ActionScript 3.0

Tips for code hints in Flash CS5

There are a number of forum posts about code hinting not showing up as expected in Flash CS5 documents. There are a number of possibilities about why code hints do not show up, but the following post will collect some troubleshooting tips that may help you out.

Buttons in Flash using ActionScript 3.0: Going to next frame and previous frame

Some people have been asking how to create button code in Flash (CS3, CS4, or CS5) that progresses the playhead in a SWF to the next or previous frame using ActionScript 3.0. This is not too difficult, and is a super simple code modification from any other button in...

Getting started with the TLFTextField class in ActionScript 3.0 and Flash CS5

The following examples show how you can get started with the TLFTextField class in ActionScript in Adobe Flash Professional CS5.

Controlling the window target a button click opens using ActionScript 3.0 in Flash

One of my frequently asked questions in the comments is how to control what window a button click opens using ActionScript 3.0. For example, you might want your button to open in the same window, a particular part of your frames layout, or a new window. It’s similar to...

Flash CS4 example: Spray Brush, Tween instance, new motion, AS3, fancy JSFL… Profit!

In the previous blog entry, I linked to a new JSFL that automatically gives instance names to selected instances in a smart way. You can go read about and download the JSFL from this page. This entry shows you how to use this command along with some of the...

Want to layout your text better? You can download the beta Text Layout Framework / component (use with Flash CS4 now)

Today the Text Layout Framework went live for Flash Player 10. This will help you layout your text in new and much better ways in your applications. You may have seen some demos at MAX (like the Herald Tribune demo) where the text flow, direction, etc was handled way...

Movie clip buttons in a fight: it’s AS2 vs. AS3 (again)

You might have created movie clip buttons in Flash CS3 or Flash CS4 (or Flash 8 or 7 or…) before to get those animations on your buttons. Either way, creating one would have proceeded a bit like the following if you used ActionScript 2.0. * Create a button, and...

New motion and Tween instances: Flash CS4 presentation (FlashCamp)

Yesterday at FlashCamp, I gave a presentation on using the new motion model in Flash CS4. The files are linked on this post. This is a general synopsis of what I covered, and I’ll detail how I did a few things in the presentation. Please comment with any questions...

Flash CS4 files for motion tween presentation at FlashCamp

Here are the FLA and SWF files (Flash CS4 and Player 10) for today’s presentation at FlashCamp on new motion in Flash and using Tween instance (contains that ActionScript). FlashCamp files for motion tween presentation The next post will be a bit more about these files and the stuff...

(Flash CS3) Masking using ‘donut’ shapes within movie clips or with AS3 – it’s possible, and not too bad either

You may have tried creating a shape that has a hole in it for a mask in Flash, and it may not have worked. Or maybe it did work and sometimes it didn’t, and you grew some extra gray hairs and threw your laptop at a wall. Or maybe...