January 2002 DEB Tip: Flash 5--The Color Object

Last update: 19-feb-03

Debbie Berg

Web Designer

Web Instructor

Technical Writer

Consulting Services

Need help designing your Web site?
Is it time to redesign your Web site?
Is your Web site meeting your visitors' needs?
Want a site review to find out?
Need help marketing your Web site through the search engines?

Please contact me to discuss my fees

Flawebdeb Information

Check out Debbie's 2003 Training Schedule

Take a look at some
of Debbie's most recent clients

What are people saying about Debbie?

"Debbie is a very knowledgeable, engaging instructor!"

M. Pine
Kansas City, MO

"Ms. Berg knows her stuff! She takes the time to explain technical concepts in great detail, which is very helpful. I can't wait to apply what I've learned!"

J. Matheson
Miami, FL

January 2002 DEB Tip

Back to DEB Tips

Flash 5: The Color Object

Give your visitors the option to control the color in your Flash movies by using the Color Object. An object is a piece of data (color, sound, movie, etc.) that contains a set of methods (the things that objects do).

1. First, create a movie clip that contains the object for which you'd like to change the color.

2. Next, drag an instance of the movie clip onto the Stage and choose Modify...Instance. Name the instance.

3. Create a button symbol. This button will be used to call upon the movie clip and change its color.

4. Drag an instance of the button symbol, select the button symbol on the Stage and choose Window...Actions.

5. First we need to instantiate the object. Choose Actions...Set Variable to create a name for the object, and to call upon the New Color method. In the Variable field, type the name of the Color object: myColorObject. In the Value field, choose Objects...Color...New Color. With the "target" highlighted in parentheses, choose the Insert Target Path button.

6. Control the movie clip by targeting the movie clip with the Insert Target Path dialogue. The Insert Target Path dialog box appears, showing the movie clip hierarchy of the current clip. For the Mode, choose how to display the hierarchy of the movie clip instance:

Absolute mode
With absolute mode, the main movie's timeline is called "_root" All other timelines are organized relative to the" _root" timeline.

Relative mode
With relative mode, the current Timeline is called "this" All other timelines are relative to the "this" timeline.

7. Choose the movie clip from the Tree view and click OK

8. Select the Expression checkbox next to the Value field to remove the quotes around the new Color method.

9. Choose Actions...Evaluate to begin a new line of ActionScript

10. In the Expression field, type the name of the Color Object: myColorObject and then choose Objects...Color...Set RGB. Highlight the RRGGBB method and create a color from the Mixer panel. Be sure to set the color mode to HEX on the Mixer's flyout panel. Use the Mixer panel to obtain the hexadecimal values for the new color. Type them into the Set RGB method.

11. Choose Control...Test movie to see the results! When the user presses the button, the movie clip instance on the Stage changes color!

NOTE: Create several instances of the button and apply different RGB/HEX values to the Set RGB method for each button.

Source: This lesson was developed especially for YOU by Debbie Berg :-)

WATCH FOR MORE DEB TIPS TO COME! STOP BY AND SEE MY NEW DEB TIP EACH MONTH...

D.E.B. Tips

Flash

Dreamweaver/Flash
Conference