Learning Flash ActionScript

Flash ActionScript

Introduction
Event handling has changed a lot for Flash over the past few releases of the player. With the release of ActionScript 3, this continues to be the case. With ActionScript 3, you will have more control than ever when dealing with events in Flash.
This article will cover the new features related to event handling in ActionScript 3 and help you get a better understanding of how the new EventDispatcher class works especially in relation to using mouse events. You will learn about event propagation, event objects, and how to create your own custom events

Flash is a graphics and animation software package that enables Web developers to design and deliver low- bandwidth animations and presentations referred to as
movies. With Flash, you can create interactive Web pages
with both motion and sound. This book is about

ActionScript, the scripting language that enables you to add
interactivity to your Flash movie. With ActionScript, you can
have your Flash movie respond to mouse clicks and key
presses, or you can request information from the user and
have your Flash movie respond to the information provided.

CREATE A SCENE

sing scenes enables you to separate your movie into sections. For example, you can have a scene that displays the title of the movie, a scene that plays the
movie, and a final scene that lists the characters. Each scene
has its own Timeline and can include its own animation.

To create a scene, click View➪ Scene from the menu. A
newStage and Timeline appears in which you can create
your scene. By default, Flash names scenes by assigning
them sequential numbers, for example, Scene 1 and Scene
2. You can use the Scene panel to add, remove, duplicate,
rename, and change the order of scenes. To open the Scene
panel, click Window➪ Panels➪ Scene from the menu

CREATE LAYERS

When creating a Flash movie, you place individual images and animations on separate layers to prevent them from connecting, erasing, or
segmenting each other. You should also use separate layers
for sounds, actions, frame labels, and comments. Layers are
transparent sheets on which you create the graphics and
animations you use in your movie. You can see through
each sheet to the layer beneath until you add color.

You work on the active layer. You make a layer active by
clicking in the layer, or by moving to the Stage and selecting
an object on the layer. Flash places a pencil icon next to the
layer name of the active layer. Only one layer can be active at

a time. As you create objects, they are stacked according to layer. An object on a lower layer will appear as if it is behind an object on a higher layer. You can change the order of layers and the name of a layer. You can lock a layer to prevent changes to the layer. Flash
uses a padlock icon to indicate a locked layer. You can also
hide a layer. Hiding a layer is useful when you want to
remove certain objects on the Stage from view to make it
easier for you to create graphics. You can delete layers
when you no longer need them.

To assist you when you are drawing graphics, you can create
guide layers. You can also create motion guide layers to
assist you when creating motion tweens. You can use mask
layers to create spotlight effects. Flash also provides you
with an option that allows you to view a layer as an outline.
You can specify the outline color. Adding layers does not
increase the file size of your published movie
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