COAP:COAP-2110/final

Final exam

The final exam will focus on interactivity and animation. You will receive a *.fla file to complete/repair. It will be similar in spirit to the mid-term exam.

Prepare for the following subjects

(1) Mid-term exam requirements

• See Help:COAP-2110/mid-term

(2) Buttons

• Using library *.fla buttons (just change the label)
• Making your own buttons from simple (!) drawings (including drawings for the different button states)
• Using button components (label, change of width)

(3) Videos and Sound

• Sound embedded into the timeline
• Videos embedded into the timeline
• Simple use of the video component

(4) ActionScript

• Simple event handling functions and registration of mouse click events

Example code:

// timeline moving
forward_btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,forward);
function forward(event:MouseEvent) { gotoAndStop(2); }

// Play an embedded movie clip
start_button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,start_kite);
function start_kite(event:MouseEvent) {
	kite.play();
}

You should be able to master following simple ActionScript "instructions":

• Change the visibility of an object on the stage
• Play and stop an embedded movie clip
• play and stop the animation in the timeline
• Move the user around in the timeline

Example code:

cat.visible = true;
cat.visible = false;

movie_clip.stop();
movie_clip.play();

gotoAndPlay(12);
gotoAndPlay("robot");
gotoAndStop(12);
gotoAndStop("cat_anim");

stop();
start();

Do not forget to revise the subjects from the previous exam (drawing and animation principles) !

Not covered in the exam

• ActionScript program flow (e.g. if and switch statements)
• Special effects
• Video captions and Video cue points
• Loading of external sources other than video.
• Keypress events

Preparation example

You can try to solve the 2007 final exam:

Solve the following problems:

• Frame 1 (home): Buttons should not lead you to frame 1 (home), but to the various other keyframes. Also add your name.
• Frame 2 (Sailing): (a) Play the tween animation of boat with the 'what's going on here' button. (b) BONUS Point: Create and play a motion animation of a plane.
• Frame 3 (Driving): (a) Create an animation that will start moving the car from right to left and slightly forward too (i.e. keep it on the road). To animate the car edit the 'old car' symbol and make it a motion tween. Then link it to the what's going on here button (b) BONUS Point: Do something with the yellow car.
• Frame 4 (Island): (a) Make the trees visible when the user clicks on the what's going on button. (b) BONUS point: Improve the frame-by-frame animation of the big tree.
• Frame 5 (Rocket): (a) Write code that will launch the rocket. (b) BONUS: Do something with the snakes

Tip: For starters, you can navigate with the little button on top right. Do not edit layer one !

Now get the *.fla source file from here:

action-script-button-anim-problem.fla

Instructions are also inside the *.fla file (play it):

action-script-button-anim-problem.html

A good enough solution is also available:

Source *.fla: action-script-button-anim-solution.fla

HTML+SWF: action-script-button-anim-solution.html

Directory: http://tecfa.unige.ch/guides/flash/ex/action-script-3-intro/

Also, have a look again at the Help:COAP-2110/mid-term exam and the flash animation summary. The original exam files and the solution for this mid-term are also available in this directory: http://tecfa.unige.ch/guides/flash/ex/exams2008/

Other information

• All materials are allowed (e.g. books, handouts, web pages)
• Use of communication tools is strictly forbidden (no chat, no mail, etc.). No talking between students. Offenders may get an F.