[Extendflash] Soften Fill Edges
Ibis Fernandez
ibis at cinestarfilmworks.com
Tue Jul 12 17:13:07 PDT 2005
I agree I too have been trying to figure a way to speed things up in my
animation work. So posting a solution or at least a good lead is something I
welcome on this topic.
I played around with recreating the soften fill edges thing but It just
doesn’t give me the results I'm looking for.
The thing is a component is simply not a viable solution for an author-time
procedure. And not all of us are creating for the web either. Most of my
work is for TV so file sizes is rarely and issue. Dynamic runtime solutions
are also not always the best solution for animation that is intended for TV
simply because converting movie clips and scripted effects is not something
that flash supports for video export. So third party software must be done
to convert, and it's just not something I like having to do.
On of my recent ideas is to create a tool that draws a sort of segmented
rectangle. Like a little snake composed of a series of rectangles it has to
be segmented because as a fill it would use a gradient. The base color on
one side and a 0% alpha color on the other. (or two color of your choice.)
Such a tool could then be used to sort of trace along the edge of the
portion that is supposed to be shaded, and since it would curve along the
surface, the end result would be a soft edge effect. Obviously the more
segements the more detailed it would be so the end result would be a
smoother shade.
Since flash only supports linear and radial gradients I think a viable
solution would be a tool that draws like the pencil tool, but rather than a
single line it would draw a sort of snake composed of segmented rectangles.
The fills could maybe then be set flow in the direction of the top of each
of the rectangle segments.
Enclosed is an illustration of what I mean. Hopefully the list will allow it
to go through, if not let me know, if you really need to see the visual aide
I can just mail it direct to your email.
- Ibis
-----Original Message-----
From: extendflash-bounces at flashguru.co.uk
[mailto:extendflash-bounces at flashguru.co.uk] On Behalf Of Keith Peters
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 1:09 PM
To: extendflash at flashguru.co.uk
Subject: RE: [Extendflash] Soften Fill Edges
I'm not sure what the big deal is here. It's a perfectly valid question, as
I recall it from the first post. How do you do soften fill edges in jsfl? I
struggled with it myself a while back and made some progress but I was just
doing it for fun, so never finished it. If someone had found a nice
solution, this would be the place to ask and share it.
Keith
> -----Original Message-----
> From: extendflash-bounces at flashguru.co.uk
> [mailto:extendflash-bounces at flashguru.co.uk] On Behalf Of
> Brooks Andrus
> Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 1:46 PM
> To: extendflash at flashguru.co.uk
> Subject: RE: [Extendflash] Soften Fill Edges
>
> My apologies for the spam this thread created.
>
> Sorry for asking about how to soften fill edges...image
> manipulation seems to be well within the scope of the JSFL
> API...perhaps there's a clearing house for good questions run
> by 1stpixel and yourself where I could submit a JSFL question
> and you could validate it:).
>
> I build v2 components fairly regularly as well as simple
> commands to help ease the work flow of myself and other
> developers in the office. Building a custom component with a
> soft fill which scales well based on the image size is quite
> a bit more complex than writing a command. It's also been my
> experience that the graphic artists in my office understand /
> grasp the concept of a command much more quickly than they do
> components...maybe we are a slow group, but that's where we're at.
>
> This is pretty much a dead thread and nothing constructive
> has been added in the last 7 or 8 posts, so let's just let it drop...
> Peace out,
>
> Brooks
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: extendflash-bounces at flashguru.co.uk
> [mailto:extendflash-bounces at flashguru.co.uk] On Behalf Of
> Jesse MacFadyen
> Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 11:28 AM
> To: ibis at cinestarfilmworks.com; extendflash at flashguru.co.uk
> Subject: Re: [Extendflash] Soften Fill Edges
>
> I agree with 1stpixel, you are missing the whole point if you
> ask for advice
>
> on how to do something and there is no good reason why.
> The first part of the solution is identify the problem, and
> anytime someone wants to do one operation to a 1000+
> operation, before solving the problem implies that this is
> not a solution to your problem but a work-around (and a
>
> nasty one)
>
> If you think that we don't understand or are not listening it
> probably because you haven't clarified the end goal.
>
> You will see less overhead if you solve this problem at
> runtime and not design time, and most likely your solution
> will be much simpler.
>
> If the people who are to be using your tool/component have
> little understanding of the flash-IDE this just further
> justifies the writing of a component.
>
> My advice to you is write a component that anyone can simply just go
>
> var myShadowBox = new ShadowBox( "path to file or library
> linkage id ");
> myShadowBox .setSize(400,500);
> myShadowBox .setPosition(200,400);
>
> The most important thing about using a tool to solve a
> problem is knowing if
>
> it the right tool. When all you have is a hammer ....
>
> Cheers,
> Jesse
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ibis Fernandez" <ibis at cinestarfilmworks.com>
> To: <extendflash at flashguru.co.uk>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 8:30 AM
> Subject: RE: [Extendflash] Soften Fill Edges
>
>
> > 1stpixel, can you please keep you're off topic comments
> away from my
> > email.
> > If you don't understand the difference between a component and an
> > extension
> > you are really in no position to be giving advice, or try to make an
> > argument about why he should use one thing over another.
> >
> > If you have in fact found a way to manipulate the IDE
> through a component
> > then please, share it otherwise you really just flooding me
> off topic
> > gibberish.
> >
> > - Ibis
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: extendflash-bounces at flashguru.co.uk
> > [mailto:extendflash-bounces at flashguru.co.uk] On Behalf Of 1stPIXEL
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 3:02 AM
> > To: extendflash at flashguru.co.uk
> > Subject: Re: [Extendflash] Soften Fill Edges
> >
> > Brooks Andrus schrieb:
> >>
> >> As to the question of a component, I'm not sure that I
> want a components
> >> overhead in order to apply a mask, stroke and shadow.
> >
> > What overhead ? Do you mean the overhead to write some code ?
> >
> > A component should be common, when sth. is needed so often,
> you hardly can
> > or
> > will do it by hand.
> >
> >> Perhaps, but I tend to
> >> think of components as providing an api and more code-centric in
> >> nature...
> >
> > Sure most components provide you an API. But it is not needed.
> >
> >> that's not always the case, but this command is something that is
> >> often used by people who have little or no understanding
> of the Flash
> >> IDE,
> >> much less a component api...does that make sense?
> >
> > perfectly. And thats what components are made for too.
> >
> > 1stpixel
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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