ByteArrays are very useful. I use them when saving image data out in the form of jpgs or pngs. You can also use them with sound data.
However someone recently asked me what about video? Can we use them to hold video data?
Well, pre-flash player 10.1 the answer is no. But now with flash player 10.1 you can use ByteArrays and videos with Actionscript 3. The methods concerned are…
appendBytes()
appendBytesAction()
…running off the NetStream class.
If you haven’t heard already Apple has changed the terms and conditions of it’s developer program to stipulate that all applications must be written in native code, and that software created using “an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool” are prohibited. Whilst this hits a number of products out there such as Titanium from Appcelerator it’s hard not to see it as a shot at Flash CS5 and it’s new built-in tool for creating iPhone apps, especially with the announcement made just a few days before the widely publicised CS5 launch.
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Frequently when playing around with code I need an object to play around with. So I created a Ball.as class. This testing class for Actionscript 3 is useful because it will just create a ball, with a default size and colour, which I can override if I wish.
I have also given it a bounceEffect() and bounce() public methods.
These will give a bounce effect when it hits a boundary and the latter will make it move and bounce from the boundaries. The boundary at the moment is just stage.stageWidth and stage.stageHeight, but I plan on allowing an object to be sent so that the instance can use its hight and width as the boundaries for bouncing.
If you want to create a some nice snazzy banners, image galleries, etc, in flash, here is a nice application done in Flash – Cu3er.
It is free, and it works via an xml file, which you edit. It is easily customisable and will display images/slides in a 3D structure. You can specify things like transitions, buttons, symbols, colours, etc.
It is well worth a look at.
Have fun 
I have just found a new framework called HYPE. It looks to be a lovely actionscript 3 framework for coders and con-coders alike to easily create effects, and i plan to have lots of fun with it
You will need some basic as3 knowledge, but you can quickly get results with a minimal amount of coding, and there are some lovely examples on the HYPE website.
Have a look at it and let me know what you think
Working recently on a new Actionscript 3 advanced course I decided to put together a mindmap of the various classes and libraries that I have come across. I have not tested them all, yet! but it is interesting to see what is out there.
If I have missed anything let me now, and I hope everyone finds this useful.
Mindmap as3
If you are looking to test your skills on Adobe’s CS4 range then you might want to take a look at our free skills tests. These are available for Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Flash and ActionScript as well as some other subjects and more details can be found here.
