In this section IΓÇÖm going to show you how I put together the moving-letters effect in the introductory animation on www.globz.com. IΓÇÖll begin by looking at the idea behind the animation and how the math equations transition into Flash programming. Then IΓÇÖll show you how to implement it using concrete step-by-step examples.
This animationΓÇÖs primary role is as the entry gate to the GlobZ site, but it also checks that the user has the correct Flash plug in. This chapter deals with the animationΓÇÖs role as an entry gate.
I set out to to create a dynamic logo that the user has to click in order to enter the site. The letters of the GlobZ logo move both randomly and dynamically, changing height, width and position. When a mouse rolls over the green O, the logo reverts to its normal appearance.
I did this by programming a script that changed the position, orientation and size of a movie clip frame by frame and then applied the script to each letter of the logo.
So why achieve this effect programmatically, and not simply use tweening? Excellent question!
I chose the programing option because it allowed me to make the objectΓÇÖs motion truly unpredictable (using the random() function) and change the physical parameters in real time; so when the user moves over the O button, the stiffness parameter is increased and the logo returns to its normal appearance naturally. Finally, it made for a very light file because, generally speaking, scripts (constructive information) take up less space than graphical objects (descriptive information).
