Scripting Filters, part 1

If you’ve been reading the articles about the new features in Flash 8, you’ll know that Flash Professional 8 includes a range of filters that allow you to add special effects to objects on the Stage. In an earlier article, I showed you how to apply the following filters using the Flash interface:

• Bevel
• Blur
• DropShadow
• Glow
• Gradient Glow
• Gradient Bevel

You can also use ActionScript to work with these filters. In addition, you get to work with the extra filters listed below when you use ActionScript:

• Convolution
• ColorMatrix
• DisplacementMap

This article is part of the new interactive e-book; Out of my mind: Flash 8 Power

These are more advanced filters than the first group and involve complicated calculations. I’ll give you information about them but you might want to start scripting with the other filters in ActionScript first.

In this article, I’ll start by covering some background about how to work with filters in ActionScript. We’ll look at the Bevel and Blur filters and create a motion effect. In the next article, I’ll look at the other filters and we’ll create a small application that allows you to adjust a Drop Shadow filter dynamically.

You’ll need a copy of Flash Professional 8 to see the features covered in this article. You can download a trial copy from the Macromedia Web site. You should also install Flash Player 8. Note that the code samples within the article all use AS2.0.

You can download the files referred to in the tutorial from the blue Properties box that contains the article PDF. There's a heading titled Code Download and you can click the Details link next to it to get the zip file.