Flash MX 2004 Games: Art to ActionScript

441 Pages·2004·10.629 MB·English

by  Nik Lever

Flash MX 2004 Games
Thanks to Pam
Flash MX 2004 Games
Art to ActionScript
Nik Lever
AMSTERDAM (cid:127) BOSTON (cid:127) HEIDELBERG (cid:127) LONDON (cid:127) NEW YORK (cid:127) OXFORD
PARIS (cid:127) SAN DIEGO (cid:127) SAN FRANCISCO (cid:127) SINGAPORE (cid:127) SYDNEY (cid:127) TOKYO
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Firstpublished2004
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Contents at a glance
Introduction xi
Chapter1 Yourfirstgame 1
Section1 Animation 15
Chapter2 DrawingwithFlash 17
Chapter3 Simplecut-outanimation 34
Chapter4 UsingCGIprogramstocreateanimation 46
Chapter5 Backgroundart 60
Chapter6 Creatingartworkformobiledevices 73
Section2 Action 81
Chapter7 Sowhatisavariable? 83
Chapter8 Intip-topcondition 101
Chapter9 Usingloops 118
Chapter10 Keepitmodular 136
Chapter11 Debugging 152
Chapter12 Usingexternalfiles 168
Section3 Puttingitintopractice 183
Chapter13 Smallgamestokeepthemloading 185
Chapter14 Quizzes 205
v
Contents
Chapter15 Mazes 226
Chapter16 Boardgames 244
Chapter17 Platformers 260
Chapter18 Sportssimulations 282
Section4 Flashformobiles 307
Chapter19 FlashLite–howdoesitaffectgamedevelopers? 309
Chapter20 UsingFlashonaPocketPC 318
Section5 Flashforboffins 327
Chapter21 Highscoretables 329
Chapter22 Multi-playergamesusingsockets 347
Chapter23 UsingFlashCommunicationServer 360
Chapter24 EmbeddingFlash 375
AppendixA IntegratingFlashwithDirector 389
AppendixB Tweeningincode 395
Bibliography 411
Index 413
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Contents in summary
Introduction xi
Chapter1:Yourfirstgame 1
Jumping headfirst into a tutorial-based ‘getting started’. In this chapter the reader will be guided
throughtheprocessofcreatingasimplepairsgame.Inatutorialformattheuseristakenthrough
creating artwork in Flash and then adding some limited interactivity. The basics of using Flash
buttonsarepresentedalongwithkeepingtrackoftheboardstateinawaythatthecomputercan
understand.
Section1:Animation 15
Thefirstsectionlooksatcreatingtheartworkandanimationthatwillfeatureinthegameswecreate.
Chapter2:DrawingwithFlash 17
Flash is the perfect application to create line animation and in this chapter we look first at the
drawingtoolsavailableandthenmoveontotheprinciplesofanimation.
Chapter3:Simplecut-outanimation 34
Flash is often used to display animation within a web browser. In such a context the size of the
animation file is of vital importance to the viewers. In this chapter we will look at how you can
createanimationthatlooksfluidwithonlyasmallnumberofdifferentpiecesofartwork.
Chapter4:UsingCGIprogramstocreateanimation 46
Computeranimationpackagescanofferanexcellentwaytocreatethecontentforyourgames.In
thischapterwelookingeneralatthebenefitsandtechniquesinvolved.
Chapter5:Backgroundart 60
Youranimatedcharacterswillneedtoappearinsomecontext.Inthischapterwelookatcreating
backgroundstoactasasettingfortheactionthattakesplaceinyourgames.
Chapter6:Creatingartworkformobiledevices 73
WiththenewFlashLiteplayerformobiledevices,youcancreategamesthatwillplayonamobile
phone.Thischapterexaminesissuesofsize,framerateanduserinputthatinfluencethedesigner
producingcontentforthesememory-limitedmachines.
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Contentsinsummary
Section2:Action 81
HavingdevelopedtheanimationwenowlookathowtoaddinteractivitytothisartusingActionScript.
Chapter7:Sowhatisavariable? 83
After the first blistering introduction to ActionScript in Chapter 1, we now take a leisurely tour
throughthebasicsofprogrammingstartingwithvariabletypes.
Chapter8:Intip-topcondition 101
Inthischapterwelookatusingconditionalcodeusingthemarvellous‘if’statement.Wealsolook
athowwecanextendtheflexibilityoftheconditionusingBooleanlogic.
Chapter9:Usingloops 118
No programming language would be complete without the ability to repeat sections of code.
Games regularly need to run a section of code several times. In this chapter we will look at
creatingsectionsofcodethatrepeat.
Chapter10:Keepitmodular 136
Programmingcanbemadeveryhardorveryeasy.Goodstructuremakesitsomucheasier.Inthis
chapterweexaminetheoptions.
Chapter11:Debugging 152
Nobodyisperfectandinthischapterwelookatwhattodowhenyourcodedoesn’twork.
Chapter12:Usingexternalfiles 168
Thegameyoucreatecanbemadetooperatedifferentlyondifferentservers.UsingASPpageswe
canloadvariabledatafromadatabase.Welookatlinkingtostaticfilesorgeneratingdynamicdata
ontheflyusingserver-basedASPpages.
Section3:Puttingitintopractice 183
Youknowyourstuff,sohowaboutusingthisknowledgetomakesomegames?
Chapter13:Smallgamestokeepthemloading 185
Ifyourgameisoveramegthenyouwillhavelostyouraudiencebeforetheyevenseeit.Inthis
chapter we look at creating 20K or less games to keep their interest while the remainder of the
gameloads.
Chapter14:Quizzes 205
Aninteractivequizwherethequestionsarepulledinfromadatabaseformsthebasisofthischapter.
ThisdevelopsthepresentationofusingexternaldatafirstcoveredinChapter12.
viii
Contents in summary
Chapter15:Mazes 226
Mazescanbegenerateddynamicallyorstatically.Thegraphicviewcanbeoverhead,isometricor
firstperson.Inthischapterwelookattheoptionsandhowtoshowtheuserwhentheyaredoing
wellorbadly.
Chapter16:Boardgames 244
Aboardgameinvolvesalegalmovegeneratorandamini-maxsearchroutineforagoodcomputer
move.Inthischapterwelookatthestrategiesinvolvedinpresentingsomeclassicboardgamesin
Flashform.
Chapter17:Platformers 260
Creating a platform-based game is quite a challenge, but by this stage in the book the reader has
all the skills necessary. In this chapter we look at the problems of game world and screen space
calculations.
Chapter18:Sportssimulations 282
Oneeffectivewayofgettinginputistousethekeyboard.Inthischapterwelookatcreatinggames
wheretheuserhastopresskeysatafastrateinordertoscorehighlyinsportssimulations.
Section4:Flashformobiles 307
The mobile games market is growing exponentially. With Flash MX 2004 developers have a new target
platform,FlashLite.Thisnewsectionshowsthelimitationsandpossibilitiesofthenewplatform.
Chapter19:FlashLite–howdoesitaffectgamedevelopers? 309
UsingthemanynewtemplatesavailableinFlashMX2004Professionalwecantargetlotsofmobile
devices. Flash Lite is a compromise between Flash 4 and 5; this chapter introduces you to how
developingFlashLitegamesdiffersfromFlashgamesfordesktopPCs.
Chapter20:UsingFlashonaPocketPC 318
ThePocketPCisasneartoadesktopasmobiledevicesget;assuch,thecontentyoucansuccessfully
handle includes most games you can develop for a desktop. We look at porting existing content
tothePocketPC.
Section5:Flashforboffins 327
Sometimes you will need to extend what you can do in Flash using external methods. This last section
introducesyoutothingsyoushouldbethinkingabout.
Chapter21:Highscoretables 329
Highscoretablesencourageuserstostayonlineinordertoseetheirnameappearinthehighscore
list. The tables are usually stored in a database and then loaded into Flash when a call to a high
scoretableisrequired.Thischapterexplorestheoptions.
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