Flash MX 2004 Games : Art to ActionScript

As a designer using Flash you will see how you can apply your creative skills to the many stages of game production and produce your own interactive games with this versatile package. Creating games for mobile devices is now also covered! As an animator you will be able to add interactive functionality to your own animation and produce a game. As a web developer you will see how to make the best use of the sophisticated development environment Flash offers for the production of both artwork and code to create low bandwidth, animated web content that sells! The free CD-Rom includes all the code and files you need to try out each tutorial from the book so you can see exactly how each game was created. Learn from the many different types of games provided as examples, from simple quizzes to platform-based games. High score tables and multi-player games using sockets, vital to higher level online games, are also covered in detail to ensure you have the complete skill set needed to succeed in this competitive arena. * Benefit from the experience of a successful games designer whose Flash sites regularly get 10,000+ hits per day * Explained by an artist for artists so you can easily see how Flash MX 2004 ActionScript 2 can work for your own games development * Includes valuable extra coverage of how Flash integrates with Director 8.5 Shockwave studio and C++ Team DDU......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 12 1 Your first game......Page 14 Section 1 Animation......Page 28 2 Drawing with Flash......Page 30 3 Simple cut-out animation......Page 47 4 Using CGI programs to create animation......Page 59 5 Background art......Page 73 6 Creating artwork for mobile devices......Page 86 Section 2 Action......Page 94 7 So what is a variable?......Page 96 8 In tip-top condition......Page 114 9 Using loops......Page 131 10 Keep it modular......Page 149 11 Debugging......Page 165 12 Using external files......Page 181 Section 3 Putting it into practice......Page 196 13 Small games to keep them loading......Page 198 14 Quizzes......Page 218 15 Mazes......Page 239 16 Board games......Page 257 17 Platformers......Page 273 18 Sports simulations......Page 295 Section 4 Flash for mobiles......Page 320 19 Flash Lite – how does it affect game developers?......Page 322 20 Using Flash on a PocketPC......Page 331 Section 5 Flash for boffins......Page 340 21 High score tables......Page 342 22 Multi-player games using sockets......Page 360 23 Using Flash Communication Server......Page 373 24 Embedding Flash......Page 388 Appendix A Integrating Flash with Director......Page 402 Appendix B Tweening in code......Page 408 Bibliography......Page 424 Index......Page 426 "As a designer using Flash you will see how you can apply your creative skills to the many stages of game production. As an animator you will be able to add interactive functionality to your own animation and produce a game. As a web developer you will see how to make the best use of the sophisticated development environment Flash offers for the production of artwork and code of create low-bandwidth, animated web content that sells. Refreshingly, ActionScript is explained from a designer's viewpoint so no previous computer programming experience is assumed. New coverage of creating games for mobile devices with Flash Lite is also included."--Jacket Accompanying CD-ROM contains ... "all the source code and files you need to try out each tutorial from the book so you can see exactly how each game was created ... [and] many different types of games provided as examples ... [and] extra coverage of how Flash integrates with Director Shockwave 3D and C++."--Page 4 of cover Rather alarmingly it is now over 20 years since I wrote my first bit of code using a Sinclair Spectrum computer and Sinclair Basic.