repeat loop and timer

We learnt something about order and chaos in the last blog.

But we still got a static image. Flash loading the banana's and that was it.

Now we introduce a timer and get the machine alive!

A timer in Flash scripting is a function which can send "events" at a certain time interval. This event is caught by an eventlistener, just like the events from the keyboard and the mouse.

Here is the download, with the example:
http://www.contrechoc.com/flash/orderANDchaos.zip

The timer has to be declared:

var clickTimer:Timer = new Timer(50); //50 is the milliseconds between the ticks
clickTimer.addEventListener("timer", timerHandler2);

and you have to start it ticking:

clickTimer.start();

you can also stop it:

clickTimer.stop();

then like the keyboard or the mouse, you have to prepare a function catching the events:

function timerHandler2 (event:TimerEvent ) {

readSound("click.mp3");}

Now this plays the tick sound every 50 milliseconds, which is a lot!

Try varying the interval....

In the example images are loaded at the tick of the timer.

The images can come in at an unexpected order because the images are loaded from outside. To get a strict order in arrangement from back to front you need to put the images in movieClips, the boxes you already encountered in earlier examples.

Order and chaos: introducing random

The first lessons were really hard work, getting used to the terminology, all the windows, the scripting language...

This time we study the order of the world and the chaos of art. We will try to find a solution in between.

Start with your own background (big) and have a small image with a transparent background (.png) ready.

Discover the possibility of the so called “for-loop” for making order in the two direction: horizontal and vertical:

in a loop we can repeat things:
see the download: in the first movie we load one banana:
loadImage("banana.png", 100, 100);

in the second movie we load three banana's:
loadImage("banana.png", 100, 100);
loadImage("banana.png", 130, 100);
loadImage("banana.png", 160, 100);

but what about 25? Do we have to type all 25 banana's?

No!

We can do this more effecient:
we use a counter, just a variable counting from 0 to 25!
and we use this counter also to change the coordinates, in this case the x: 30 + counter*40
for (var counter = 0 ; counter < counter ="counter" j =" 1" j =" j" i =" 1" i =" i" style="text-align: center;">

Now we introduce a bit of disorder, using a random function:

for (var j = 1 ; j < j =" j" i =" 1" i =" i" style="text-align: center;">

We used the Math.random() to get a random number between 0 and 1 and have to multiply this to get between say 0 and 25 by 25...

We get this image....

We get a mixture of order and chaos, and we can send the screenshots to Boijmans.

Follow the sequence of order and chaos in these free flash movies, made especially for YOU!

http://www.contrechoc.com/flash/flash-orderAndChaos.zip

try making a function which can read another image, so you can alternate the order of two images! (We did that in class )

try varying the scale of the image, to get bigger and smaller images (We did that in class!)

So here are some static results: when you see it happen on screen, or when you repeat the key stroke on your keyboard every time a new unexpected configuration is made by your flash movie.

this is a random grocery shop from Rabia

this is criticizing commercial religions from Nieke

this is font fun from Giulia

Updated example keyboard input + Video streaming

The former example movie was not too complicated, but it didn't have a few possibilities which are needed for playing a video. We could load and play and replay the video in the FLVideoPlayback, but not really resume it.

To solve this problem we need a few extra "boxes", containers around the data. This is like the MovieClip around in image, or the Soundchannel around a sound.

First of all the new example: keyboard Input + Netstream Video

There are several examples of playing with images, sounds and video in this folder
we start with the keyboard input examples + netstreamvideo.fla

The first keys are the usual:

• 1 for a sound
• 2 for a stop sound
• 3 for a image
• 4 for a second image

Then we get to the playing of the video: (this part is new, but you practiced already this kind of scripting)

• 5 playing the first video
• 6 pausing the video
• 7 resuming the video
• 8 repositioning and rescaling the video

Then we have two keys left for the second video (the same for making the download zip smaller)

• 9 load and play second video
• 0 pause/resume second video

What about are the boxes? First we use a box called Netstream, which can be paused and resumed.
Then to get more than one video easily we made a special box called a class, starting from the examples from the FLASH Help, section NetStream.
This class must be included in the folder with the Flash movie. For the rest you can leave this alone. It has been imported at the top of the script:

import NetConnectionVideoClass;

In the script you can read what functions can be called, the name indicate what these functions are for.

To add a third video you have to do two things:
define the box:
var myVideoStream3:NetConnectionVideoClass=new NetConnectionVideoClass("MOV00948.flv");
where MOV00948.flv is the name (you can change, don't forget to put this new video also in the folder of the flash movie.)
and then copy and paste the play and resume parts, changing the name of course to myVideoStream3 instead of myVideoStream1 or myVideoStream2.

The other examples become more complex:
keyboard input start stop resume one button multiple video.fla starts pauses resumes a looping video on one button ( key 0)

If you want to use more than one video there is:
keyboard input start stop resume one button multiple video.fla
This movie has an array of video's, with positions etc, that play, pause, resume on one button.
For the sake of not going too much OO i have used the array and the playPauseResumeVideo function. Of course when more advanced you should make a nice new class.

(Yes the NetConnectionVideoClass.as is already a class....but one that can "just be used" )

Flash Scripting Primer, arrow keys and video on keys, mouse events

Arrow Keys:

Last time we saw the images appear on keyboard input.
Some keys are very special like the arrows, and we have to get hitting the arrows in another way than the normal keys:

normal keys were tracked like this:
if (String.fromCharCode( event.charCode) == "5")
{
myMovieClip1.x = myMovieClip1.x - 50;
}

but with the arrows we have to do it like this:
if (event.keyCode == 38 )//up
{
myMovieClip1.y = myMovieClip1.y - 50;
}

that is because the characters and letters are having a charCode (ASCII code) but the arrows don't represent "normal" characters. The other keys are having keyCode too, of course, but "charCode" is more like "character".

Then using the arrow codes: keyCode = 37 or 38 or 39 or 40 you can steer an image around on the Stage.

An example with only images:

http://www.contrechoc.com/flash/e-paper-images.zip




1,2,3,4 are background images,
5 is a text png,
6 is a duck, 6 is special, if you touch it again the duck will be different, about 5 images are placed in a sequence
7,8,9 are images, and the last image , key 9 always come on top.

The video (using FLVPlayback)
We can start playing a video like loading an image or playing a sound.
The video is streamed, we have to indivate the path, where to find the video:
var videoPath:String = "MOV00948.flv" when the video is in the same folder as the flash movie, or var videoPath:String = "videoFolder/MOV00948.flv", as an example when the video is in the folder called "videoFolder".

Also the video will play only when it is in the special format .flv, you can change the format in the Media Encoder or Video Encoder (CS3 or CS4).

For this way of playing the video we use a "component" of Flash. The components can be found under Menu: Window: COmponents or CMD 7 (MAC) or CTRL 7 (Windows).
Then we drag the FLVPlayback into the library ( CMD L for MAC, CTRL L for Windows). That is all, import fl.video.VideoPlayer; will be recognized.

We can also stop a video, and we can put a filter on a video. All these actions are practiced with the keyboard input.

http://www.contrechoc.com/flash/FlashStarter3.zip
FlashStarter2-ImageSound_onArrows.fla is the flash example with arrows
keyboard input and video.fla shows the possibilities of the video

a fine resource of video material is youtube. Youtube movies have the right format for flash: .flv
you can download youtube movies with this program: ytd
http://download.cnet.com/YouTube-Downloader/3000-2071_4-192611.html

The mouse input
Handling the mouse also creates events like the keys.
We can attach reactions like the ones we practiced with the keys also to the mouse.
Again we use an eventlistener:

stage.addEventListener (.... )
also we have to add a function which defines what to do with the events triggered:
stage.addEventListener (...., whatToDoWithTriggerFunction)
the whatToDoWithTriggerFunction will have to be defined.

Here are several eventlisteners for the mouse (different kind of triggers, clicking moving):

• addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, clickHandler);
• addEventListener(MouseEvent.DOUBLE_CLICK, doubleClickHandler);
• addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandler);
• addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT, mouseOutHandler);
• addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER, mouseOverHandler);
• addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, mouseUpHandler);

Then in the function we can track different kind of properties:
The mouse is more versatile than a key! For example the mouse point has x and y coordinates.

We can do something with these coordinates like this:

function startDraw ( event:MouseEvent): void
{
var posX : Number = event.stageX;
var posY : Number = event.stageY;
}

So with the mouse we can make a simple drawing flash movie:

http://www.contrechoc.com/flash/SimpleDraw.zip

Ok enough for today, we have to practice using this information, modify the movies, make

Flash Scripting Primer, loading sounds and images

After doing some basic coding in the first lesson we want to use images and sounds to make a first interactive flash movie.

We have a folder with sounds and a folder with images. We keep images and sounds in these folders outside the flash movie. We will load the needed sounds or images with a script. This keeps our actual movie small. So the movie is loaded quickly.

What is the plan? We have a few images and sounds. We will make a story using these images and sounds.

If the user pushes some keys, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 for example, the movie reacts by loading either a sound or an image.

The details of this loading a sound or an image are hidden in a function which is already prepared. For new movies you can copy these functions from the example script. You don't have to study this! Concentrate on the concepts behind your movie.

IMAGES

Movieclips:

An image is caught in a MovieClip, with we which can shift the image around, make it rotate, scale it.

You have to do a bit of work with the movieclips though. First of all, a MovieClip must be created:

var myMovieClip1: MovieClip = new MovieClip();//(this is called instantiating an object, we have a var (variable) with the name myMovieClip1(you can choose this name) of type MovieClip, and this will become (=) a new Movieclip....)

Then you must put this "object" on stage, to make it visible:

stage.addChild(myMovieClip1);//your movieclip is a child, becomes dependent of, the stage, the "main" movieclip

But if you look now exporting the movie with CMD ENTER (for MAC) or CTRL ENTER (for Wondows), nothing is shown: that is because there is nothing yet in the movieclip!

So now we load an image using a prepared function:

loadImage(myMovieClip1, "3.png", 10, 100);//this tells to load an image called "3.png" inside this movieclip called myMovieClip1, and put it on the spot with coordinates 10 for x and 100 for y.

This line of code shows the image on Stage. It can be used for a background.

But we want to make the movie interactive:

Eventlisteners:

On key touch, of key 1, we want to load another image:

For this we need "an eventlistener", a process looking for the keyboard presses:

stage.addEventListener(KeyboardEvent.KEY_UP, keyDownHandler);

So, the stage is looking (listening) for events, happenings, like the pressing, or here the letting go of keys.

Then we have to ask: which key is pressed? We need some abstract stuff for that:

if (String.fromCharCode( event.charCode) == "3")
loadImage(myMovieClip1, "myDuck.png", 10, 100);

But you can recognize the key 3 in "3". And you can make this a 5 for key 5 etc. Be careful that in the FLASH environment the characters or letters are mostly shortcuts. If using characters, then test the movie in de flashplayer.

This checking which key is touched must happen inside a function, and this function was indicated by the listener: see keyDownHandler after stage.addEventListener(KeyboardEvent.KEY_UP, keyDownHandler );

function keyDownHandler ( event:KeyboardEvent ): void
{

//which key???:

if (String.fromCharCode( event.charCode) == "3")
loadImage(myMovieClip1, "myDuck.png", 10, 100);

}

example with only images: http://www.contrechoc.com/flash/e-paper-images.zip

* 1,2,3,4 are to switch backgrounds
* 5 is a text (of Heidegger, Frage der Technik)
* 6 is a duck which has a sequence of images
* 7,8,9 are random images, the red paint dot always comes on top

SOUND
The same goes for sound.
Loading a sound is done from the folder sounds.
The actual loading is done in a function readSound (not needed to study at the moment)
The sound must be in a Soundchannel, just like the image in a movieclip, to start playing and to stop playing.

so checking a key: (again inside this keyDownHandler function)
if (String.fromCharCode( event.charCode) == "9")
readSound("1.mp3",1000);
This tells the movie that if key 9 is touched, then it should load soundFile "1.mp3" and play it 1000 times!
This 1000 is there to get it looping. You can make this 1, for playing the sound once.

To stop the sound use this:
if (String.fromCharCode( event.charCode) == "2")
myChannel.stop();
Touching 2 will stop the sound.

Actually I am using only one soundChannel. This soundChannel was defined at the top of the script, like the MovieClip:
var mySound:Sound = new Sound();
var myChannel:SoundChannel = new SoundChannel();//you recognize the var, the SoundChannel name (actually a Class name) and the new.

When wanting to play two sounds at the same time , you should make an extra soundChannel:
and Sound:
var mySound2:Sound = new Sound();
var myChannel2:SoundChannel = new SoundChannel();
and pass this second Sound and SoundChannel with the readSound function as parameters, like the loadImage...but that is for later! We use a few images at the moment, but only one sound at the time....

Why not just use Image and Sound?

This Movieclip and Soundchannel can be thought of as wrappers, paper around the actual content. We need this "paper" to do things with it, like playing (for the sound) and shifting (of the image)

With these simple tricks we will make an animation with shifting images and sounds.

The example file with all the script working can be found here:

http://www.contrechoc.com/flash/flashImportImageAndSound.zip

If the file does not open, then make a new flashmovie and copy and paste the text from the textfile "script for importing images and sounds" in the folder to your the actions window of the new movie, save the movie in the folder you downloaded and it will play. This is a problem of FLASH CS4 and FLASH CS3: this example was made in CS4 and CS3 refuses it...

Sounds must be in a mp3 format for FLASH
Because of this I have made a collection of ready to use sounds:

http://www.contrechoc.com/flash/shortMP3sounds.zip

The image have to come from your own collection, you can use JPG or PNG.

PNG can be transparent.

Download Flash CS3 example: (script in a textfile)

http://www.contrechoc.com/flash/keyboardInput_CS3script.txt

(Make a new flash movie, window->actions copy paste the script text into this actions window, save movie in a folder, make also the folders images and sounds in this folder, provide the sounds ( .mp3 format) and the images (jpg or png) put them into the appropriate folders and play!)

used:

* keys, keyboard, keyListener, movieclip, soundChannel