This document provides an overview of using objects and scripting motion in Adobe Flash. It discusses creating ActionScript classes, placing objects on the stage programmatically and from the library, and drawing objects like circles with code. It then covers moving objects by updating x and y coordinates, using event listeners like ENTER_FRAME to trigger movement, bouncing objects off edges by changing movement direction, and detecting edge collisions more precisely using an object's width and height. The homework assignment is to read a chapter on game elements and create a Flash file with an object moving across the stage via ActionScript.

1. ARTDM 170, Week 6: Using
Objects + Scripting Motion
Gilbert Guerrero
gguerrero@dvc.edu
gilbertguerrero.com/blog/artdm-170

2. Adobe Flash
Open Flash and create a new
ActionScript 3.0 document...

3. Create an ActionScript class
• Save your ActionScript file, example:
MyAnimation.fla
• Go to New... > ActionScript File to
create a new external AS file
• Save the file using the same name as
your Flash file, example:
MyAnimation.as

4. Review: ActionScript Class
Class file declaration
package { Library classes needed
import flash.display.*;
import flash.text.*; Class definition
public class HelloWorld2 extends MovieClip {
public function HelloWorld2() {
var myText: TextField = new TextField();
myText.text = "Hello World!";
addChild(myText);
}
} Constructor
}

5. Create a new AS class
package {
import flash.display.*;
public class MyAnimation extends Sprite {
public function MyAnimation() {
}
}
}

6. Placing objects on the stage
• Programmatically (using Flash
display objects)
• Library (named instances)
• Library + Programmatically (export
for ActionScript)

7. Drawing a circle with code
• Add this code to your class to draw a
circle on the screen
public var myCircle:Sprite = new Sprite();
myCircle.graphics.lineStyle(5,0x000000);
myCircle.graphics.beginFill(0xCCCCCC);
myCircle.graphics.drawCircle(0,0,25);
addChild(myCircle);

8. Draw a circle
• Create a new movie clip
• Draw a circle
• Drag it onto the stage
• Name the instance of the object
• The instance name becomes the way to use
the object in the code:
//moves circle to the upper corner
happyFunBall.x = 0;
happyFunBall.y = 0;

9. Export for ActionScript
• Open the Properties for an object in
the library
• Check export for ActionScript and
click OK
• Flash will create a class for you

10. Export for ActionScript
• Now you can created an unlimited
number of named instances in the
code to add the object to the stage
var superFunBall:Ball = new Ball();
superFunBall.x = 0;
superFunBall.y = 0;
addChild(superFunBall);

11. Computer Animation

12. Moving objects
• An instance of a movie clip can be
moved to any location using x and y
as coordinates:
myCircle.x = 300;
myCircle.y = 200;

13. Updating location
• By updating x and y values we can change
the location of our object
// Move the clips
myCircle.x = myCircle.x + 10;
myCircle.y = myCircle.y + 10;

14. Traditional Animation
frame frame frame
1 2 3

15. Computer Animation
render display render display
frame 1 frame 1 frame 2 frame 2
Executes code Executes code

16. (Dynamic) Flash Animation
There’s only one frame!
get apply
render display
initial rules to
frame frame
state state

17. Event Listeners
• By using an event listener that's triggered by
ENTER_FRAME the movie clip instance will move on
it's own
addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME,
myFunction);

18. Movement function
public function onMoveCircle
(e:Event):void {
myCircle.x = myCircle.x + moveX;
myCircle.y = myCircle.y + moveY;
}

19. Triggering movement
package {
import flash.display.*;
import flash.events.*;
public class MyAnimation extends MovieClip {
// Setup the values
private var myCircle:Sprite;
public function MyAnimation() {
myCircle = new Sprite();
myCircle.graphics.beginFill(0xCCCCCC);
myCircle.graphics.drawCircle(0,0,25);
addChild(theBall);
addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME,
onMoveCircle);
}
public function onMoveCircle(pEvent:Event):void {
myCircle.x = myCircle.x + 10;
myCircle.y = myCircle.y + 10;
}
}
}

20. Bounce the clip off the edges
• The edge of the stage can be detected by
determining if the movie clip's x or y values are
greater or less than the stage width or height:
myClip.x > stage.stageWidth
myClip.x < 0
myClip.y > stage.stageHeight
myClip.y < 0
• stage.stageWidth and stage.stageHeight are
variables stored by Flash that you can access at
any time.

21. Change direction
• The direction of the clip can be changed when an
edge is detected:
if(myClip.x > stage.stageWidth || myClip.x < 0) {
moveX = -moveX;
}
if(myClip.y > stage.stageHeight || myClip.y < 0) {
moveY = -moveY;
}

22. Bounce the clip off the edges
// Setup the values
var moveX:Number = 10;
var moveY:Number = 10;
function moveClip(pEvent:Event):void {
if(myClip.x > stage.stageWidth || myClip.x < 0){
moveX = -moveX; //change direction
}
if(myClip.y > stage.stageHeight || myClip.y < 0){
moveY = -moveY; //change direction
}
// Move the clips
myClip.x = myClip.x + moveX;
myClip.y = myClip.y + moveY;
}
// Trigger the movement automatically
addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, moveClip);

23. Use the edge of the ball
For a more realistic bounce the edge of the ball should
be detected when it comes into contact with the edge.
Do this by adding or subtracting half the width of the
ball:
myClip.width/2
myClip.height/2
The full statements:
myClip.x > stage.stageWidth - myClip.width/2 ||
myClip.x < myClip.width/2
myClip.y > stage.stageHeight - myClip.height/2 ||
myClip.y < myClip.height/2

24. Bounce using the ball edges
var moveX:Number = 10;
var moveY:Number = 10;
function moveClip(pEvent:Event):void {
if(myClip.x > stage.stageWidth - myClip.width/2
|| myClip.x < myClip.width/2){
moveX = -moveX; //change direction
}
if(myClip.y > stage.stageHeight - myClip.height/2
|| myClip.y < myClip.height/2){
moveY = -moveY; //change direction
}
myClip.x = myClip.x + moveX;
myClip.y = myClip.y + moveY;
}

25. Homework, due March 9
• Read p65-81, Chapter 2:
ActionScript Game Elements in AS
3.0 Game Programming University
• Create a Flash movie with scripted
motion
• Add an object to the stage
• Make the object move across the
screen using ActionScript