JActionScripters

Today, the NTT DoCoMo has released some new products and services for this summer. One of them, “SH-07B” which is released from SHARP Corporation, has new function called “Standby Widgets” that was implemented by Yoshihiro Shindo (BeInteractive!, it’s me) and Yusuke Nakahara who belongs to the CD-IM. It was directed by Naoki Mima who belongs to the Rightninc, Inc. What I mentioned in my presentation at the FITC Toronto 2010 is about this.

“Standby Widgets” is a function that enables you to customize your standby screen. You can add, remove, or lay out built-in widgets as you like. There are some built-in widgets like bookmarks, calendar, and manner mode switch. Also you can change widget’s color to your favorite color. For phone and mail, it has a list that you can access recent calls or mails easily.

In all honesty, it’s not an amazing new function. However, a point is why the team has invited me. Can you make sense? Yes, it’s written by Flash (FlashLite). A special customized FlashLite engine has been provided by the device team, and all of “Standby Widgets” is running on it. This is our first answer of a question “Can we make better UI if we could use Flash?”.

Many Japanese mobile phone is high-spec actually, but its UI ruins the value of it, I think. In my view, this project is to improve it. Also I feel this project provides fun future to not only users of device but also Flash developers in the world.

BetweenAS3, fast, powerful and professional new tweening engine I’m developing (please see this page or this page), is still under development… But today, I announce “Alpha r3022″ version for early betweeners!

I don’t give assurance about quality, but many main features may works well. Please test and send feedback (bug report, request, etc) to me.

You can checkout BetweenAS3 Alpha r3022 via SVN from:

• http://www.libspark.org/svn/as3/BetweenAS3/tags/alpha-r3022/

or download as ZIP or SWC from:

• http://www.libspark.org/svn/as3/BetweenAS3/tags/alpha-r3022/release/

Did you find text “fp9″ in filename? There is good news. FlashPlayer9 version also available!!

Yesterday, version of BetweenAS3 in Wonderfl is r2505, but today, it was updated to r3022. You can enjoy new version in Wonderfl!! You can find BetweenAS3 samples in this “BetweenAS3Tutorial” tag page.

Changes from r2505 to r3022 is the following:

 * [r3021] Created FlashPlayer9 version based on r3019.
 * [r3018] Fix: Error occurred when stopping or playing tween in event handlers.
 * [r3017] Added property for frame tween (_frame) and utility for convert frames and time (TimeUtil).
 * [r3016] Added ITween.togglePause
 * [r3009] [r3010] Supported physical tween. (BetweenAS3.physical)
 * [r3007] Added shortcuts for BetweenAS3.tween and BetweenAS3.bezier
  * BetweenAS3.to
  * BetweenAS3.from
  * BetweenAS3.bezierTo
  * BetweenAS3.bezierFrom
 * [r3005] Fix: Function specified in BetweenAS3.func will be called many times.
 * [r2998] Supported bezier tween. (BetweenAS3.bezier)
 * [r2996] Supported parallel and serial by passing Array parameter. (BetweenAS3.parallelTweens, BetweenAS3.serialTweens)
 * Changed internal architecture and package.
  * Supported inheriting event handlers when processing tweens by this change.
  * [r2994] Created IUpdater interface.
  * [r2694] Renamed BetweenEvent class to TweenEvent.
  * [r2692] Moved ITicker interface and TickerListener class to Core package.
  * [r2688] Created Core package.
  * [r2688] Removed ITweenTarget interface, integrated it to ITween interface and created IObjectTween interface.
  * [r2688] Created ITweenContainer (now ITweenGroup) interface.
 * [r2618] Moved a delay setting to the BetweenAS3.delay method for more flexibility.
 * [r2617] Changed the timing of calculating tween parameters to the first time of start playing the tween.
    Now sequence of tween using related value works fine.
     BetweenAS3.serial(
       BetweenAS3.tween(mc, {$x: 100}),
       BetweenAS3.tween(mc, {$x: 100})
     );
 * [r2600] Fix: Sometimes ReferenceError has occured while creating a tween.

Here is FAQ:

 Q. How to do filter tween?
 A. Do the following:

     BetweenAS3.tween{mc, {_glowFilter: {blurX: 32, blurY: 32}}).play();

    The following properties for filter are supported.

     * _bevelFilter
     * _blurFilter
     * _colorMatrixFilter
     * _convolutionFilter
     * _displacementMapFilter
     * _dropShadowFilter
     * _glowFilter
     * _gradientBevelFilter
     * _gradientGlowFilter
     * _shaderFilter

 Q. How to do ColorTransform tween?
 A. Do the following:

     BetweenAS3.tween(mc, {transfrom: {colorTransfrom: {redOffset: 255}}}).play();

 Q. How to do SoundTransform tween?
 A. Do the following:

     BetweenAS3.tween(sc, {soundTransform: {volume: 0.0}}).play();

 Q. How to set delay?
 A. By using BetweenAS3.delay, add delay to tween.

     BetweenAS3.delay(BetweenAS3.tween(mc, {x: 100}), 1.0).play(); // Delay 1.0 sec

 Q. How to do bezier tween?
 A. Do the following. Pass control points in argument 4. Set Array of control points for each property.

     BetweenAS3.bezier(mc, {x: 385, y: 207}, null, {x: [58.05, 145.9, 246.7, 345.55], y: [61.4, 80.65, 167.05, 209.3]}).play();

It was difficult to find cool new Spark project stuffs becuase English front page (Project list) no longer maintained…

But now you can find some new stuffs because we updated the English front page today! It’s based on latest Japanese front page. Enjoy!

Who we are

JActionScripters.com is driven by more than 20 top-notch Japanese Flash developers. Including not just coders, but art directors, designers, and productions, too.

What it is for?

JActionScripters was born to introduce Japanese ActionScript tips, code snippets, open source libraries, and cutting-edge Flash showcases for the Flash geeks all over the world – yup, I mean, YOU!

What you can get from here?

JActionScripters provides you not just ActionScript open source codes, libraries, frameworks, and Flash showcases, but the coolest news about “what’s going on in the Japanese Flash world”, Japanese creative concepts and philosophies, and of course, the zen to everything above.
As we believe, Japan rules. You must already know, as you are already here.

Here is the feed

Some of you already get this news from blog or twitter, Adobe will rename Flex Builder as Flash Builder from upcoming major release(Gumbo).

Here is Adobe’s positioning statement;

In order to create a better distinction between the open source Flex framework and the commercial development tool, the next major version of Adobe® Flex® Builder will be named Adobe® Flash® Builder™ to provide naming consistency for the Flash family of tools and position Flash Builder as the development tool for the Adobe® Flash® Platform, supporting both the use of the Flex framework and pure ActionScript. The change is in naming only and it will not alter product functionality or require behavior change for users. The new name will also elevate the role of the Flex framework as the foundation of the Adobe Flash Builder and Flash Catalyst tools. As a key component of the Adobe Flash Platform, Adobe Flash Builder continues to be the leading professional development tool for creating rich user experiences and compelling Web applications.