Component Ideas
Yo, JesterXL, a Flash Component Developer. Just in case you don't know what a component is, a component is a Flash movie clip that has encapsulatd functionality that saves you time and allows you to build other things with it. Examples would be a Push Button, Scrollbar, drawing pad, mySQL variable connector, etc. Designers thing of them as Flash plugin's, Developer's think of them as ActiveX or COM objects.
Regardless of how you look at them, they allow powerful things to be done in Flash, save you tons of time, and allow you to customize their function and appearence if created correctly.
I have been working on 2 new sets recently, and have a self-imposed deadline of the January 31st, 2003 for my Lizz-ite set (free and made strictly for Designers). Some homeskillet wants them for a book, so I need to at least give him something. However, I have room for another component that I can put in there, but was curious what the general public needs/wants/desires since I haven't asked in awhile. I've spent most of my time working on other projects, supporting my current set, or working with
Flashcom.
What I have currently in the set is:
- Tab = allows you to create tabbed interfaces
- Bandwidth Detector = shows how fast the Flash movie is downloading
- Movie Preloader = a simple preloader for your movie
- Level Preloader = preloads movies loaded into other levels
- Movie Border = draws a border around your flash movie, even when resized
- Push Button = a light weight pushbutton; the one that comes with Flash is a little heavy
- Radio = streams a playlist of mp3's from wherever
- VCR = plays SWF files and movie clips with VCR control of them
- Panorama = allows you to load one of those huge images, and have the panoramic effect you get in Quicktime
Anyway, if your not familiar with the components panel in Flash, or even if you are, what do you as a designer formost, developer second need?
Examples might be:
- I want to design an email form in Flash, but I don't know how to set it up so my CGI/Perl/ASP/.NET/PHP/CFM/JS script can read the variables... is there some simple component you could make that would allow me to place it on the stage, give it a variable name, and point it to post itself when I post the form?
- How can show my LJ in Flash? I'd like to do this on my own server, but I don't know how to get LJ in Flash around the security restrictions...
- How can I broadcast my webcam and mic using Flash? I have a
Flashcom account setup over at
MT, but I don't know how to get everything setup codewise; the components that it comes with are over-kill?
- How can I have a button play a sound from my library instead of dragging it to the timeline? I wanna just type in a sound for my button, and it play, not have to drag it...?
Those are just some of the problems, big and small, that can be solved by components. However, I am looking for what needs people have since those are all conjecture from reading peeps posts out and about the net.
Comments?
--JesterXL
