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Program: SWiSH Max
Build Date: 2005.08.15+
Skill: Beginner
Introduction:
SWiSH Max files are referred to as Movies because
animations are played in a Timeline which is expressed in fps (frames
per second). A playhead moves in a linear fashion along a timeline unless
controlled by scripting within your movie.
In SWiSH Max the fps is defined on the Movie tab.
The default setting is 12 fps. Standard motion picture video format
speed is 29.97 fps (SMTPE
time code) but it is neither required nor encouraged for your SWiSH
Max Movie.
The aim of this tutorial is to give users a better understanding of the use of the timeline in a SWiSH Max movie. You should learn that the main timeline is always called _root in your scripting. That _parent is the way to name any particular container sprite if you are targeting it from the child sprite, and that your sprites (Movie Clips) have their own individual timelines, which can all be targeted by using the names of the sprites in your scripts using dot notation.
Getting Started
Let's create a new movie and see how the timeline
works with effects events and actions.
Open SWISH Max. Select File | New to create a new
movie. From the Layout Panel button menu, select the Text icon (T).
Click and drag across the stage to create a text box. Enter some text
for this demonstration.
On the Text Panel you will want to make sure:
Creating an effect
If you look at the Timeline panel, you should see
two rows in the timeline. One for the Scene, and another for your text
object. Objects and effects can be placed and removed at any frame along
the timeline to appear or disappear at different times.
Right-click on any frame in the text line and select
'Fade ->Fade In' from the context menu. This will place a 'Fade In'
effect at the frame you selected. Use 'File | Test in Player' to see
what happens. You should see your text fade into view at the point you
placed the effect.
Click on the center of the effect (sfx) and drag
to change the start time of the effect relative to the scene's timeline.
Note that clicking and dragging on the last frame (a black dot signifies
a keyframe) of an sfx will alter the duration of the effect so you can
lengthen or shorten the time taken for the effect.
A movie's natural state is to Play(). If there is
nothing to control it, the movie will play from beginning to end (the
end, unless you specify it, is at the last place there is any action
on the timeline), and then start over again from the first frame (you
can see this by testing your current movie in player or browser).
In order to gain more control over the movie, we
need to use Events and specify Actions.
Timeline Event/Actions
SWiSH script is a scripting language that uses events
and actions to control the movie playhead. First comes the detailing
of the event, and then the specification of the action to occur at that
event. Events can be assigned to Objects or the timeline itself. A typical
event/action script will look like the code below on your Scripting
panel.
on Event() {
//Perform Action);
} |
In the Scene timeline above the effect right-click
and select 'Movie control > Stop()'. The Scene timeline should now
have a red square representing the action. By clicking and dragging
the red dot, you change when the event is specified to occur and can
adjust which frame you want your movie to stop at.
Test in browser, player or in SWiSH Max by clicking
the scene play button. You can also adjust where the effect occurs
and the number of frames for your effect in the Script panel. This is
nested behind the layout panel (in default layout mode).
Your code should appear as:
In guided mode, click your Event. and you can set
a new value for the frame number. For the next example set this to;
Button Event/Actions
Any object (shape. text, image, sprite) can be used for button
events. Switch back to the layout panel view to create a shape. Select the
rectangle tool from the layout panel. Click and drag across the stage
to create your shape. From the shape panel select a color and give the
shape a line value.
With the shape selected, return to the Script panel
nested behind the layout panel. Make sure that the guided mode is selected.
Add Script> Events > Button . On release()
Add Script Movie Control > gotoAndPlay > goto and
play frame(2)
When complete your script should appear like this
in the Script panel.
on (release) {
gotoSceneAndPlay("<current scene>",2);
} |
Add another stop() action to your Scene timeline. where the animation
ends
When testing in browser/player or swishmax your
movie should not present the fade in until your shape is clicked. When
the shape is clicked again the fade in should occur again. Now that
we have an understanding of how the timeline operates, and how to control
the movie via SWiSH Script, it's time to expand on the concept with
sprites. Here is a sample.swi
which recaps what we have covered.
Sprites
Objects known as sprites in SWiSH Max are referred
to as Movie Clips in flash or SWiSH Max2. They are "Mini Movies"
within the scene, and they have semi-independent timelines relative
to the Scene. The dependency is that the sprite must exist in the scene's
timeline and a sprite can not extend beyond the scene's timeline (such
as to the next scene).
In order for sprites and the movie to communicate
we need to name our sprites. Every object that will be referenced in
scripting needs a name. When an event action occurs in the sprite's
timeline it will only affect the sprite's timeline, unless another target
has been specified.
With your text object selected, go to the Modify
Menu in the main menu and select Modify->Convert-Convert To
Sprite.
Now test your movie in SWiSH Max. You will notice the fade in occurs
without clicking the button.
We need to:
In the Sprite panel insert a name for your sprite.
Sprite names should not be spaced or begin with a number, and should
not be named "Sprite"
Tip: You don't need to manually add scripts if
you are just duplicating them. You can copy a script and then paste
it into a different location. You can also copy Script from text such
as this, or any, tutorial and paste the script in.
From the Scene Script Panel right click on the frame
event, and select Copy. Next, double click on the Sprite in the Scene
Outline to open the Sprite's timeline. Right click on the Sprite timeline
and select Paste Script.
Your Sprite timeline script should look something like this:
onFrame (1) {
stop();
}
onFrame (15) {
stop();
} |
Targeting the sprite timeline from the scene
timeline.
Our button still points to the timeline it resides
in. Select your shape from the scene timeline. In your script panel,
select the Action. From the 'Target' drop-down menu, select the Sprite
name.
Dot Notation
(Or how to target different timelines in your movie)
on (release) {
MySprite1.gotoAndPlay(2);
} |
The main timeline in a movie is referred to as _root.
If you have a button in a sprite that acts on a target in
the main timeline, you would need to use _root as the
target.
Each sprite has it's own timeline, and sprites can
also have Child sprites (and they in turn have their own timeline).
Dot notation is the way to target those different timelines. If the
communication is to the child sprite within the _root
you need to identify the path to that sprite.
on (release) {
MySprite1.MyChildSpriteName.gotoAndPlay(2);
} |
If the Child sprite is targeting it's parent sprite:
on (release) {
_parent.gotoAndPlay(2);
} |
If any sprite is targeting the
_root:
on (release) {
_root.gotoAndPlay(2);
} |
If a sprite is targeting it's sibling sprite
_root:
on (release) {
_parent.MySiblingSpriteName.gotoAndPlay(2);
} |
Hopefully, this helps new users to better
understand the use of timelines in a SWiSH Max movie. You should have
learnt that the main timeline is always called _root
in your scripting. That _parent is the way to name
any particular container sprite if you are targeting it from the child
sprite, and that your sprites (Movie Clips) have their own individual
timelines, which can all be targeted by using the names of the sprites
in your scripts using dot notation.
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