Mclane's Blog of totally unrelated material

A basic primer to flash game programming

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:18:00 +0000

I have written this article as a basic primer to flash game programming. In this article I will cover how basic programming can be applied to creating flash games. This article will not cover graphic design or drawing. If you are already proficient in another programming language this article will certainly help in the transition to flash game programming.

This article is aimed at people will very basic programming knowledge. An interest in flash games is certainly a bonus when learning to program them. Programming languages of any king will help you to understand this article and its terminology relating to flash game programming. I will be using very general programming terminology.

The very first thing I am going to cover is variables. A variable is a place where either a number, string(text) or a Boolean(true or false) can be stored. Variables can be changed at run time this means during game play. For example number of ammo in a weapon can be stored as a variable. As the user shoots the weapon the variable is degreased. A very symbol way in programming syntax would be: On press decrease the ammo variable by one.

The next thing I�??m going to discuss is hit tests. A hit test is performed to detect when two symbols make contact. When these symbols make contact a true value is returned while the objects are not in contact a false value is returned. As you can imagine this very simple function has many uses where game programming is covered. An example of this could be when bullet hits its target play an animation of the enemy�??s death and remove them from the screen. So the basic in programming terms to this would be: if bullet and enemy�??s hit test is equal to �??true�?? then activate function enemy death that takes the value of the enemy�??s unique identifier. Inside the function would be syntax to display the animation and remove the symbol from the screen.

Displaying a life car can be achieved by first creating a small rectangle graphic. Next make the rectangle a movie clip and sets its identifier to a name of your choice. After this create a variable and set the variables values to �??100�?? and strict data style it to a number. Once you have done this, open action script and set the rectangles .length property to the variable you just created and set to �??100�??. This way when the variable is increased or decreased the bar will change lengths. So when the variable is high the bar is longer and when the variable is low the bar will become shorter. Remember variables can be changed at run time there for so can the bar. Using a simple hit test to increase and decrease the variable which in turn changes the bars length. Producing a working bar that shows how much value the variable contains. This can easily be added into a game where the length of the bar resents the amount of life a player has remaining.

I hope this article showed you just how simple the elements that make up a flash game can be. Games may look daunting but once you break down there elements they become a lot simpler than they may first appear. If you have no yet tried making a game using flash then I strongly suggest you give it ago. The best way to learn flash is by experimenting and creating working scripts.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Ashley Peach�??s websites include dog toys, dog beds and dog training equipment.

How changable is change

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:18:00 +0000

A strange thing about change is that it doesn't always cause change. The cost of gas, for instance, keeps going up; but people keep driving gas guzzling vehicles. It's as if they think gas grows in barrels; and as long as the barrels keep rolling, they can barrel on.

Let sleeping dogs lie - go with the flow - these sayings explain why television programmers can promote a show by scheduling it immediately after a successful one. These sayings also explain why incumbent politicians can count on our votes. In the latter case, of course, the sleeping dogs are definitely left lying.

Pizza, apple pie, ice cream - are these America's favorite foods because of taste, because of lack of imagination or because we're creatures of habit - habitually?

I've occasionally heard men talk about women changing their minds more than they do their clothes. Personally, I don't think that would be a bad thing. It would show that women are open-minded, flexible and can admit their mistakes. In fact, if the clothes analogy was used for men, they could be said to turn their minds inside out instead of changing them.

It's happened to all of us. We see people we haven't seen in years and they tell us we haven't changed a bit. When I was younger, I thought it was a compliment. Now I think it's an insult. Life is a process of growing. I don't want to be shortchanged.

Thomas Wolfe said you can't go home again - but you can. You just have to remember that you're going to your parents' home. No matter what you do, however, your parents can't send you to your room anymore. Your room's been turned into a home office or a gym.

Then there's the change that collects in the bottom of my purse and on the top of my husband's dresser. It collects in those places because there aren't many places left for us to use it. There's no more penny candy and no more ten cent phone calls. Now parking meters take credit cards and the homeless ask if you can spare a dollar. Soon you'll only be able to coin a phrase.

Now that I live in LA, I don't even have a change of seasons. Instead, I have earthquakes, fires and mudslides; but I'm not complaining. I wanted to get away from cold weather. I can handle LA - no sweat-er.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

KNIGHT PIERCE HIRST takes humorous looks at life. Take a minute to make yourself smile at knightwatch.typepad.com

Apologise Cover - Boyce Avenue

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:15:00 +0000

Do you get what you pay for?

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:37:00 +0000

Although getting what you pay for is a truism that's withstood time, we keep trying to get more than we pay for. We buy on sale, at discount and in bulk. We use coupons and accumulate frequent flyer miles. Nevertheless, profit margins are rarely marginal. Even going out of business sales make money. When my sons were growing up, I thought they'd put all-you-can-eat buffets out of business; but they never bit off more than the restaurant owners could chew.

When I was a child, I saved bubblegum wrappers until I had enough to send for a secret decoder ring. When I realized I hadn't put my return address on the envelope, my mother suggested I send a letter of explanation to the bubblegum company. I did, but I didn't get a decoder ring. Instead, I got five pieces of bubble gum and a lesson in diplomacy.

When I was a teenager, I wanted a different ring - a gold and enamel cigar band ring I'd seen advertised in a magazine. As soon as I'd saved thirty-nine dollars, I sent for it. That ring was my pride and joy - until it turned my finger green. My mother tried to ease my disappointment by assuring me I'd gotten what I paid for. "That's what thirty-nine dollars buys", she said - and that had the ring of truth.

Blind dates are free matchmaking. After several arranged introductions, I decided they were called blind dates because the people who arranged them were blind to what I wanted. Thankfully, my older sister felt the same way because I'm two-kids-worth, happily married to her last blind date.

Originally, catalog shopping was for people who didn't have access to major stores. Now it's for people who don't have time or don't have the internet. Then there's the twenty-four hour shopping channels for people who don't have lives. Shopping has changed, but buyer beware hasn't. As my grandmother said, if it sounds too good to be true it's because you're not hearing the whole truth.

We've all heard plenty of advice. How to get a promotion, find love or lose ten pounds. These days advice is everywhere - in newspapers and magazines, on radio, TV and the internet and - of course - on the lips of friends and relatives. My grandmother had an opinion about advice too. She said free advice is always worth what you pay for it.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

KNIGHT PIERCE HIRST takes humorous looks at life. Take a minute to make yourself smile at knightwatch.typepad.com

Snoop Dogg Life of the party

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:35:00 +0000

BlackTide Shockwave

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:31:00 +0000

Invisible putting pants on

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:28:00 +0000

Pew Pew Pew

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:26:00 +0000

Leperchauns on St paddy's day

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:07:00 +0000

PicnicFace NFL Crunchtime

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:15:00 +0000

Jonas Brothers Soap Opera

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:10:00 +0000

LOL long

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:28:00 +0000

You had a baby

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:27:00 +0000

Safety glass

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:26:00 +0000

lolbible

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:24:00 +0000

Tickle Shark

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:24:00 +0000

Catfish.. Fihcat

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:22:00 +0000

Not yet adopted kitteh..

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:22:00 +0000

New MGM mascot

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:21:00 +0000

Drivin a jaguar

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:19:00 +0000

Want me to call paramedics?

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:48:00 +0000

Yoga pose

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:47:00 +0000

ninja

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:46:00 +0000

Angry parent kitteh

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:18:00 +0000

invisible sword swallowing

noreply@blogger.com (mclane1991) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:38:00 +0000