Friday, December 30, 2005

Flash Game Development


Was browsing around to look for more information on Flash 8's BitmapData in exporting JPEG format using FLASH/PHP. Hidden Resource is a portal where it posts news and findings on game development in Flash, very interesting articles they have there.

This is then i've stumbled across this link, A REALTIME RTS in FLASH! OMGLOLWTFBBQ
It's called Dawn2

And I'm deeply sorry if I haven't introduce you guys to Samorost 2, which released quite some time ago, which is developed by Amanita Design. A very addictive RPG-click-based-adventure game.

Their idea is always wicked, wacky and mysterious, you never know what you'll expect. The game's rich in animation, fluid and sound effect, well, go and explore, you'll know what i mean.

Off topic? I've bump across very weird site courtesy of Paul Neave
I'd realize that if you enjoying those click-based journeys in Flash site, i bet you'll like this even.


VectorPark

AFLAX : Ajax like application? Flash + Javascript?


AFLAX (Wikipedia Entry) is a method through which developers may use JavaScript and Flash together to create AJAX-type applications, but with a much richer set of vector drawing controls than are available in either Internet Explorer or FireFox. Developers using this library have access to the full range of Flash features, but without ever touching the Flash IDE.

Flickeur


Flickeur
An interesting application created by Mario Klingemann @ Quasimondo
It's an app where it retrives and fetch a random picture from Flickr API and then displays it on the screen infinitely as if it's playing a video. You get the idea. And you'll never know what's coming next for you to see, because everything's random inside.

And if you're interested in developing an applicaiton like that, you can look for a solution to guide you one step easier in acheiving it using Kelvin Luck's Flashr. Of course you'll have to take in account that you understands advanced AS. One of the few very interesting app you seen developed are Flash version of Flickr, known as Flappr

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Web Usability : Video ?

Very useful piece of study and information about why and how to implement a more efficient and user centered video content.

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/video.html

And if you would like to know more about how to build a site that at least follows the web usability guidelines, look no where from Dr. Jakob Nielsen's useit.com

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

The power of Flash 8, how far can it go?

I bet you've been wondering how far that Flash 8 would take our browsing experience to?
Visit the site to experience it.

Underworld Evolution


At first I would give myself a second though what makes this site so unique and award winning besides from the ultra sharp and detailed images, which is very vivid and breathtaking, especially the sound effect plays a big role in bringing the mood strong for the site's ambience. If you look and dig through inside, you'll realize that you'll stumble across lots and lots of contents/information about the movie, isnt it? Which keeps you running around the site for a while.

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

[Tutorial] Basic : Adding sound to your button

If you remember the old time where you had to manually adds the sound effect for your Flash button one by one, and it's a big hassle when you need to make adjustment for it, remember? Worry not. The help is here, and function() is your friend. :D

Difficulty : Basic / Advance
Topic : Sound Effect for Button
Download : [ Rollover Button Sound Effect FLA ]
*Updated FLA File with more sound effect

If you remember previously on the tutorial that you had follow on the 'Smooth Button'. You'll find this one is extremely, or even it looks so fake because it's so freakin' easy. Believe me, when i realized that i can add sound for my button this way, i almost cried. :D

For starter, you only need one file, the sound file that you want to add for your button.

See? You can download the FLA file and refer to it if you're unsure. Let's move on.

Next, probably you find it's not familiar for you to use "Linkage" in Flash. It's really a useful tool/option that you can grabs things from the library and slap it on the stage through Actionscripting. Very useful. But for now, if you're new, don't worry, it's very easy to understand the concept. You'll only need :

1. Right click on the sound effect you want your button to produce, and select on "Linkage".

2. If you realize when you clicked on the option, you'll presented with a window. Don't get freaked out yet, click on the "Export for Actionscript" as on the screenshot, and insert a name for this sound file, for this case, i use 'click', you can put any name that you can easily remembers it.

Okay, we're done for the first part, let's move on.

Look, we'll use a 'MovieClip' to act as a button, why you ask? I have no idea and how to explain, but i know it's so versatile and flexible that you can use a movieclip to do absolutely anything, you can combine the "Smooth Button" with this tutorial, and makes one kewl button for your website or interactive work. For this case, we'll name it "my_btn"

We're done with the setup! Now let's have a brief look at the script, and start realize how easy it is.

Now here, to make thing's clearer, i've splited both functions and actions on a different layer, and for this case, the function helps in 'grabbing' item from the library and 'plays' the sound whenever it's triggered. Look at the function's structure, it's pretty straightforward, no strings attached. Few line does the job pretty neatly.

Next we'll look at the actions layer, look how scary is it, isn't it? Only one line, and whenever user clicks on it, the "click" sound is triggered. S C A R Y ISNT IT?

We're done! Congratulations, now please agree with me functions is your friend.
Finally, let's say that we have a scenario that we have thousands of button using the same sound effect, using this option would be so flexible and helpful for you!

Notice that you can call your functions absolutely from everywhere, within the Flash movie, hidden deep inside, and it'll still work!

Here's the FLA file, have fun Flashin'
Download : [ Rollover Button Sound Effect FLA ]

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Plant A Tree, Grow the Forest

Stumbled across this site on netdiver this morning and felt it was rather refreshing to see this concept, you plant a tree on this christmas instead of bringing one back home or sending cards :)

http://www.lida.com/festive-forest/
credits : netdiver

This is one of the very shiny and outstanding character designer and flash site i've been to, very notable effort on every point of it's site, the transition and the details on the animation. Salute. Must Visit!

http://www.postgal.com

Thursday, December 22, 2005

ProtoKid.com - Online Scrolling Shooter Game

It's like an ordinary game? You bet, but it's rather very addictive and the concept is very interesting. You act as a 'kid' that collects and retrives back the data destroys by the virus inside the computer, the graphics are pretty cute and nice and neat. And too bad there's no pause button for me, the music's great as well. And it's just an overwhelmingly addictive lol. By DIESEL

PopPirates

http://www.protokid.com/

credits : French'N'Fresh
Developed by d00ds from http://www.blocmedia.com/

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

O'Neill.com

Designed by : http://www.shanemielke.com/

A very notable site on the interactivity and creativity in tie'ing the flash interactive experience with the product. Usually that a product shopping experience would be slow, smelly, boring and lame. But this changes the perception of it.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and experience how you can play and 'customize' the product the way you want, NFS:Underground way. You have the power to "Mod" it the way you want.


https://www.oneill.com/

[Tutorial : Advance] Rollover Smooth Button


Look at http://www.newmediaaward.com and http://www.manmeng.net's navigation. Have you ever wonder to produce smooth rollover effect in Flash? That a button that will shrink and grow according to your mouse rollover?? That it's so trendy out there? Here's below a tutorial that will briefly guide you through on how to setup your site with that kind of interaction in no time.

Difficulty : Basic / Advance
Topic : Rollover Smooth Button in Flash
Download : [ Rollover Smooth Button FLA ]








By looking through this tutorial below, provided with basic understanding on how to work on animation, and motion tweening, you'll find this is rather easy and wouldn't be a tough task for you to use this navigation system.


First you'll need to have a MOVIECLIP to act as button, unlike conventional button to make the effect, you'll need to have to use a movie clip instead. Inside the movieclip, what you'll need to do is :

1. Put a stop() only for the actions layer.
2. Make an animation that you'll want your user to experience, either it's a masking animation or a 'grow/shrink' effect

*p.s.* Of course a more complex interaction can be done with only actionscripting completely without needed to do animation and tweening, but this method are very encouraging to people in making interesting and creative navigation.


Next you'll only need to make sure the movieclip is properly named.
For this instance, i named it btn_home.



And by looking at the screenshot above, there's very little Actionscripting you'll need to modify, which is when you have tons of button like that, you only need to make sure :
1. The correct name is pointed to the correct movieclip, btn_home, btn_about, btn_contact...etc etc..
2. for the onPress action, you can change the action according and suite your flash movie, because it might be the case that you want to the user to change the scene of this flash movie instead of popping up a new website url.

All of the tutorial above is coded and controlled by the Flash Event Model, which i think i'll spend more time explaning it in a different article. And what makes this "navigation" system so versatile is because :

1. You only need to copy paste a lot and only change the name
2. We use "function" in it. Curious of what it can help you? Wait for the future article that i'll write
3. Remember of those awesome and stunning Flash website that you came across that DOESNT LAG or takes up your CPU power so much? I've optimized the code to run that way, but if you found any bug or problem running it, do not hesitate to contact me :)

Here's the FLA file, have fun Flashin'
Download : [ Rollover Smooth Button FLA ]

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Monday, December 19, 2005

Friday, December 16, 2005

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

How far Flash animation can go?

Part I
http://tabmok99.mortalkombatonline.com/mk_vs_sf.html
Part II
http://www.welf.org/sven/temp/crap/MKvsSF2.swf

Let the animation do the talking, big salute for the improvement, damn. I like it.

Recursive Study :D



Inspired from my idol, Mr. Jared Tarbell, made a study on this, really amazing how it can turned out :D can't wait to release the code after i'm done cleaning and experimenting with it. More to come :D

Recursive = A repetition of a certain code, making it to duplicate things around, :D i'm not good at explaining things, guess i'll work it out somehow.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

[Experiment] Pong, bouncy area.

It's really been so long since i've posted any tutorial, been busy lately, but still i've been experimenting with various scripts, and gladly that i finally understood little bits of it.

Below is one of the script i want to share, although it's not optimized and finished yet, it simulates a pong game,where you can set the boundaries and let it bang on the wall, but one thing, i've yet to discover, to make the ball has a velocity and slows down on every hit on the wall.


[Download FLA]

*Update 20th December 2005, improved the engine, with the ball that has speed, but it's still far buggy than complete. Because if you try to release the ball with a faster speed, it'll run away from the stage. Lol.