)
XML to Ul tags	168	(4)
Layout Tags	169	(1)
Control Tags	170	(2)
Creating a Dialog Box	172	(21)
SWF in a Window	173	(3)
Dialog Layout	176	(1)
<dialog>	177	(1)
<hbox>	178	(1)
<vbox>	178	(1)
<separator>	179	(1)
<grid>, <columns>, <column>, <rows>, <row>	180	(1)
<spacer>	181	(1)
Dialog Controls	182	(1)
<button>	182	(1)
<checkbox>	183	(1)
<radiogroup>, <radio>	184	(1)
<label>, <textbox>	184	(2)
<colorchip>, <popupslider>	186	(2)
<menulist>, <menupop>, <menuitem>, <listbox>, <listitem>	188	(1)
<targetlist>	189	(2)
<flash>, <property>	191	(2)
Dialog Designer	193	(2)
Summary	195	(2)
Behaviors	197	(42)
Exploring Behaviors	198	(5)
Behind the Scenes	201	(2)
Snippet Behaviors	203	(4)
Root Preloader	204	(3)
Button Action Behaviors	207	(23)
Drag and Throw Physics in Flash	207	(5)
Designing the Drag Dialog Box	212	(4)
Throwing Behaviors Around	216	(4)
Keeping Things in Check	220	(2)
Dynamic Properties with SWF Dialog Boxes	222	(1)
A Flash Component Interface	222	(4)
Custom Right-Click Menu	226	(4)
Behavior Clips	230	(7)
Following the Leader	231	(6)
Summary	237	(2)
WindowSWF and MMExecute	239	(34)
What's New with WindowSWF?	241	(1)
MMExecute	242	(1)
Case Study 1: Message Window	243	(7)
Creating the Interface	244	(1)
Interface Code	245	(2)
Custom Functions	247	(3)
Case Study 2: Search and Replace	250	(20)
User Interface	251	(1)
Finding a Phrase	252	(8)
Continuing the Search	260	(5)
Replacing Phrases	265	(3)
Recursion, Recursion, Recursion!	268	(2)
Summary	270	(3)
Flash from the Command Line	273	(20)
Why the Command Line?	274	(1)
How to Execute a JSFL File	275	(3)
Calling Flash from the Command Line	275	(3)
Calling the JSFL File Directly	278	(1)
Executing a File from Its Icon	278	(1)
Adding Content via the Command Line	278	(4)
Saving and Publishing	280	(1)
Closing Flash	280	(2)
Processing Existing Files	282	(8)
Handling External Files from JSFL	283	(2)
Abstracting It Even Further with Batch Files	285	(1)
Echoing Data	285	(1)
Getting Arguments	286	(1)
Creating a JSFL File	286	(2)
Executing Files from a Batch File	288	(1)
Handling Multiple Arguments	288	(2)
Summary	290	(3)
JSFL Reference	293	(144)
Bitmaplnstance	296	(1)
Bitmapltem	297	(1)
CompiledClipInstance	298	(2)
ComponentInstance	300	(1)
ComponentsPanel	300	(1)
Contour	300	(1)
Document	301	(32)
DrawingLayer	333	(3)
Edge	336	(2)
Effect	338	(1)
Element	339	(4)
EmbeddedVideoInstance	343	(1)
Fill	343	(2)
Flash	345	(8)
FolderItem	353	(1)
FontItem	353	(1)
Frame	353	(5)
HalfEdge	358	(1)
Instance	359	(1)
Item	360	(3)
Layer	363	(2)
Library	365	(7)
LinkedVideoInstance	372	(1)
Math	372	(1)
Matrix	373	(2)
OutputPanel	375	(1)
Parameter	376	(2)
Path	378	(2)
Screen	380	(3)
ScreenOutline	383	(3)
ScreenType	386	(2)
Shape	388	(2)
SoundItem	390	(1)
Stroke	391	(5)
SymbolInstance	396	(5)
SymbolItem	401	(2)
Text	403	(7)
TextAttrs	410	(3)
TextRun	413	(1)
Timeline	414	(10)
Tool Functions	424	(2)
ToolObj	426	(3)
Tools	429	(3)
Vertex	432	(1)
VideoItem	433	(1)
XMLUI	433	(4)
Index	437