Flash as an IDE

Today i am writing about how flash can be used to entirely make games and their assets. Flash is very popular for making animations, games and websites. Flash has always used Actionscript, with new versions integrated into later iterations of Flash. Actionscript 3.0 is the latest version and is the most efficient and performs better than Actionscript 2.0 which was easier to use but was a bit slow.  AS3 can be programmed to respond to input devices such as keyboard, mouse, microphone, pressure mats and more.

Flash uses vector graphics which means that when an image is made in flash the quality of the image doesn't decrease when you resize it. also the size of the file is quite small. along with vector flash can import graphics and movies in bitmap format. Flash has many image manipulation tools and filters similar to photoshop such as, opacity, drop shadow, free transform and more.

 Objects that have been drawn on stage can be converted into Movieclips, buttons and symbols which can be seen in the library. In the library assets that have been converted to symbols will be listed here and can be dragged to the stage without having to be drawn again. objects can be swapped with another one from the library and any changes made to any symbol will be updated.

The program is most often known for its use in animations and games. AS is used for coding and flash can be used for animations as it incorporates timelines, layers and can be operated with a pen and tablet for more precise drawing. along with animation sound can be used and edited (to a certain degree) in flash which can be invaluable in animations that require audio. these will be added into the library for further use. objects can be can tagged with instance names that can be programmed using actionscript.

Audio in flash can be edited by chopping parts of sounds by highlighting the area you want to remove and then delete it. This can used for shortening the length of the audio or reducing the size of the file to increase the performance of the overall flash animation or game. Flash accepts many audio formats such as mp3, WAV, ASND and more.

If a sound file is either very loud or very quiet flash has the capability to adjust the volume of them. the audio track has envelope handles which, by dragging either one up or down will adjust the volume accordingly. This can also be used to fade audio in and out. As mentioned previously, any MovieClip, Symbol or Button will be placed in the library after being converted or imported, the same applies for audio files.

Movieclips can be edited individually through their separate timelines which can be used for in-game collisions which would feature explosions and such. objects and components can be colour coded in the timeline so that they can be identified from a crowd of images which will help streamline development. The use of layers can be used to add depth to the selection and organisation of on-screen objects, the higher the layer is in the list the object will be at the front.

For those whose skill in AS3 is very poor flash has components that can be easily dragged on to the stage, components such as scroll panes, buttons and many more. any coding can be all stored on a single frame so that it is all easy to find. For all the coding to work flash uses a compiler that will join the code together and help the author to correct any errors and inconsistencies.

My final thoughts on the use of Flash as an IDE are quite positive mainly because of its many diverse uses and applications. Flash has been an interest of mine for many years, most prominently in the animation department, where i used to make very basic stick man animations. I was usually surfing on the internet for animations especially on websites such as Newgrounds and Stickpage which specialised in stick man animations and games.

On the game development and AS3 side of flash i have honestly been quite intimidated and overwhelmed by the amount of coding that goes into them. Thanks to this unit i am gradually gaining a better understanding of flash and its use in game, animation and web design. Overall my outlook on flash is still very favourable despite my skill with AS3 being very poor.