Archive for February, 2008

Posted on February 16, 2008 - by Alex

Calling Methods in the Timeline in AS 3.0 - Flash CS3

When first transitioning to Actionscript 3.0 and the new Flash CS3 O-O model, a lot of things became cleaner and easier to accomplish with code. One notable exception to that however, was calling methods in a timeline, specifically those in an externally loaded .SWF.

The short answer to this is: when calling a method in this scenario, the external SWF must be cast as a MovieClip prior to interaction occurring. I know that sounds strange- “cast a MovieClip as a MovieClip ..??” -but with the new 3.0 object hierarchy, there is a reason:

To grab an external Movie (.SWF), you’d probably use a loader (it’s the cleanest way IMHO):

public var swfMovie:Loader = new Loader();
swfMovie.load(new URLRequest(”movieclips/mc1.swf”));

Once this happens, your main (parent) clip sees this .SWF as a Loader’s content. So it looks at the clip as essentially a child object contained within the instance of the swfMovie loader - specifically it’s .content property.

var externalSWF = MovieClip(swfMovie.content);
externalSWF.startMe();

So to cast it, use the syntax illustrated to create a new MovieClip (you may have to import the MovieClip class def.) variable, and cast the swfMovie’s content property. From there just call the method!

As a side note: the external movieclip’s playhead must be on the frame(s) with the method you’re calling to function properly. E.g. this external .SWF was stopped in the first frame, which also had the startMe() definition in it.

Posted on February 12, 2008 - by Alex

Defining Success

What does success mean to you? I think most people want to be successful, but how many really have given thought to what that entails?

Do you aspire to become a millionare? Or live on the beach in Hawaii? Or simply to be the best Father/Mother you can be? Success doesn’t have to be a singular goal at the end of a long tunnel, but people seem to think that’s what it is.

So, what if I want to make a million dollars? Is that for my annual salary, or over my lifetime? Must I possess it all at once, or can it be divided up into assets and savings and life’s little luxuries. How should I get there, how long will it take and what do I need to do to achieve it. No, not down the road, pie-in-the-sky to-do’s either - what do I need to do TODAY?

Wrestling with these questions has been a point of contention for me in the past, but I’ve learned to see them as tools for determining what the means are to meet my goals, and if they really justify the ends. When an opportunity comes along, exciting as it may be, I try to just step back and look at if it will really get me where I want to go, or if it’s just going to lead me off-course. It may not be easy turning down the 7-figure salary, but if my goal is to be a great parent and the job means 21 days/month in Tokyo, it’s much easier to decide when I’ve got a road-map to refer to.