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ActionScript 3.0

This class is geared to those with little or no programming experience. This is a great class for you to become comfortable with the syntax (grammar) of ActionScript, and you'll gain a huge 'repertoire' of interactive tools to add to your existing Flash skills. You'll also have the foundation to build on your ActionScript knowledge using online tools for developers and the many books that are available. Do patronize local booksellers to purchase these and other books for business and pleasure. Let's help keep bookstores' doors open!

Here's a brief outline of what we'll cover in this 4-5 day ActionScript class:

  • Control the timeline by adding ActionScript to it using the Actions Panel, and labeling the parts of the timeline
  • Use Dynamic Text
  • Loop an animation by using a conditional statement
  • Using Event Listeners and use handling functions to respond to the Event; navigate the timeline in response t mouse clicks
  • Open a URL by a mouse click on a button
  • Combine strings of text with variable values to populate a text field and use buttons to change a variable value
    This all is not hard, and already you'll have tools to spiff up your own Flash CS3-CS4 files
  • Change MovieClip properties, and use a popular ENTER_FRAME event
  • Use the Tween Class to animate MovieClip properties and use easing to modify animation effects
  • External (not in the current file's timeline) ActionScript files
  • Create a constructor function and add methods and properties to a class method
  • Use MOUSE_MOVE event; generate random colors
  • Use the UserInterfaceLoader component (remember components from your 3 day Flash class?) to control loading and the display of SWF files and change the source files of the UILoader
    Most large Flash projects consist of a number of SWFs as well as supporting content and data that's loaded at runtime.
  • Use another component to create a scrollbar for a scrolling text field, the UIScrollBar

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  • Learn to check your Flash file to see if you need a preloader and use the ProgressBar component to give user feedback; calculate the % of a file that's loaded and display that percentage in a text field so your users know how far along the load is.
  • Trigger playback of MovieClip frames depending on the % of a file that's loaded
  • Use Arrays, Loops, Boolean variables
  • Create a quiz that uses radio buttons (remember? a button is either on/off, yes/no, true/false) and track responses
  • Control sound with ActionScript by controlling the loading and playback of external MP3 files and working with a playlist (check your iTunes - playlists are in XML format)
  • Use AS and components to control video: FLVPlayback, FLVCaptioning components; learn to show video in Full Screen Mode; use the ColorPicker component to set background color of a video skin
  • Manipulate graphics and animation with tools in AS 3.0: Adobe Pixel Bender Toolkit, Inverse kinematics tools (Flash CS4)
  • Control and print Flash file contents by using a class called PrintJob
  • Send email from a Flash project and use a PHP script (PHP classes coming this summer) that will receive email info from ActionScript and then send data from Flash to the PHP script using the URLVariables class
  • And Finally, using a new Adobe technology called Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) to create desktop applications. You'll AIR specific ActionScript and learn about attaching your own artwork for the app's icon for the Dock or Windows System Tray.
  • AIR apps require a digital signature, so you'll learn the how-tos of Digital Certificates
  • You'll publish and install an AIR application and use AIR classes in AS to develop interaction with operating systems and read data from external files using classes like File and FileStream
  • And when it's all over, you'll have a good feel for how to better control your animations, and have developed the tools to do that control

This class is not for the faint of heart, but neither is Flash. Those serious about adding to their salability as an employee, or a prospective one, should be taking this course.

Class fee is $1295 with a 25% discount if 4-6 attendees from the same company attend at the same time. NFP's get 5% off.

Fee includes materials retained by the participants. Call 414.258.1646 to register or use our handy registration form which you may download from mactraining.com

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