The intent of this class is to teach you the in-depth fundamentals of ActionScript and to show you a pro-active approach to using a programming language while developing a creative project. We will only work with Flash CS4 and ActionScript 3.
The class meets every Friday afternoon from 3:30pm to 6:00pm. The best way to communicate outside of the class is using the itp-flashplatform list. If needed, you can contact me privately at veronique@nyu.edu or veronique@v-ro.com.
There are lots of online resources to learn ActionScript via examples, code sample or documentation.
There is no book required for this class but if you want a reference manual to keep, my recommendation is Colin Moock's Essential ActionScript 3 published by O'Reilly.
March 27
Final projects presentation.
February 27
Device fonts, Embedded fonts.
Text format and interactivity.
Some examples of typography:
words at play, nie9e, perte de temps, walking together
the Flash text engine
flash.text.TexField, flash.textFieldType, flash.TextFieldAutoSize, flash.events.TextEvent, flash.text.engine
Class examples
February 20
Sound and Video (embedded and streaming).
Introduction to Flash components.
flash.media.Sound, flash.media.SoundChannel, flash.media.ID3Info, flash.media.Video, flash.net.NetConnection, flash.net.NetStream
Class examples
February 13
Getting data over a network
Requesting data and the URLLoader, the URLRequest and URLVariables
Receiving data and the XMLDocument
Services: GoogleMap and Flickr
Tools: Charles, Fidler
flash.net, flash.xml
Class examples
February 6
How to detect and use distance and rotation.
Interaction between elements (attraction and repulsion).
The bitmapData and manipulation of bitmaps.
Tweener and Easing, flash.display.Bitmap, flash.display.BitmapData
Class examples
January 30
Introduction and management of the displayList.
Basic event handling. MouseEvent and keyEvent.
Sprite manipulation and programmatic animation for an individual element.
Timing: onEnterFrame, Timer, Interval.
flash.display, flash.events, Math , flash.utils
Class examples: timeline animation, displayList, MouseEvent, KeyEvent, time-based animations
January 23
What is programming: A computer program is just a list of step-by-step instructions that you give to the computer, which it performs one by one. Each individual instruction is known as a statement (in ActionScript, written with a semicolon at the end).
What is Object Oriented programming. It is a way to organize code in a program using objects. The code is grouped into chunks of functionality, so related types of functionality or related pieces of information are grouped together in one container.
Understanding class, package and class path.
What is the Flash player. Penetration and versions (please make sure to install Adobe Flash Player DEBUG version 10). Introduction to the flash IDE. Introduction to the ActionScript language: Top Level, Language Elements, flash.* and fl.* package.
Review of some core concepts: variable and variable scope, dataType, Object, Array, conditionals, looping, functions.
Create a few simple application and learn to debug
Download the class' examples:
trace statement on the timeline, use the DocumentClass, target movieclips on the stage from the DocumentClass, create movieclips dynamically from the DocumentClass, call other packages/classes from the DocumentClass
