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 CSC 112 - Introduction to Computer Programming
Flash ActionScript 

ActionScript API - Language and Components Reference / Key Codes /

LECTURE Week Number
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

       Week 1 Aug 19 First day of classes

  1. In class: Introductions / Syllabus

      Objectives: Work on Lesson 1 Getting Acquainted and Lesson 2 Working with Graphics

    1. Office hours: M, W 1-1:50 specifically for this class, others by appt.
    2. Uploading web files to personal web sites for students
    3. Course resources Classroom in a Book CS3 Professional / ActionScript 3.0 for Adobe Flash CS4 Professional / Adobe TV

      Week 2 Aug 24

  2. In class: Lessons 1 & 2

    Exit competency:  (demo by end of class or before beginning of next class)
                    Complete Lessons 1 & 2 of CS3

      Objectives:
    1. fill and stroke
    2. import bitmap for use in fills
    3. select elements and portions of elements
    4. simple animation with motion tweens
    5. grouping elements
    6. masks
    7. publishing Flash with ActionScript
    8. source files, shockWaveFlash files, javaScript files
  3. In class:  Creating and Editing Symbols, Working with Text

    Exit competency:  (demo by end of class or before beginning of next class)
                   Complete Lessons 3 & 4 of CS 3
      Objectives:
    1. the difference between symbol types
    2. adjusting transparency
    3. import assets into the library
    4. convert bitmap graphics to vectors
    5. reducing file size
    6. web-safe colors
    7. formatting text, converting text to symbols
    8. using masks to animate text, apply filters to text
    9. use tweening to animate objects quickly

      Week 3 Aug 31

  4. In class:  ActionScript Lesson 1
    Exit competency:  (demo by end of class or before beginning of next class)
                    1)  Complete Lesson 5 of CS3
                    2)  Complete Lesson 1 of CS4 ActionScript
      Objectives:
    1. creating variables
    2. dot notation
    3. String literals
    4. number conversion to a String: info_txt.text = String(count);
  5. In class: ActionScript Lesson 2

    Exit competency: (demo by end of class or before beginning of next class)
                    1)  Work on Lesson 6 of CS3
                    2)  Work on Lesson 2 of CS4 ActionScript 

      Objectives:
    1. event listeners
    2. write event handler functions
    3. navigate to a timeline in response to button clicks
    4. open a URL in a browser using ActionScript
    5. change the value of a variable with button interaction

      Week 4 Sep 7- Monday Labor Day State Holiday no classes

  6. In class:   CS 3 Lesson 7 ActionScript Basics
    Exit competency:  (demo by end of class or before beginning of next class)
                    1)  Complete Lesson 6 of CS3 Creating Interactive Files
                    2)  Work on Lesson 7 of CS3 ActionScript Basics
      Objectives:
    1. Manipulate gradients
    2. Create animated rollover states
    3. Use a singe symbol for multiple images
    4. Edit nested symbols
    5. Create and use frame labels and name instances
     
  7. In class:   CS 3 Lesson 7 ActionScript Basics
    Exit competency:  (demo by end of class or before beginning of next class)
                    1)  Complete Lesson 7 of CS3 ActionScript Basics
      Objectives:
    1. Create basic scripts using ActionScript
    2. Use the Actions panel and Script Assist
    3. Add a stop action
    4. Work with conditional statements
    5. Load data from a URL
    6. Work with event listeners
    7. Assign actions to buttons

      Lessons 1-7 in CS3 and ActionScript 3.0 for CS4 Lessons 1 & 2 Completed

      Project 1 Assignment (due by end of class September 17th)
      Pick two lessons from the nine completed lessons (at least one has to come from CS3 Lessons 1-7)
      Think of a project you would be interested in that utilizes/demonstrates all of the major features of the two lessons. Email mail me with your project including the lessons mimicked and the features for each lesson your project will incorporate. I will respond with either a yes , additional requirements or request that you instead perform the cookie cutter project to be announced here. In order to perform your own project, you must get email response with approval prior to class, September 15th.

      Week 5 Sep 14

  8. In class: Work on your project
     
  9. In class:  Complete Project 1
                 

    1. Week 6 Sep 21

  10. In class: Review for Midterm.
    Exit competency:  Project 1 graded
  11. Midterm -Late Projects graded (Max grade 80/100) no projects accepted after midterm

            Week 7 Sep 28

  12. Lab day Complete Lesson 3 of CS4 ActionScript with moving star -due by end of next class. Project 2 Assigned -due by end of class Oct 8th
  13. In class:   Lesson 3 Assignment 2, From scratch controlling a movie clip with ActionScript -an extension of Lesson 3 of CS4 ActionScript. Continue work on Project 2
    Exit competency:  (demo by end of class or before beginning of next class)
                    
      Objectives:
    1. Tweens in ActionScript
    2. Keeping objects on stage with ActionScript
    3. Variables as tools to simplify coding
    4. Selection
    5. Events and Event Listeners
    6. External ActionScript files -packages, class definitions, inheritance

      Week 8 Oct 5  No classes M/T (Last day to withdraw with a W is Thursday the 8th)

  14. Fall Break
  15. In class: Demo your project 
    Exit competency:   
    1. Project 2 graded

      Week 9 Oct 12

  16. In class:  Review AS3 CS4 Lessons 1-4. Project 2 graded today without late fee penalty. Note Lessons due prior to today are accessed a 10 percent late fee each class meeting.
    Exit competency:  (demo by end of class or before beginning of next class) AS3 CS4 Lesson 5 but with your two projects added, Project 2 in place of the "Paint" and Project 1 as a fourth component.
                    
      Objectives:
    1. Create instances of a List component and customize their parameters.
    2. Trigger an event listener when the selected item in a List component instance changes.
    3. Change the source file of the UILoader component with ActionScript.
    4. Load text data from an external source.
    5. Add an event listener to respond to the successful completion of loaded data.
    6. Set properties of a text field with ActionScript and add a scrolling text field.
  17. In class:   Demo AS3 CS4 Lesson 5 but with your two projects added, Project 2 in place of the "Paint" and Project 1 as a fourth component.
    Exit competency:  AS3 CS4 Lesson 6 animated pre-loader incorporated into your next project.
      Objectives:
    1. Use testing and simulation tools to experience your projects at different connection speeds.
    2. Use UILoader methods to track the progress of loading media.
    3. Use the ProgressBar to give the user feedback on loading media.
    4. Use the COMPLETE event to hide the preloader and display content once loaded.
    5. Use the percentage of a file that is loaded to trigger the playback of frames in a MovieClip.

      Week 10 Oct 19

  18. In class: Lesson 7 Using Arrays and Loops
    Exit competency:  Complete Demo of modified Lesson 5 (four components.) Lesson 7 of CS4 ActionScript -note lesson 7 and on must be converted to CS3 to use in the lab. CS3 does not have the MovieClip parameter rotationX, instead use rotation and change the test condition from r > -180 to r >= -180 for a similarly pleasing visual effect.
      Objectives:
    1. Create a for loop to control repetition
    2. Create arrays to store, manipulate, and reference lists of data from a single variable
    3. Place instances of symbols from the Library on the stage using ActionScript
    4. Create new properties for MovieClip instances with ActionScript
  19. In class:  
    Exit competency:  Complete Lesson 7 of CS4 ActionScript, begin Lesson 9 of CS4 ActionScript -Conversion to CS3 is completed for the 7, 9, and 10 start files. 
                 Objectives:
    1. Use Boolean variables to keep track of true/false values
    2. Use methods of the Array class to store references to MovieClip instances and their properties
    3. Use a for loop to cycle through an array and check the properties of its elements
    4. Switch statements

      Week 11 Oct 26

  20. In class:  Project 3 assigned. Continue Lesson 9 of CS4 ActionScript,
    Exit competency:  (demo by end of class or before beginning of next class) Lesson 9 with a spectrum analyzer -SoundMixer
                    
      Objectives:
    1. Create instances of the Sound, SoundChannel, and SoundTransform classes
    2. Control the loading and playback of external MP3 files
    3. Use the SoundTransform class to control volume and panning of sounds
    4. Use the Slider component to control the properties of the SoundTransform class
    5. Use an array to store a playlist of MP3 files
    6. Use methods of the TextField class to add to and remove characters from text strings
    7. Use the ID3 tags of an MP3 file to access information about the file
  21. In class:   Complete Lesson 9 of CS4 ActionScript, begin Lesson 10 of CS4 ActionScript
    Exit competency: Lesson 9 with a second (optional) spectrum analyzer -SoundMixer
                    
      Objectives:
    1. Understand the basic structure of an XML file
    2. Create an XML object in Flash with ActionScript
    3. Use the URLLoader class to load an external XML file
    4. Respond to the COMPLETE and ERROR events of the URLLoader class
    5. Access data in an XML file from Flash using the XML features of ActionScript 3.0
    6. Use XML data to control a music player application

      Week 12 Nov 2

  22. In class:  Continue work on Project 3: Create an interesting web page that incorporates COMPLETE and ERROR events of the URLLoader class, arrays, images, sounds (Sound, SoundChannel, SoundTransform, and SoundMixer), and an animated pre-loader (Lesson 6) -in class demo due November 10th
     
  23. In class:   Complete Lesson 10 of CS4 ActionScript -this lesson is not graded.
     

    1. Week 13 Nov 9

  24. Project 3 demo day
  25. In class:   Complete Project 3 demonstrations..

    1. Week 14 Nov 16

  26. In class:  Project 4 - a project of your own choosing that demonstrates what you have learned in class. Your grade will be commensurate with the quality of your demonstration. -Due by Tuesday December 1.
    Exit competency:  Download a trial version of Flash CS4 to do this optional Lesson 11 -Using ActionScript and Components to Control Video
                    
      Objectives:
    1. Use the FLVPlayback component to work with Flash video files.
    2. Set the properties of the FLVPlayback compo9nent with ActionScript.
    3. Use the FLVCaptioning component
    4. Work with Timed-Text XML file for video captions.
    5. Use a slider component to adjust the transparency of a video skin.
    6. Create actionScript that responds when a video file is finished playing.
  27. In class:   Extending your projects to real world application requires an understanding of both XML and ActionScript -see Traversing XML Structure.
    A simple Flash XML Gallery Tutorial. Using the two student servers: Web and File
    Exit competency:  (demo by end of class or before beginning of next class) Publish a small project that you have completed and upload to your web server. GalleryCode
                    
      Objectives:
    1. What is XML / XML Tree / XML Syntax Rules /
    2. XML has Extensible Elements / XML Attributes -something to avoid / Syntax Check your XML / double-byte versus single-byte encoding
    3. Upload to Timmy -your web based file server, a place to store file. You may upload and download but not edit on Timmy.
    4. Upload to the Student Web server -your web place.
    5.  

      Week 15 Nov 23 No classes W/R/F Thanksgiving State Holiday

  28. In class:  Project 4 demos
     
  29. Holiday

    Week 16 Nov 30-Wed Dec 2 (Last day of classes)

  30. In class:  Project 4 demos Sample final