Drawing in Flash with ActionScript
You’re probably used to using the drawing tools in Flash to create artwork. Like me, you’re probably familiar with the Pen, Line, Rectangle and Oval Tools within Flash but did you know that Flash includes a drawing API that lets you dynamically create shapes using ActionScript?
Within this tutorial, I’ll introduce to you to the drawing API and show you how to draw simple shapes. We’ll create squares, rectangles, triangles, circles and ellipses, all using ActionScript. You’ll learn how to change the style of lines and add solid and gradient fills.
I’ve used ActionScript 1.0 for the examples in the tutorial and you’ll need at least Flash MX to complete the exercises here. I’ve assumed that you’ve got some experience at working with ActionScript and that you know how to add code in the Actions panel.
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Overview
Background
Drawing with ActionScript was first introduced within Flash MX and it’s called the drawing API. You can draw within any movie clip by writing the appropriate code. You can draw lines and fills as well as creating curves.
When you’re working with the drawing API, you start with a movie clip. This can be an existing movie clip on the Stage or you can create a new blank movie clip with ActionScript. After you’ve got your movie clip, you’ll follow a similar process each time you draw and the steps are shown below.
- Set the line style.
- Set the starting point for the line.
- Create the line or curve.
- If necessary, add a fill or gradient.
You’ll use the following methods in the drawing API.
- moveTo()
- lineStyle()
- lineTo()
- curveTo()
- beginFill()
- beginGradientFill()
- endFill()
- clear()
Hello. I'm the Principal of Anything Is Possible, an Australian web development business specialising in web applications development and training. I'm interested in using Flash with dynamic content and I've presented at a number of International conferences on topics relating to applications development, XML and scripting components. I have recently released my second print book Beginning XML with DOM and Ajax to match the first one - Foundation XML for Flash. I have a business web site
and a personal web site.
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