Flash: Controlling Sound

Presentation by Mindy McAdams

ActionScript (so far)

From Lessons 1 through 7: stop(); play(); gotoAndStop("someframelabel"); gotoAndPlay("otherframelabel");

The script can be written on a button or on a frame

If script is on a button:on (release) { stuff here }

Alternatively -- if a button has an instance name, you can put the script on the Timeline this way:rewind_btn.onRelease = function () { stuff here }

ActionScript for buttons

on (release) { stuff here }

rewind_btn.onRelease = function () { stuff here }

If you need to make a movie clip stop playing (if the instance name is clouds_mc) from the main Timeline:

Or if the movie clip needs to tell the main Timeline to stop playing:

ActionScript & movie clips

clouds_mc.stop();

_parent.stop();

New, exciting ActionScript

What is a variable? A kind of container for data Each variable has a name (static) Each variable has a value (dynamic)

Examples of variables (name, left; and value, right): n = 27; myColor = "orange";

ActionScript 2.0 variables

Not in the book: AS 2.0 would like script to be more

formal in style Examples of the initial declaration of

variables in AS 2.0: var n = 27; var myColor = "orange";

ActionScript 2.0 variables

In fact, AS 2.0 would like things to be EVEN MORE formal:

Examples of the initial declaration of variables in AS 2.0, including “strict data typing”: var n:Number = 27; var myColor:String = "orange";

Selecting ActionScript version

To make life easy, when following the book, you can simply change the Publish Settings to AS 1.0

But eventually, people will use AS 2.0 for everything

ActionScript variables

We should formally declare our variables: var n = 27; var myColor = "orange";

You can do that in AS 1.0 or 2.0 However – we need not use strict data

typing (:Number, :String, etc.)

ActionScript variables

How does a variable work? var n = 27; n = n + 1; if (n == 28) { stuff here }

Another example: var myColor = "orange"; if (myColor != " blue")

{ stuff here }

ActionScript operators

== “is equivalent to” != “is NOT equivalent to” > “is greater than” < “is less than” >= “is greater than or equal to” <= “is less than or equal to”

Variables in Lesson 8 (Sound)

The book says: x = new Sound();

Here the variable is x – and we are declaring it for the first time

So to be more formal and correct:var x = new Sound();

Only the first time you use x in a movie – do not write var after the first appearance of the variable

Variables in Lesson 8 (Sound)

A variable name can be any word (except the “reserved words”; see pp. 479 - 480)

It’s common to use letters such as x, y, and z as names of variables

It’s also common to use “camel case” in the name -- e.g. mySound, theMusic, etc.

Variables in Lesson 8

After we have declared a variable (with var), we can use it to do things -- rather like an instance namex.start(0, 0);

x.stop(); These are the basics of audio in Flash (We’ll get back to this shortly)

Bringing sound into the FLA

The only script difference between the two methods for the Sound object concerns how you associate your audio file with your variable:x.attachSound("crossroads");

… or … x.loadSound("rainforest.mp3",

true);

x.attachSound("crossroads");

x.loadSound("rainforest.mp3", true);

External MP3 files (loadSound)

To load an external audio file, the file MUST BE in the MP3 file format

Also, the file must have a sampling rate of one of these three values (on pp. 216 – 217): 11.025 kHz (doesn’t sound great) 22.05 kHz (usually best choice) 44.1 kHz (CD quality; big file size)

Otherwise, you will have distorted sound

Starting and stopping sound

To stop a Sound object represented by the variable name x:x.stop();

(Exactly like stopping a movie clip) To play a Sound object (from the

beginning):x.start(0, 0);

Script can be on a button or on a frame

x.stop();

x.start(0, 0);

Options for starting sound

This will start the sound from the beginning AND play it only once: -

This will start the sound from the beginning and loop it 100 times: -

This will start the sound 20 seconds after the beginning and play it only once: -

x.start(0, 0);

x.start(0, 100);

x.start(20, 0);

Pausing sound

Before you pause an audio file, you must determine how much has already played

Then you will be able to start it (later) from the same point

This property is called position

var p;p = Math.floor(x.position/1000);

Pausing sound (2)

Say the sound file had already played for 5.2 seconds (5,200 milliseconds)

This script will get the number 5,200 and divide it by 1,000:

Then it will round down the result to a whole number (not a decimal)

Result: p = 5

p = Math.floor(x.position/1000);

Pausing sound (3)

If you have the value of p, you can use that value to restart the audio file at the correct point after it has been paused: P x

If the value of p were 5, then the audio would immediately start playing from the point 5 seconds into the file

p = Math.floor(x.position/1000);x.start(p, 0);

Adjusting the volume

If all you need to do is mute the audio (while it continues to play): -

If you then need to return the audio to the maximum volume: -

The volume range is exactly 0 to 100

x.setVolume(0);

x.setVolume(100);

ActionScript basics

From Lessons 1 through 7: stop(); play(); gotoAndStop("someframelabel"); gotoAndPlay("otherframelabel");

You will use these in almost every Flash movie

ActionScript for audio (basics)

From Lesson 8 (x can be any name): var x = new Sound(); x.attachSound(); x.loadSound(); x.start(0, 0); x.stop();

You will use these to control sound in any Flash movie that requires it

ActionScript/audio (advanced)

From Lesson 8 (x can be any name): var x = new Sound(); var p = 0; p = Math.floor(x.position/1000); x.start(p, 0); x.setVolume(0); x.setVolume(100);

You will use these to control sound in conjunction with buttons in the Flash movie

Flash: Controlling Sound

The End

Presentation by Mindy McAdams

> Flash Journalism: Lesson 8