Re: FLASH: scripting motion redux

[Helen Triolo]

Hi Catherine.  Those bubbles, and most things that require continuous

display of something that's changing over time, are done with a

movieclip that has an onClipEvent(enterFrame) routine attached to it. 

In Flash 5, unlike Flash 4, the movieclip itself can be any number of

frames, even 1, and it will loop continuously as long as it's on stage

and controlled by an onClipEvent(enterFrame) routine.  So you just

create your movieclip, drag it onto the stage in the frame you want it

in, select it and type your code into the Object Actions tab.  (In Flash

4, you put the code into the movieclip itself, but in Flash 5, the code

resides in the Object Actions for the instance of the movieclip, if that

makes sense).  


The bubblemaker uses two movieclips: bubbleclip, which just has 1 frame

with a bubble graphic, and bubblemaker, which has a masked copy of

bubbleclip -- also only 1 frame.  Once bubblemaker has been dragged to

the stage, this code goes into the Object Actions tab to make randomly

floating up bubbles that get deleted when they reach a certain y

position.  The complications are all in generating the randomness --

moving the bubbles isn't hard at all (it's just changing the y position

every time the routine is executed).


onClipEvent (load) {

	nTimeCount = 71;

	nBubbleCount = 0;

}

onClipEvent (enterFrame) {

	if (nTimeCount > 70) {

		duplicateMovieClip (mcBubbleClip, "mcBubbleClip" + ++nBubbleCount,

nBubbleCount);

		// bubbles start in random place between x=0 and x=200

		this["mcBubbleClip"+nBubbleCount]._x = math.random()*200;

		// bubble size is between 30 and 100% of symbol size

		nBubbleSize = 30+math.random()*70;

		this["mcBubbleClip"+nBubbleCount]._xscale = nBubbleSize;

		this["mcBubbleClip"+nBubbleCount]._yscale = nBubbleSize;

		this["mcBubbleClip"+nBubbleCount]._y = 330;

		// make new bubble between every 40 and 60 frames

		nTimeCount = math.random()*20;

	}

	nTimeCount++;

	// delete bubbles at top and

	// move all remaining clips up one pixel per frame

	for (i=1; i<=nBubbleCount; i++) {

		if (this["mcBubbleClip"+i]._y < -20) {

			removeMovieClip("mcBubbleClip"+i);

		} else {

			this["mcBubbleClip"+i]._y -= 1;

		}

	}

}


So in your case, you'd put the code that moves a clip along a lissajous

curve into the onClipEvent(enterFrame) routine, and it would display

continuously.  I don't know what a lissajous curve is, but it sounds

interesting -- if you'd care to post or send me the code for it, I'd be

glad to try to stick it into the bubblemaker and see if I can get it to

do something.


Regards,

Helen 

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Catherine Kunicki wrote:

> 

> Hi.

> 

> Cat's back in tutorial mode : )

> 

> I asked this question back in August or September and recieved a couple of

> great answers which I didn't save and can't seem to dig up in either flasher

> or flashcoders archives.

> 

> I have some old scripts (Hypertalk and Lingo versions) which move an object

> in lissajous curve patterns.  Since its familiar territory, I want to try

> them out with Flash 5 actionscript.

> 

> I have my movieclip moving in a "while (i < somenumber)" loop. My clip moves

> correctly, however all you can see is really the first and final positions.

> I need ideas (or links to tutorials) about the best way to show the steps.

> 

> I think using movies with more than one frame might have been the answer : )

> 

> I noticed helen triolo's elegantly moving bubbles, which I might try and

> figure out - looks like there might be some help there - but if anyone can

> give me a jump start, I'd appreciate it.

> 

> Catherine

> 

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

flasher is generously supported by...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   flashforward2000 and the Flash(tm) Film Festival

 November 27-29, 2000, LONDON, National Film Theatre


   Produced by United Digital Artists and lynda.com

-Sponsored by Macromedia, Adobe Systems and Apple Computer

-http://www.flashforward2000.com  or UK tel. +44 (0870) 751 1526

       Register before November 10 and save £200

            http:// www.flashforward2000.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

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