Flash 5 ActionScript for Artists || Stephen Hartzog || Stanford University Digital Art Center, Winter 2002

The Importance of Names  f5a4a.WEEK.02.DAY.04 = 2002.January.16.Wednesday

Assignment:
Create a movie that is composed of nested, animated timelines that is at least three levels deep (e.g., mom, kid, grandkid). Each tween object has an invisible button which causes it's timeline to play on rollOver, and to stop on rollOut. The button also controls the playing of all of the named objects nested below it (e.g. kid makes grandkid play).
Due: Wednesday, January 23
Concepts:
Named Instances: These can be controlled with ActionScript.
Interactive: There is no action unless the interactor interrogates an object. This is a form of nonlinearity.
Nesting and Inheritance: see: Nesting Timeline Animations
All projects will be evaluated on the basis of technique, concept and aesthetics.

To assign a NAME to an Instance
With an Instance of a Symbol selected onstage:
Menu Bar || Window >> Instance  [CTRL + I]*
Enter a name in the Name Field. Do not use any spaces in the name
* shortcut command given for Windows platform only.

Named Instances can only be Motion Tweened.
Concentrate on these effects:
Property Where to change it
position Info Panel [CTRL + ALT + I]
height and width
rotation

Menu Bar || Window >> Panels >> Transform
or
Menu Bar || Modify >> Transform ...
 or
Context Menu: Right-click an element
scale
color Menu Bar || Window >> Panels >> Effect
transparency


Debugger
Menu Bar || File >> Publish Settings... [CTRL + SHIFT + F12]
Select the Flash tab,
Check the Debugging Permitted box.
Menu Bar || Control >> Debug Movie [CTRL + SHIFT + F12]
Once you have enabled debugging, you can open the Debugger
by Right-Clicking on a movie that you are testing, and
selecting Debugger from the context menu.

You can also list the Objects and Variables in a movie that is
being tested by selecting from the Debug Menu.
HELP REFERENCES

Use the class list of links to Flash Tutorials by Category
especially: targetting

Flash 5 Bible
Chapter 18: Navigating Flash Timelines
Flash 5 ActionScript for Artists || Stephen Hartzog || Stanford University Digital Art Center, Winter 2002