Flash ActionScript in London

Flash ActionScript

Macromedia Flash MX ActionScript - 2 days
    
Macromedia Flash MX ActionScript introduces Macromedia Flash users to programming with ActionScript, including using ActionScript to animate, process data, create dynamic content, and manipulate components. It is a task-based course, with students learning by doing. The course emphasizes the object-oriented capabilities of Macromedia Flash MX, and teaches students how to use ActionScript objects, methods, events, properties, and functions, with an eye toward ActionScript best practices. This course replaces Developing Applications with ActionScript.

Topics
· ActionScript best practices
· Creating movie clips with ActionScript
· Using button movie clips
· Referencing object events from the Timeline
· Using forms
· Working with variables
· Using conditional logic
· Animating with ActionScript
· Drawing with ActionScript
· Understanding and using ActionScript objects
· Understanding object methods, properties and events
· Using the Color object
· Creating text fields with ActionScript
· Using the TextField and TextFormat objects
· Reusing code
· Working with functions
· Writing functions
· Creating dynamic content
· Using the LoadVars object
· Using components with ActionScript

Objectives
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
· Reference objects using ActionScript.
· Use instance properties.
· Use debugging features in ActionScript.
· Create movie clips using ActionScript.
· Draw using ActionScript.
· Load Macromedia Flash movies and JPEGs into a movie clip.
· Create animations using ActionScript.
· Work with variables.
· Create a form and use conditional logic to validate it.
· Pass variables out of a Macromedia Flash movie.
· Work with built-in functions.
· Use built-in objects.
· Use methods to manipulate objects.
· Reference variables across movies.
· Create reusable ActionScript with custom functions.
· Create an external data sourced for Macromedia Flash movies
· Display dynamic content in Macromedia Flash.
· Use Macromedia Flash MX components.

Course Outline
Unit 1: Introducing ActionScript
· ActionScript Overview
· Walkthrough 1-1: Using Simple ActionScript to Control a Movie Clip
· Walkthrough 1-2: Adding Comments and Performing Simple Debugging
· ActionScript Concepts
· ActionScript Reference
· Walkthrough 1-3: Exploring ActionScript Concepts through the ActionScript Reference
· Lab 1: Exploring the Course Application

Unit 2: Learning Macromedia Flash MX ActionScript Fundamentals
· Working with Symbols and Instances
· Walkthrough 2-1: Understanding Symbols and Instances
· Adding Actions to Timeline Frames
· Walkthrough 2-2: Moving Code to the Main Timeline
· Inheriting Movie Clip Properties
· Walkthrough 2-3: Inheriting Movie Clip Properties
· Referencing Movie Clip Timelines
· Walkthrough 2-4: Using Paths with Nested Movie Clips
· Implementing Button Movie Clips
· Walkthrough 2-5: Applying an Event to a Movie Clip
· ActionScript Best Practices
· Lab 2: Adding a Decrease Size Button

Unit 3: Creating Forms in Macromedia Flash
· Forms Overview
· Creating Form Fields
· Walkthrough 3-1: Creating Input Text Fields on a Form
· Using Form Data Within Macromedia Flash
· Walkthrough 3-2: Displaying Form Variables in Dynamic Text Boxes
· Validating Forms
· Walkthrough 3-3: Using Conditional Logic to Validate a Form
· Passing Variables Out of Macromedia Flash
· Walkthrough 3-4: Passing Variables Out of Macromedia Flash
· Lab 3: Building a Form and Sending the Input Out of Macromedia Flash

Unit 4: Creating Movie Clips with ActionScript
· Creating Empty Movie Clips
· Walkthrough 4-1: Creating a Movie Clip with ActionScript
· Using the loadMovie Method to Load SWF and JPEG Files
· Walkthrough 4-2: Dynamically Loading JPEG Files into Movie Clips
· Drawing with ActionScript
· Walkthrough 4-3: Using the Drawing Methods to Build Movie Clips
· Walkthrough 4-4: Using the With Statement
· Creating Duplicate Movie Clips
· Walkthrough 4-5: Duplicating a Movie Clip
· Generating Multiple Copies of a Movie Clip
· Walkthrough 4-6: Creating Many Copies of a Movie Clip with Unique Instance Names
· Lab 4: Creating Movie Clips Dynamically

Unit 5: Animating with ActionScript
· Why Use ActionScript to Animate?
· Changing Movie Clip Properties Over Time
· Walkthrough 5-1: Using onEnterFrame
· Changing an Animation Interactively
· Walkthrough 5-2: Using onEnterFrame with hitTest
· Stopping Animation When a Condition Is Met
· Walkthrough 5-3: Using onEnterFrame for Animation
· Stopping onEnterFrame When Animation Stops
· Walkthrough 5-4: Deleting the onEnterFrame After Animation Is Complete
· Stopping Animation After a Specific Time Period
· Walkthrough 5-5: Unloading a Movie Clip After a Specific Time Period
· Lab 5: Animating Movie Clips Using ActionScript

Unit 6: Creating Objects
· Understanding Objects
· Walkthrough 6-1: Creating Objects That Inherit Events
· Creating Objects Visually
· Creating Objects Using Built-in Movie Clip Methods
· Walkthrough 6-2: Creating a TextField Object
· Creating Objects Using the new Keyword for Built-in Objects
· Walkthrough 6-3: Creating a TextFormat Object and Using It to Format a TextField Object
· Walkthrough 6-4: Creating and Using the Color Object
· Creating Custom Objects
· Walkthrough 6-5: Creating a Custom Object to Use with the Color Object Set Transform Method
· Lab 6: Instantiating and Applying Methods to Objects

Unit 7: Reusing Code
· Reusing Code
· Functions Overview
· Walkthrough 7-1: Creating and Using a Simple User-Defined Function
· Defining Variables Local to Functions
· Walkthrough 7-2: Using the var Statement
· Identifying When to Use Functions
· Walkthrough 7-3: Converting Repeated Blocks of Code to a User-Defined Function
· Using Dynamic Evaluation
· Walkthrough 7-4: Using Dynamic Evaluation
· Referencing an External ActionScript File
· Walkthrough 7-5: Including External ActionScript Files in Your Code
· Lab 7: Using Functions with Objects

Unit 8: Creating Dynamic Content Using Text Files
· Understanding Dynamic Content
· Where Does the Data Come From?
· Walkthrough 8-1: Formatting a Text File for Use by Macromedia Flash
· Getting Data into Macromedia Flash
· Walkthrough 8-2: Using Data from a Text File in Macromedia Flash
· Walkthrough 8-3: Using Data from a Text File in Different SWFs
· Waiting Until the Data Has Loaded
· Walkthrough 8-4: Using the the onLoad Event
· Lab 8: Building Dynamic Page Content from a Text File

Unit 9: Using ActionScript with Components
· Components Overview
· Walkthrough 9-1: Adding a Scroll Bar to a Text Field
· Manipulating Component Properties and Methods
· Walkthrough 9-2: Using Scroll Bar Properties and Methods
· Walkthrough 9-3: Creating a Dynamic Drop Down List
· Using Components with Change Handlers
· Walkthrough 9-4: Creating a Component with a Change Handler Function
· What Else Can You Do with Components?

Appendix

· Appendix A: Top Ten Macromedia Flash Design Tips
· Appendix B: Top Ten Macromedia Flash Application Development Tips
· Appendix C: Additional Macromedia Resourceds
· Appendix D: Keyboard Shortcuts
· Appendix E: Student Setup Guide
· Appendix F: Answers to Unit Review Questions