Adobe recently made available Flex PMD a tool that lets you keep track of your code bad practices and helps you by auditing your source directory and displaying common errors such as:
- Unused code (functions, variables, constants, etc.)
- Inefficient code (misuse of dynamic filters, heavy constructors, etc.)
- Over-complex code (nested loops, too many conditionals, etc.)
- Over-long code (classes, methods, etc.)
- Incorrect use of the Flex component lifecycle (commitProperties, etc).
A report is produced describing the violations of a given rule set. FlexPMD includes a rule set that is broad ranging and continually growing. It is also straightforward to create your own new rules.
Originally Flex PMD can be called from: Ant, The Command Line and Maven, but thanks to the FlashDevelop (FD3 from now on ) community a plugin has been made available that lets you use FlexPMD in the FD3 IDE and throws the result right in the Output and Results window of FD3.
Installation
1. Download flashdevelopPMD from http://www.kemelyon.com/flashdevelop/flashdevelopPMD.zip
2. Copy PMD.dll into the plugins folder of your FD Application Files.
3. Download flexPMD from Adobe Labs (http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/displa … /Downloads) and extract to your disk.
Set “PMD jar Location” in Tools -> Settings -> FlexPMD to your “flex-pmd-command-line-1.0.RC3.jar”
Usage
Press Ctrl-Shift-A to run FlexPMD in current Project. This version only checks code inside the “src” folder, so you don’t see warnings in your libraries.
To use your own ruleset, set “PMD Ruleset” in Tools -> Settings -> FlexPMD
Thanks again to the FlashDevelop community for spending time in making this useful plugins.
Richard Lord has recently released the Version 0.9.4 of Flint.
I made this example using Flint particle system is an Actionscript 3.0 Open Source project with the aim of create a library that handles the common functionality for all particle systems. To see it work just click anywhere on stage and it will make a nice Firework out of my “Logo”
I just tried it myself and i must say it’s super easy to use and to extend. You can find Flint source on the google code page of Flint with working examples in the downloads section there’s also some very good examples and tutorials on Flint Particle System Site and you can keep track of Richard on his blog.
The latest version comes packed with all kind of particles goodies like:
* Access all properties in Actions, Initializers, Counters and Activities so they can be modified while the emitter is running.
* AlphaInit initializer sets the initial alpha value for all particles
* ImageClasses and SharedImages initializers set the particle image to one selected from a group, with weighting to adjust the selection
* MouseExplosion action pushes particles away from the mouse
* MouseGravity action pulls particles towards the mouse
* TurnAwayFromMouse action causes particles to turn away from the mouse
* GreyscaleZone uses a greyscale image to define a zone, with weighting based on the luminence of each pixel
* Pulse counter emits particles in regular bursts
* PerformanceAdjusted counter adjusts the rate of particle emission if the frame-rate drops
* TwoWay energyEasing functions have an energy peak half-way through the particle’s lifetime
Heres the link to my example using Flint, and Flex 3 as much as I would love to add the code right below my post the IG Syntax HighLighter seems to not be getting very well with the latest update of wordpress so to get the code just right click on my example and it will take you there.
Update you can now view the code right here:
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| package {
import flash.display.Bitmap;
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;
import flash.filters.BlurFilter;
import flash.filters.ColorMatrixFilter;
import flash.geom.Point;
import org.flintparticles.actions.*;
import org.flintparticles.counters.*;
import org.flintparticles.emitters.*;
import org.flintparticles.energyEasing.Quadratic;
import org.flintparticles.events.FlintEvent;
import org.flintparticles.initializers.*;
import org.flintparticles.zones.*;
[SWF( frameRate='61', backgroundColor='#000000')]
public class LogoFireworks extends Sprite
{
[Embed(source="assets/sgw.png")]
public var Logo:Class;
public var bitmap:Bitmap = new Logo();
public var ev:FlintEvent;
private var emitter:PixelEmitter = new PixelEmitter();
public function LogoFireworks()
{
ViewSource.addMenuItem(this, "srcview/index.html");
stage.scaleMode = "noScale";
stage.align ="TL";
init();
}
public function init():void
{
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN,startFlint);
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP,stopFlint)
}
public function prepareToFlint(event:MouseEvent):void
{
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN,startFlint);
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP,stopFlint)
}
public function startFlint(Event:MouseEvent):void
{
emitter.addFilter( new BlurFilter( 2, 2, 1 ) );
emitter.addFilter( new ColorMatrixFilter( [ 1,0,0,0,0,
0,1,0,0,0,
0,0,1,0,0,
0,0,0,0.96,0 ] ) );
emitter.setCounter( new Blast( 1500 ) );
emitter.addInitializer( new ColorInit(Math.random()* 0xFFFF3300,Math.random()* 0xFFFFFF00 ) );
emitter.addInitializer( new Lifetime( 7) );
emitter.addInitializer( new Position( new DiscZone( new Point( 0, 0 ), 10 ) ) );
emitter.addInitializer( new Velocity( new BitmapDataZone( bitmap.bitmapData,-211, -550 ) ) );
emitter.addAction( new Age( Quadratic.easeIn ) );
emitter.addAction( new Fade( 1.0, 0 ) );
emitter.addAction( new Move() );
emitter.addAction( new LinearDrag( 0.5 ) );
emitter.addAction( new Accelerate( 0, 70 ) );
addChild( emitter );
emitter.x = stage.stageWidth/2;
emitter.y = stage.stageHeight -(5);
emitter.start( );
emitter.addEventListener( FlintEvent.EMITTER_EMPTY, restart);
}
public function stopFlint(Event:MouseEvent):void
{
stage.removeEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN,startFlint)
}
public function restart( ev:FlintEvent ):void
{
mouseEn();
}
public function mouseEn():void
{
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN,startFlint);
}
}
} |
Click on the image to see the example and get the code.
A pair of days ago I found the blog of Sorin Haidan in wish he post some very useful tutorials on Flash and Actionscript 3.0 in a very understandable way, I found one that caught my attention called Draw Custom shapes with ActionScript 3.0. In this tutorial he explains how to make a “Ball” appear on screen every time you click and move your mouse on the screen by using the Drawing API and MouseEvents, the change of the color on the ball was achieved doing a loop in a 10 frame movie clip with a ball of different gradient fill on each frame, so occurred to me to wrap that code on a class on a Flex 3 Actionscript Project and get rid of the Flash assets by drawing the ball in a dynamic way and this let me Change the color of the Ball more than the 10 times of Sorin example, so check the example be sure to check Sorin’s blog .
In my example if you right click on the file you get to see the source that it’s also included below this text here’s what I got: Drawing API Ball Example.
Thanks Sorin for letting me mess around with his code keep up with those good tutorials.
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| /*
/////---- Class by Dave Ga?mez (.swfgeek) 24-February-2008 http://www.swfgeek.net----\\\
///---- Original Example by: Sorin Haidan in his Draw Custom shapes with ActionScript 3.0. Tutorial ----\
///---- Found on his blog http://biochimistu.blogspot.com/ ---- \
*/
package {
import flash.display.GradientType;
import flash.display.SpreadMethod;
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.display.StageScaleMode;
import flash.display.StageAlign;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;
import flash.geom.Matrix;
import com.adobe.viewsource.ViewSource;
[SWF(backgroundColor="0x000000",frameRate="31")]
public class DrawingAPI extends Sprite
{
private var sprite:Sprite;
private var holder:Sprite;
private var myCircle:Sprite;
private var fillType:String;
private var colors:Array;
private var alphas:Array;
private var ratios:Array;
private var matr:Matrix;
private var spreadMethod:String;
private var focalPointRatio:Number;
public function DrawingAPI()
{
init();
}
private function init():void
{
ViewSource.addMenuItem(this, "srcview/index.html");
stage.scaleMode = StageScaleMode.NO_SCALE;
stage.align = StageAlign.TOP_LEFT;
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN,prepareToDraw);
}
public function prepareToDraw(event:MouseEvent):void
{
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_MOVE,drawGraphics);
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP,stopDrawing);
}
public function drawGraphics(event:MouseEvent):void
{
fillType = GradientType.RADIAL;
colors = [0xFFFFFF, Math.random()*0xFFFFFF];
alphas = [1, 1];
ratios = [0x37, 0xFF];
matr= new Matrix();
matr.createGradientBox(100, 100, Math.random()*360, -40, 0);
spreadMethod = SpreadMethod.PAD;
focalPointRatio = 1;
holder = new Sprite();
addChild(holder);
myCircle = new Sprite();
myCircle.graphics.beginGradientFill(fillType, colors, alphas, ratios, matr,spreadMethod);
myCircle.graphics.drawCircle(0,0,40);
myCircle.graphics.endFill();
holder.addChild(myCircle);
holder.x = mouseX;
holder.y = mouseY;
holder.scaleX = holder.scaleY = Math.random()*2+0.5;
holder.rotation = Math.random()*360;
holder.alpha = Math.random()+0.7;
}
public function stopDrawing(event:MouseEvent):void
{
stage.removeEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_MOVE,drawGraphics)
}
}
} |
Based on the great tutorial of Lee Brimelow, called Advanced Filter Effects I started messing around with the ColorMatrixFilter(); an Actionscript 3.0 Class that lets you apply a 4×5 matrix transformation in the RGB color and alpha values to the pixels of an image, and produce a new RGBA alpha value this can be applied to any display object.
So it’s quite addicting messing around with those values and get different results, this example is not at all finished it’s quite buggy still you can get some nice waving effects anyway check it out here:
ColorMatrixFilterExample and be sure to stop by www.gotoandlearn.com Lee has an unique way of explaining things very good and make difficult things look like is a piece of cake.
Here’s a little try on the new Papervision3D Branch Effects based on the tutorial/example of
Andy Zupko, the new pixel effects added to the branch look great, this was made using Flex 3 Beta 3.
Check it here.
Download Source here
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