Embedding fonts dynamically into generated text fields might look complicated but it's not too bad once you get the hang of it. The below code creates a 'defaultFormat' which will be applied to all generated textFields - (setTextFormat(format) can be called to change it if required). // default textformat var textFormat:TextFormat = new TextFormat(); var... Continue Reading →
Keyboard events in AS3
To get the character code of something in AS3, add a keyboard event to the stage. // keyboard event stage.addEventListener(KeyboardEvent.KEY_DOWN, keyDownHandler); function keyDownHandler(event:KeyboardEvent):void { if (event.keyCode == Keyboard.LEFT) { trace("LEFT!"); }
getURL / go to URL with AS3
A bit more to it than the old getURL in AS2: var url:String = "http://site"; var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest(url); try { navigateToURL(request, '_blank'); // second argument is target } catch (e:Error) { trace("Error occurred!"); } Source: http://scriptplayground.com/tutorials/as/getURL-in-Actionscript-3/
Moving vanishing point in AS3
// this can reset the location of the vanishing point var pp:PerspectiveProjection=new PerspectiveProjection(); pp.projectionCenter = new Point(mouseX,mouseY); this.transform.perspectiveProjection = pp;
Gradient Masks in AS3
You can do gradient alpha masks in Flash CS3/4, but not without doing a bit of actionscript. I beleive this works in both AS2 and 3, this works in AS3 - not bothering to test AS2. // set both the mask clip and the target to be masked to true maskMC.cacheAsBitmap = true; targetMC.cacheAsBitmap =... Continue Reading →
Run a peice of code once only no matter how many times you revisit the page
Seems like it's dirty to me, but in AS3 you can't just go !ranOnce so yea. If anyone knows a better way, I'm all ears! var ranOnce:Boolean; if(ranOnce != true) { setMenu(); ranOnce = true; }
using Object to store semi-categorised content in your programs
I had a project requiring me to store a class name, a colour, and a title for a particular 'brush' in this semi-painting program. Rather than run three separate arrays with the same index referring to the single item, I went with inserting objects into the array and then referencing the variables from that object... Continue Reading →
Sorting an Array in AS3
Where 'inY' is a variable within each movieclip, updating with the items Y value, this will sort them in terms of y and then set their depths correspondingly - boom! var iA:Array = new Array(); iA.push(theClips); theClips.inY=theClips.y; iA.sortOn("inY", Array.NUMERIC); for (var i:int=0; i<iA.length; i++) { addChild(iA[i]);// } Much better than the stupid manual sorting I... Continue Reading →
dynamic masking in AS3
It's pretty straightforward to make a mask in AS3 myClip.mask = maskerClip Unfortunately however, you are unable to mask multiple objects with the same mask. So you've either got to create additional masks, or nest everything and mask their new parent clip.
Looping through dynamic arrays in AS3
Just a wee silly thing here really, if you're wanting to loop through incremental variables or arrays in AS3, occasionally you may get distracted (rightly so) by typecasting them, but you can crank out the old this[whatever] reference as well if you're having no luck! So say I have a bunch of arrays, var Array0:Array... Continue Reading →
Preloader in AS3
This wee preloader script from I
Random decimals added to numbers AS3
Pretty stupid thing I just tripped up on, but I was incrementing through a loop, adding 0.05 to an angle each time (for circular movement). I noticed after a while, the number, which should have just changed between 0.00, 0.05, 0.1 etc. was ending up being 0.15000000000000002 and therefore screwing everything up - for no... Continue Reading →