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Intro To Actionscript 3.0: J. Davis

The document provides an introduction to ActionScript 3.0 programming. It discusses that learning ActionScript can be challenging but most designers only need to know 5-10% of the available commands. It also guarantees that the author will help with any scripting problems and scripts do not need to be memorized at first, just copied and modified. The rest of the document outlines ActionScript syntax rules and common commands for controlling timelines and movie clips. It also discusses places to find code examples and common mistakes to avoid when writing scripts.

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Chagua Cordova Marly
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
46 views

Intro To Actionscript 3.0: J. Davis

The document provides an introduction to ActionScript 3.0 programming. It discusses that learning ActionScript can be challenging but most designers only need to know 5-10% of the available commands. It also guarantees that the author will help with any scripting problems and scripts do not need to be memorized at first, just copied and modified. The rest of the document outlines ActionScript syntax rules and common commands for controlling timelines and movie clips. It also discusses places to find code examples and common mistakes to avoid when writing scripts.

Uploaded by

Chagua Cordova Marly
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 18

The Bad News:

Learning
ActionScript is as
Much Fun as Being
Torn Apart By a
Pack of Crazed
Wombats.
(And I say that
in a loving way.)
But youll be fine.
I promise.
The Good News:
90% of a designers
code will consist of
5-10% of available
ActionScript

J. DAVIS

INTRO TO ACTIONSCRIPT 3.0

You wont ever be held responsible for a scripting problem in your work that you cant figure outas long as you contact me so I can troubleshoot
with you.
You wont have to memorize scripts just yet. You can just copy and paste them and change the parts you need to change, to learn how it works.

My Guarantee To You

Introduction

1) Programming Language vs. Scripting Language


2) Syntax vs. Semantics (how words are arranged in
sentences versus the linguistic meaning of words)
3) The computer is dumb.
4) ActionScripting is case sensitive
5) Camel case convention: John Doe becomes johnDoe
6) Spaces: ActionScript deletes them all when running
script.
7) Scripts are also called instructions or commands
8) Runtime error script runs, but doesnt do what you
want it to
9) Movie clips are objects (as are other things that can
be instructed).
10) ActionScript 3 can be created in the Flash authoring
environment, in a text editor, or in Flex.

The Actions Pane

(Windows>Actions)

Global actions
appear on the
first frame of a
movie.

2 SYNTACTIC RULES OF
ACTIONSCRIPTING

1) Use a semicolon at the end of each line


2) object.method (argument);
like noun.verb (adjective);

Example 1
root.gotoAndPlay(2);
this.gotoAndPlay(2);
gotoAndPlay(2);

Explanation: This script instructs the playhead


on the main timeline (root or this) to go to
and stop on frame 2. Identifying root or this
by name is optionalthe current timeline is the
default, so you could just say gotoAndStop(2);

More Scripts

Example 2
stop() ;
play();
movieclipinstance.play();
Explanation: Some instructions are implied.

Example 2
movieclipinstance.gotoAndStop(musicoff)
Explanation: This script instructs the playhead
inside of a movieclip instance to go to and stop
on a frame that has been labeled musicoff.

2 Most Common Uses of


Scripts

Controlling a timeline
example: stop();

Controlling a movieclip
example: moviclipinstancename.play(3);

2 Notes:

Indenting: Flash automatically


indents lines of script so that they
are visually scannable. Blocks are
used for visual scannability as well as
practical reasons.

// This signals commentary that is not


script. //

Controling Time Lines

Main timeline
gotoAndPlay(2) OR
root.gotoAndPlay(2) OR
this.gotoAndPlay(2)

A movieclip timeline (child)


(the movieclip instance must be named and
must be on stage)
movieclipinstancename.gotoAndPlay(2)
movieclipinstancename.gotoAndStop(2)

OR
instance1.instance2.gotoAndStop(2)
[in the above case, instance1 is inside of instance2
example, control Godzillas breath]

A parent movieclip timeline


parent.gotoAndPlay(2)
parent.gotoAndStop(2)

Methods

To See All Movie Clip Methods:


Flash.Display>Movie Clips>Methods
Popular Methods:
stop
play
gotoAndStop
gotoAndPlay
prevFrame
nextFrame
navigateToURL

Buttons

Mouse Events

To See All Mouse Event Properties


Flash.Events>MouseEvents>Properties>MOUSE_DOW
N (and others)

Popular Mouse Event Properties:


CLICK
MOUSE_DOWN
MOUSE_MOVE
MOUSE_OUT
MOUSE_OVER
MOUSE_UP
MOUSE_WHEEL
ROLL_OUT
ROLL_OVER

Lets Try It

Introduce Assignment:
TUTORIAL #1: Simple Exercise: Script Buttons
to gotoAndStop on Frames
See finished file at:
www.julietdavis.com/flashtutorials/simpleActionScriptExerci
se.fla
www.julietdavis.com/flashtutorials/simpleActionScriptExerci
se.swf

See next screen and Word doc: Intro to ActionScript


3.0

Script THIS
Name your
instances
FIRST
(button
instances)

stop();

btn1_btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN,
mouseDownHandler1);
function
mouseDownHandler1(event:MouseEvent):void {
gotoAndStop (10);
}

btn2_btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN,
mouseDownHandler2);
function
mouseDownHandler2(event:MouseEvent):void {
gotoAndStop (1);
}

Common Mistakes That Mess Up Scripts

1) Instance Name. First, make sure you have named the instance of your
movie clip that you are applying the script to, and you have targeted that
instance name and NOT the name of the movie clip thats in the library.
2) Curly Brace. Make sure you have used a curly brace to end your block.
3) Function Names. In each set of instructions, the function name appears
twice (think of them as twins)make sure they are identical (e.g.,
mouseDownHandler1 and mouseDownHandler1). BUT, for each separate
set of instructions, there must be separate sets of function names (e.g.,
mouseDownHandler2 and mouseDownHandler2. Example: See the scripts
for the color picker.
4) SPELLING! Button instance names and movie clip instance names
must be spelled exactly in the script as they have been named.
5) If all else fails, paste the scripts directly from the tutorial files and only
change the parts in red.

Where to Find Script Assists


For Movie Clip Class:
Flash.Display>Movie Clips>Methods
For Add Event Listener:
Flash.Events>IEventDispatcherInterface>Methods>Add Event Listener
For Mouse Event Properties:
Flash.Events>MouseEvents>Properties>MOUSE_DOWN

NOTE ABOUT SCRIPT ASSIST

QUESTIONS?

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