ADVANCED DRAWING METHODS IN FLASH MX
One of my greatest frustrations after first exploring the new draw methods in Macromedia Flash MX was the trouble I had using curveTo effectively. It was non-intuitive and non-trivial (at least to me) to d 313l1115d raw a 'normal' circle or arc. So in my frustration, I created an extension to the Macromedia Flash built-in drawing API to handle the creation of those shapes. Over time, this extension multiplied. They eventually took on a life of their own, becoming a larger toolset for drawing shapes and structures.
In the end I had nine new tools.
Some are useful, others whimsical, but all of them are free to use as you see fit. They are free of charge or obligation. I have endeavored to make these methods robust and useful, however I can make no guarantees about their suitability to your specific needs. I similarly make no guarantees that they are bug or problem free: caveat emptor. I have commented them heavily and hopefully this will let those encountering the built-in drawing methods for the first time understand how they can be used to create useful tools. It should also provide sufficient information for those more experienced to adapt them to their specific needs or styles.
Before you begin,
download the sample files. The sample files contain the AS files that are
discussed in this article, along with a
Windows
Macintosh
draw_methods.zip (428 K)
draw_methods.sit (324 K)
Below is an explanation of each AS file that you'll find in the sample files folder.
One last thing before we get to the methods themselves: There are ways to optimize ActionScript to increase the speed of the code execution, but at the cost of making the ActionScript more obtuse. These methods serve a dual purpose. The first is to reduce drawing complex elements to a single line of code. The second is to be a tool for learning. Because of the second (and to my mind, more important) purpose, I have left some of these methods 'unoptimized'. For those that are not yet familiar with the Flash MX built-in drawing methods, be sure to check out the first part of this series, Introduction to Macromedia Flash MX Drawing Methods.
Okay, now we've cleared that up, on to the methods...
dashTo.as
The method mc.dashTo is used to draw dashed (and dotted) lines. I made this to extend the lineTo function because the built-in method doesn't have the custom line types that the line tool has in Macromedia Flash MX.
drawArc.as
The method mc.drawArc is used to draw regular and elliptical arc segments. This method replaces the method I originally released to the Macromedia Flash MX beta group titled arcTo. This method contains several optimizations based on input from the following people: Robert Penner, Eric Mueller, and Michael Hurwicz.
drawBurst.as
The method mc.drawBurst is used to draw bursts (rounded star shaped ovals often seen in advertising). This seemingly whimsical method actually had a serious purpose. It was done to accommodate a client that wanted to have custom bursts for 'NEW!' and 'IMPROVED!' type elements on their site. Personally I think those look tacky, but it's hard to argue with a paying client. This method also makes some fun flower shapes if you play with the input numbers.
drawGear.as
The method mc.drawGear is used to draw gears. You know, cogs with teeth and a hole in the middle where the axle goes? Okay, okay...so nobody needs a method to draw a gear. But it was an easy adaptation of the polygon method, so I did it anyway.
drawOval.as
The method mc.drawOval is used to create circles and ovals. Hopefully this one is pretty straight forward. This method, like most of the others, is not as optimized as it could be. This was a conscious decision to keep the code as accessible as possible for those either new to ActionScript or to the math involved in plotting points on a curve.
drawPoly.as
The method mc.drawPoly is used to create regular polygons. This allows you to draw the polygons either clockwise or counter-clockwise (based on the 'sides' argument) so that you can use it to knock holes in dynamically created masks.
drawRect.as
The method mc.drawRect is used to draw rectangles and rounded rectangles. Regular rectangles are easy enough to just rebuild in any file as needed, but the rounded rectangle is required more frequently, hence the method. The rounding is very much like that of the rectangle tool in Macromedia Flash MX. If the rectangle is smaller in either dimension than the rounding would permit, the rounded corners scale down to fit.
drawStar.as
The method mc.drawStar is used to draw star shaped polygons. Like mc.drawPoly, it can draw stars in either direction-which is helpful for creating knockouts.
drawWedge.as
The method mc.drawWedge is used to draw pie shaped wedges. Very useful for creating charts. Again, special thanks is due to: Robert Penner, Eric Mueller, and Michael Hurwicz for their contributions.
I hope you enjoy these methods as much as I enjoyed creating them. Hopefully you'll have some time to devote to using them, either in projects or as a tool for learning. Perhaps you'll even create some of your own!
|
