Macromedia Flash 8 Advanced for Windows and Macintosh : Visual Quickpro Guide

by Chun, Russell; Robertson, H. Paul

• ISBN13: 9780321349644
• ISBN10: 0321349644
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-12-12
• Publisher: Peachpit Press

Summary

As a professional Flash developer, nobody knows more about Flash 8 than you or at least they better not! To make sure they don't, you need this task-based guide. By applying the popular Visual QuickStart format--easy, step-by-step instructions and loads of visual aids--to more complex topics, this guide offers the quickest, easiest way to get up to speed on the advanced Flash features that can make or break a project. You'll find straight-ahead, concise explanations of all the animation, navigation, and interactivity techniques you'll need to master to create dynamic Web sites with Flash. You'll also find complete coverage of all that's new in Flash 8. By emphasizing methodology and problem solving over features inventories and long, techie discussions, this guide teaches Flash the way you use it--dynamically, interactively, and to get a job done!

Author Biography

Russell Chun is a freelance educational art and multimedia developer, writer, and teacher. He teaches Flash and new media at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He previously taught at the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley and lectured at national and regional workshops. He has written numerous articles on Flash in magazines such as SBS Design and Macworld Magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in medical illustration. Russell lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Paul Robertson develops web applications and writes and teaches workshops on Flash and web development for Indiana University. He is a Macromedia Certified Flash Developer and holds a Master's degree in Instructional Systems Technology.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xxi
PART I: APPROACHING ADVANCED ANIMATION	1	(60)
Chapter 1: Building Complexity	3	(36)
Motion Tweening Strategies	4	(11)
Shape Tweening Strategies	15	(7)
Creating Special Effects	22	(4)
Animated and Complex Masks	26	(13)
Chapter 2: Working with Video	39	(22)
Importing Video into Flash	40	(12)
Updating and Replacing Videos	52	(2)
Adding Flash Elements to Your Video	54	(4)
Rotoscoping	58	(3)
PART II: UNDERSTANDING ACTIONSCRIPT	61	(38)
Chapter 3: Getting a Handle on ActionScript	63	(36)
About Objects and Classes	64	(1)
About Methods and Properties	65	(1)
Writing with Dot Syntax	66	(2)
More on Punctuation	68	(1)
The Actions Panel	69	(11)
Editing ActionScript	80	(3)
Using Objects	83	(14)
About Functions	97	(1)
Using Comments	98	(1)
PART III: NAVIGATING TIMELINES AND COMMUNICATING	99	(172)
Chapter 4: Advanced Buttons and Event Detection	101	(64)
Events and Event Handlers	102	(1)
The Button Class	102	(5)
Invisible Buttons	107	(2)
Tweening Buttons	109	(1)
Animated Buttons and the Movie Clip Symbol	110	(4)
Complex Buttons	114	(5)
Button-Tracking Options	119	(3)
Button Properties	122	(6)
The Movie Clip as a Button	128	(7)
Keyboard Detection	135	(7)
Mouse Detection	142	(8)
The Contextual Menu	150	(7)
Creating Continuous Actions with onEnterFrame	157	(2)
Creating Continuous Actions with setInterval	159	(5)
A Summary of Events and Event Handlers	164	(1)
Chapter 5: Controlling Multiple Timelines	165	(26)
Navigating Timelines with Movie Clips	166	(1)
Target Paths	167	(4)
Absolute and Relative Paths	171	(8)
Using the with Action to Target Movie Clips	179	(2)
Scope	181	(5)
Movie Clips as Containers	186	(5)
Chapter 6: Managing Outside Communication	191	(80)
Communicating through the Web Browser	192	(24)
Loading External Flash Movies	216	(14)
Loading External Images	230	(3)
Communicating With External Video	233	(9)
Using Projectors and the fscommand Action	242	(4)
Communicating with the Printer	246	(7)
Detecting the Movie's Playback Environment	253	(6)
Detecting Download Progress: Preloaders	259	(12)
PART IV: TRANSFORMING GRAPHICS AND SOUND	271	(160)
Chapter 7: Controlling the Movie Clip	273	(82)
Dragging the Movie Clip	274	(4)
Setting the Movie Clip Properties	278	(3)
Getting the Movie Clip Properties	281	(1)
Modifying the Movie Clip Color	282	(6)
Creating Color Interactions	288	(3)
Applying Movie Clip Filter Effects	291	(4)
Controlling Movie Clip Stacking Order	295	(4)
Detecting Movie Clip Collisions	299	(5)
Getting the Boundaries of Movie Clips	304	(2)
Generating Movie Clips Dynamically	306	(7)
Removing Movie Clips Dynamically	313	(1)
Getting Movie Clip Depth Levels	314	(4)
Creating Shapes Dynamically	318	(19)
Movie Clip Scaling and Distortion	337	(4)
Using Dynamic Masks	341	(4)
Customizing Your Pointer	345	(3)
Beginning to Animate with ActionScript	348	(7)
Chapter 8: Controlling Bitmap Graphics	355	(44)
Creating and Accessing Images	356	(8)
Drawing on a BitmapData Object	364	(14)
Using Filters to Alter Images	378	(7)
Animating with Bitmap Images	385	(14)
Chapter 9: Controlling Sound	399	(32)
Using the Sound Class	400	(1)
Attaching Sounds	401	(2)
Playing Sounds	403	(3)
Modifying Sounds	406	(2)
Modifying Independent Sounds	408	(3)
Transforming Sounds	411	(3)
Creating Dynamic Sound Controls	414	(6)
Loading External Sounds	420	(2)
Reading Sound Properties	422	(3)
Detecting Sound Events	425	(2)
Working with MP3 Song Information	427	(4)
PART V: WORKING WITH INFORMATION	431	(214)
Chapter 10: Controlling Information Flow	433	(46)
Using Variables and Expressions	434	(5)
Loading External Variables	439	(8)
Storing and Sharing Information	447	(6)
Modifying Variables	453	(3)
Concatenating Variables and Dynamic Referencing	456	(3)
Testing Information with Conditional Statements	459	(5)
Providing Alternatives to Conditions	464	(2)
Branching Conditional Statements	466	(6)
Combining Conditions with Logical Operators	472	(2)
Looping Statements	474	(5)
Chapter 11: Controlling Text	479	(74)
Input Text	480	(2)
Dynamic Text	482	(2)
Selecting Text Field Options	484	(3)
Concatenating Text	487	(4)
Displaying HTML	491	(5)
Tweening Text Fields	496	(3)
TextField Properties	499	(11)
Generating Text Fields Dynamically	510	(3)
Modifying Text in Text Fields	513	(11)
Formatting Text Fields from an External Style Sheet	524	(3)
Manipulating Text Field Contents	527	(1)
The Selection Class	527	(1)
Controlling the Focus of Text Fields	528	(3)
Controlling the Selection Within Text Fields	531	(4)
Detecting Changes in the Text Field	535	(3)
The String Class	538	(1)
Analyzing Strings	539	(6)
Rearranging Strings	545	(5)
Modifying Strings	550	(3)
Chapter 12: Manipulating Information	553	(52)
Calculating with the Math Class	554	(1)
Calculating Angles with the Math Class	555	(8)
Using Sine and Cosine for Directional Movement	563	(4)
Calculating Distances with the Math Class	567	(5)
Generating Random Numbers	572	(3)
Ordering Information with Arrays	575	(7)
Keeping Track of Movie Clips with Arrays	582	(5)
Using the Date and Time	587	(8)
Building Reusable Scripts	595	(10)
Chapter 13: Managing Content and Troubleshooting	605	(40)
Sharing Library Symbols	606	(6)
Sharing Fonts	612	(3)
Using Components	615	(3)
Including External ActionScript	618	(2)
Using the Movie Explorer	620	(5)
Viewing Variables and Objects During Playback	625	(3)
Tracing Variables in the Output Panel	628	(2)
Determining a Variable's Data Type	630	(2)
Debugging	632	(8)
Optimizing Your Movie	640	(4)
Avoiding Common Mistakes	644	(1)
Appendix A: Naming Suffixes for Object Types	645	(2)
Appendix B: Keyboard Keys and Matching Key Codes	647	(2)
Index	649