Blog

  • createTextField STILL Returns Squat

    Ok, maybe it’s my fault. I usually push for feature requests once I feel I’ve reached the comfort plateu with the current version of Flash. However, I severely dropped the ball on this one, so I urge you now to please help me rectify the situation.

    Please, add a request to the <a href=”http://www.macromedia.com/support/email/wishform/?6213=9″>Flash wish-list</a> for Macromedia to implement a return value for createTextField, that value being the text field just created; similiar to attachMovie/createEmptyMovieClip/mc.duplicateMovieClip.

    This is frikin’ ridiculous, and I don’t know how it slipped past in this version of Flash as there, I thought, were many of us befuddled by it in 6. Maybe that was it… a minor annoyance, but not as profound as right click. At any rate, let’s not wait for Flash 9 before this is rectified, please!

    <a href=”http://www.macromedia.com/support/email/wishform/?6213=9″>Wish</a>!

  • USA State Names, Abbreviations, & “getStateFromAbbr” function For You

    * Edited 12/8/2003 – North and South Carolina’s were mispelled.

    <a href=”https://www.jessewarden.com/clark04/”>Finishing round 1</a> of 2 of a map application for <a href=”http://www.clark04.com/”>www.clark04.com</a>. After all the typing I did for this small & simple app, I figured the least I could do was add some text files and a useful function to the archives of Google and hope that someone can garner use from these.

    Read on for text files and code…

  • TRON 2.0: Green Hornets Light Cycle Level Insanely Diffucult

    That’s right, harder than the nut that busted Nutcracker’s jaw. If anyone has beat it, let me know so my confidence in my gaming ability is once again restored so as to try again. After beating all the other Single Player light cycle levels, and attempting this level for 2 weeks off and on, I’m beginning to wonder if I should just end it all…

    … if you say you beat it in 10 minutes, then whoop-puh-dee-frikin’-doo for you. Explain what technique to employ. So far, hugging the wall has gotten me to the 3rd wave, but that Turbo Curse gets me everytime once I enter the red zone for a breather… the comp is so suicidal.

  • MovieClip-esque’ Sprite Creation in Director

    I missed my attachMovie and removeMovieClip commands from Flash whilst in Director, and after not being satisfied with some of the sprite engines posted on <a href=”http://www.director-online.com/”>Director-online.com</a>, I built my own. It’s far from complete, as I added like no error checking, but it still works as long as you don’t screw up (like attach a sprite to the same depth, but that doesn’t work well in Flash either, now does it?)

    Like everything in Director, though, you need at least something on the stage to get this to work. It’s really simple, though.

    – open the bitmap window
    – give it a name “blank”
    – close the bitmap window. This should put it as a cast member in your case
    – add it to sprite channel 1
    – repeat the same keyframe for as many sprites as you think you’ll use (I did the max, 1000, cause I’m freaky-deaky like that)
    – add this code as a movie script (or with your other code)
    <pre><code>
    global gSprites

    on prepareMovie

    gSprites = [:]

    end

    on attachSprite memberName, spriteName, spriteDepth
    s = Symbol(spriteName)
    if voidP(gSprites[s]) then
    sprite(spriteDepth).member = member(memberName)
    sprite(spriteDepth).member.regPoint = point(0, 0)
    gSprites[s] = sprite(spriteDepth)
    return sprite(spriteDepth)
    end if
    end

    on removeSprite spriteName
    i = gSprites.getOne(spriteName)
    if voidP(i) = false then
    s = Symbol(spriteName)
    gSprites[s].member = member(“blank”)
    gSprites[s].locH = 0
    gSprites[s].locV = 0
    gSprites.deleteOne(gSprites[s])
    return true
    else
    return false
    end if
    end

    on gSprite spriteName
    return gSprites[Symbol(spriteName)]
    end
    </code></pre>

    Now, if you want to use it, just do:
    <pre><code>
    — attach
    mySprite = attachSprite(“MemberName”, “spriteString”, 1)
    mySprite.locH = 320
    mySprite.locV = 240
    — remove
    removeSprite(“spriteString”)
    </code></pre>

    And, instead of that sprite(5) bs, you can do:
    <pre><code>
    gSprites[#spriteString].locH = 5
    –or, if your not familiar with Symbols in Director
    gSprites[Symbol(“spriteString”)].locH = 5
    — or
    gSprite(“spriteString”).locH = 5
    </code></pre>

    :: extends chin ::
    Tasty beef!