flash drawing applications actionscript

If you are trying to build a flash drawing application in actionscript, a tool where users can draw in swf, these links might come in handy. Myself im actually working on something where users can FILL shapes, just like in a traditional coloring book for kids.

Nevertheless i cannot find any usable actionscript for this.
All i can find and fix is filling using actionscript, predefining the coordinates in AS.
Since i am using jpgs ( or vectors) as a base image, it is not possible.
I have to put all lines in actionscript first, which is impossible to start with.

So i will fake it, creating clips for every shape, and changing its color trough actionscript.
Its a stupid workaround, timeconsuming, but it will do for this projects.

Here some more links on drawing in flash.
They are great, but they wont help you with the FILL problem..
Let me know if you find a solution for this!!! ( also, in CS4 i think it might be possible)


http://www.actionscripts.org/forums/showthread.php3?t=159637
http://www.actionscript.org/resources/articles/10/1/Creating-a-Dynamic-Drawing-application-in-Flash/Page1.html
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40686
http://www.queeky.com/draw/php/
http://psykopath.deviantart.com/art/Proper-Flash-Drawing-App-52545349
http://forums.macrumors.com/
http://jessewarden.com/2004/10/draw-lines-with-undo.html
http://www.flashandmath.com/basic/mousedraw/index.html


or you can always use a hammer...
Please leave your comments.

.

flash plays mp3 files at wrong or double speed

I had a flash file loading an external mp3 file trough actionscript. This works perfectly in some flash players, but others might play the mp3 file at a wrong speed (double speed).
This problem never occured to me, but i have some friends experiencing this problem.

The reason for this problem is the encoding of the mp3 file.
Flash only supports mp3 files encoded at a multiple rate of 11.025, so you should only use mp3 files encoded at 11, 22, 44... bitrate, where 44 would cause the least of problems. Other bitrates will (in some players) play the sound at a wrong or double speed.

Strange Adobe never fixed this, since this problem never occured with older flash players.
Anyhow, this encoding thing should do the trick, and your sound will play perfectly.


here some testing results i found at drupal.org
there is also a patch offered so the flash can only play files at the correct speed.
-----
TESTFILES LOCATED AT: http://playlist-demo.drupalart.org

Constant Bitrate, 192 Kbps, 44100 Hz, Stereo [OK]

Constant Bitrate, 128 Kbps, 44100 Hz, Stereo [OK]

Constant Bitrate, 112 Kbps, 44100 Hz, Stereo [ stuttering start/finish]

Constant Bitrate, 96 Kbps, 44100 Hz, Stereo [ stuttering start]

Constant Bitrate, 64 Kbps, 44100 Hz, Mono [ stuttering start/finish]

Constant Bitrate, 128 Kbps, 32000 Hz, Stereo [plays at faster speed, stuttering start]

Constant Bitrate, 96 Kbps, 32000 Hz, Stereo [plays at faster speed, stuttering start]

Constant Bitrate, 96 Kbps, 24000 Hz, Stereo [plays at even faster speed, stuttering start]

Constant Bitrate, 96 Kbps, 22050 Hz, Stereo [stuttering start]

Constant Bitrate, 64 Kbps, 22050 Hz, Stereo [OK]

Constant Bitrate, 32 Kbps, 11025 Hz, Stereo [stuttering start/finish]

Variable Bitrate, 125-180 Kbps VBR [OK]
------
thanks to zirafa for these testing results
------

or you can always use a hammer...
Please leave your comments.

.

Adobe updater can't update adobe software

Another common problem is the Adobe Updater. Many people seem to experience problems updating their Adobe software (like Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Photoshop,...). Myself, I had problems updating Adobe Flash CS3.

To update your adobe software, open the program, go to 'Help/Update'.
The updater will now search for new updates and ask you to download them.
In the preferences you can choose which Adobe programms you would like to be updated by (de)selecting them.
I choose for Flash CS3 and downloaded the update.

When Adobe Updater tries to install the update, i get the error message "updater can't find software to be updated"
and thats where it ends, the updater just quits.
Downloading the update from the Adobe website and installing it manually results in the same error.

Apparently Adobe can't find the correct path to install the updates in. So it stops working.
For Windows PC's there are some solutions to this problem by manually changing the path to the correct directory in the installer file. It's not that hard, but you will need some experience in code.
Still in some cases this doesn't resolve the problem, and also Adobe itself doesn't have any answers on this topic yet.

Uninstalling the software and reinstalling it could work in some cases, but even people with a clean formatted system with only the adobe software running came trough this same problem, when they tried to update.

I could figure out any solution yet, so all feedback is welcome to help out people with this problem!


or you can always use a hammer...
Please leave your comments.

.