COAP:COAP-2110/week7

Week 7 - COAP 2110

Theme: Term projects, Special effects, masks and more interactivity

Term projects

• Discussion, Advice

Special effects

• Timeline special effects (short demo / not available in CS4/CS5)
• Previews: flash-cs3-special-timeline-effects-2.html

Mask and masked layers

• Previews: flash-cs3-mask.html.
• Handout: Flash special effects tutorial

Interactivity

• Previews: kite-movie.html - Cat manipulation - Remote cat manipulation - Drag and drop edutainment
• Handout: Flash embedded movie clip tutorial (already shown).
• Handout: ActionScript 3 interactive objects tutorial (contains longer AS code useful for homework 7, ActionScript option)
• Handout: Flash drag and drop tutorial (for CS minors, contains longer AS code)
• Handout: Flash games tutorial (only contains a half-finished example)

Publishing on a web site (recall)

• Copy all the files *.swf *.js *.html and resources (e.g. sound or video) that are loaded dynamically via components or ActionScript code to the server. You don't have to copy objects that sit in the library.
• You also may fix the generated HTML file
• You may modify some publish settings.

Classroom activities

(1) Mask layer

• Create a mask layer. Either import a simple bitmap file (a photograph) or use one of your previous Flash files

(2) Object manipulation

• Play with the "cats" examples, get:

actionscript3-simple-object-manipulation.fla

actionscript3-simple-object-manipulation-buttons.fla

Homework 7 - week 7

Assignment

Create a flash application. Please choose from one of the two following options:

1. Create a Flash animation that includes at least two special effects, i.e. built-in timeline effects or mask layers.
2. Create a Flash animation that uses some ActionScript instructions. I require at least 2 "constructs" that are different from timeline navigation. It is not enough to use gotoAndPlay(), gotoAndStop(), stop (), etc. For example, you can play flash movies with "play()" or change properties of objects on the stage, e.g. change their position or hide/unhide these. Recommended for exam preparation...

Reuse of prior homework

• If you wish you may reuse artwork and animations from previous homework (in any way you like). But this is by no means an obligation nor does it have an influence on grading. However, make sure to improve drawing, animation, navigation etc. if you didn't get a top grade for previous work.

Submission date and format

• To be returned by Monday, at start of week 8 lesson
• Use the following Flash file name familyname-firstname.fla, e.g.

miller-joe.fla

... I must be able to distinguish these files and we want to avoid overwriting.

Other constraints

• Reuse of artwork and movie clips: 1/3 must be drawn by yourself, max. 1/3 imported but customized, max. 1/3 imported as is. (So you also can do everything by yourself).
• There is no restriction on the subject, e.g. you can do a slide show or motion/shape/frame animations.
• You can import sound and video from any source (so the 1/3 rule doesn't apply for these).
• You must fill in a document description using the same template as in homework 1.
• Homework projects are individual. If you work with others, make sure that the individual projects differ, i.e. the "reuse of objects" criteria above apply.
• If you reuse old homework, make sure that certain errors are fixed (e.g. use only a single non-editable object in a motion tween). Also get rid of unused tween objects in your library. These are most often indicators of badly done tweens. Finally, try to improve the aesthetics of your drawings.
• Your *.fla should be error free. No broken tweens, no strange tween objects in your library, etc.

Evaluation criteria - bonus and malus points

As usual

The document description

Your xxx.fla file must include a document description.

• Insert it with menu Modify->Document
• Enter a title and description
• See the template