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Creating Filters with ActionScript

Free Flash Tutorial

Step Four: ActionScript Code Hints

Much of the ActionScript in the previous section is reasonably straight forward but there is one section which could be confusing and is critical to understand if you want to get the most out of filters. This is the section of code that defines how the filter will look:

(0xff00ff,1,25,25,2,3,false,false)

Original Result

Changes to this section greatly effect the outcome. For example if I make some changes to this section of code my filter will look like this:

New code: (0x00ccff,1,100,5,1,3,false,true)

Example: Download the Flash file Draw 211b

Result from the edited code.

There are two things that you will need to know:

• How to write the code so that it has correct syntax. Code Hints can help achieve this.
• How to edit the code to alter the look of the filter. Code Hints can help achieve this.

This part of the code is a series of settings that define what the filter will look like. Each of these settings is called a parameter. Each parameter is separated by a comma. All the parameters need to be set and set correctly.

Code Hints greatly help you understand what the you need to type and what the parameters are likely to achieve. When you use the Actions panel Code Hints help you write code quickly and accurately. Code hinting includes information to help you achieve the correct syntax. The following shows you how to use the code hints.

Code Hints automatically appear in the yellow box as you type:

Actions Panel with Code Hints showing.

Tip: Code Hints should appear as you type but if you want to refresh the hints or cannot see them click the Code Hints button or press: Ctrl Spacebar. The Hints can be a bit buggy and don't always appear. If this happens move the cursor to the beginning of the parameter section and try again. Alas you may need to move the cursor several times.

Note: The hint in bold refers to the parameter where the cursor is located. In the above example the cursor is located in the section referring to the filter's color:

The code hint tells you:

• What each parameter sets: Color, Alpha, BlurX, BlurY, Strength, Quality, Inner, Knockout
• How to write the parameter: Number or Boolean
  
  Note: The next section of the tutorial gives you detailed information as to how to set each of the parameters.

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