sephiroth.it - flash world

Android: Create your own sharing app

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:13:09 +0100

One of the first applications I did for Android was a very simple application which simply takes a picture using Camera and then send it to a remote server.
Very simple, but it introduced to me into the android world and the notion of activities and communication between different applications.
A little addition to this application I wanted to make was the possibility to share any of the pictures already taken.
To do that I wanted to add the application to the list of the choices which appear when an user click on the "share" button when view an image using the default Gallery application.

Nothing easier than that! It was just a matter of a couple of tags to be added to the AndroidManifest.xml and the trick was done!

Haxe got (awesome) macros!

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:28:50 +0100

Hi guys, It has been a while since I posted the last time.
However I felt like it was the right moment to go back on the blog, to talk you about the new awesome Haxe macro system.

As you can read on Nicolas's blog, they're only present in the latest SVN update, but they will be included in the next build as soon as they will be perfect.
I must say I'm extremely happy about that addition: one of the most important reasons I'm so happy is the fact that instead of implementing an old-and-bording Macro system ala C/C++, Nicolas decided to go for a much more powerful macro system, which allows typesafe macros and real runtime code generation.

You are not limited to simple stuff like replace a macro call with a block of source code, but you can generate any kind of valid AST expressions that will be evaluated by the macro preprocessor at compile time.
Moreover you have access to almost the whole neko library (io, net, etc) which means you can write extremely powerful code generators and DSL! That's an awesome feature - really.

Give it a look!

Back from holidays

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:23:17 +0100

Just back from my holidays in Cadiz, Spain, and it's already time to fly to New York for the next Aviary meeting.

FlexLayout for AsWing

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:52:01 +0100

As you may have noticed I'm working with AsWing right now
Today I proposed a modification of the layout system. That's because I couldn't find any layout which satisfied my needs: a container which grows its components in order to fill the entire container size BUT which also keep in mind the component minimum and maximum sizes.
So it will try to grow all the components to the same size, but if a component has defined a specific minimum or maximum size, take that size under consideration.

Here's a screenshot of the FlexLayout class in action ( click over the image to see the live demo ):

And here's the code to use the FlexLayout:

f.getContentPane().setLayout(new FlexLayout(FlexLayout.VERTICAL, 2));

Here below I'm attaching the current aswing package with all the modifications I did recently, in case someone find it useful.
aswing_mod.zip

Master of Alchemy is on the App Store!

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:12:48 +0100

After six months of hard development we're so happy to announce that Master of Alchemy has been finally published in the iTunes App Store last Friday!

I'm sorry to spam again with this topic, but trust me, it has been a bet for all of us!

And actually it's included into the "New and Noteworthy" section!

You can see Master of Alchemy page at the AppStore

Reviews

Games Uncovered review: ...without a doubt one of the best iPad games yet.

Simply a fantastic puzzle game that is challenging, deep and graphically stunning. An absolute treasure.

Destructoid review:Score: 8.5 -- (8s are impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.

Indica - Island of light

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:38:46 +0100

Really nice song from this finnish girl band Indica.
This is their first english album "A Way Away", and behind this album there's Tuomas Holopainen of Nightwish.

AsWing modifications

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 11:51:55 +0100

It's a bit since I started using AsWing. It's really a complete ui framework for flash with many useful components.

But as usual, when using a component set there's always something missing. For this reason I just added to aswing these 2 components: JMultipleSlider and JLabelSlider. The first one is just a slider with the possibility to add multiple thumbs while the second one has a similar behavior to the Adobe's label slider added in the last CS5 applications.

Distort Tool using triangles

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:42:02 +0100

So, just to continue the topic of distorting images using the Graphics.drawTriangles method ( the first experiments using drawTriangles ) I did my implementation of a DistortTool using the same method.

As always, here you can also find the source code: test_distort.zip

Flash Genie effect using drawTriangles

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 10:46:50 +0100

To be honest I've never looked at the drawTriangles actionscript method till now. I don't know why. Probably because I'm getting lazy.

Anyway, finally I had the chance to make some tests with the Graphics.drawTriangles method

Here's the test I've made:

And here the source code: test_triangles.zip

Master of Alchemy: our first iPad game!

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:30:09 +0100

UPDATE: Master of alchemy is now available on the App Store!
http://itunes.apple.com/app/master-of-alchemy-hd/id373513573?mt=8

I're really proud to introduce our first iPad game: Master of Alchemy.

Master of Alchemy is an iPad game developed by DarkWave Games and published by Chillingo - Coming very soon on app store.

We are really proud of our game: it is being presented at E3 Expo 2010.

Master of Alchemy is an original and engaging puzzle game based on the manipulation of solid, liquid and gaseous elements.

Exploiting the features of a series of instruments (stills or alambics, button, hot air balloons, etc.), player can create new elements. To complete each level, he has to generate one or more required substances and bring them to some targets containers.

Substances' streams are characterized by a realistic behavior, because of the implementation of a physics engine.

So, like an alchemist, player creates new substances, starting from basic elements characterized by different colors and by the three material states.

In detail, player has to manage a small alchemic laboratory that is equipped by an increasing number of instruments (alembics - like crucibles, pipes, coils, blenders, steam engines, condensers, etc.). Thanks to these tools, he can blend, fuse, sublimate, condense or break up elements, according to the targets and limits/obstacles of levels.

In background to the various levels, there is the history of Master of Alchemy: the war between the two factions of the setting (alchemists and mechanologists - the machine-oriented scientists).
At the beginning of MoA, player has to choose which alchemist to perform (among a group of six characters). During the game, his alchemist evolves.

Main Features:

realistic physics engine;
manipulation of colorful flows of gas, solids and liquids - transformation tools
specifically designed to maximize the amazing capabilities of the iPad; an iPhone version will be coming soon
steampunk artwork style - Amazing Graphic Details
moving physics obstacles - buttons, hot air balloons, gates, big solid blocks, etc.
disappearing walls - to create gameplay variations: player will have to move tools inside the level more than once to solve it
secondary targets: purity, gems bonus, time bonus, to minimize particles loss/waste
unique puzzle designs;
a fantastic storyline - a detailed background setting with a related comics;
presented at E3 Expo 2010.

Other Features:

60 levels - hours of fun!
Almost 20 tools (alambics)
Animated tools
More than 10 Interactive Obstacles (buttons, hot air balloons, disappearing walls, gates, big solid blocks, etc.)
Crystal Implementation
6 different characters to perform
In-game characters' evolutions
Positional sound effects
An interactive and animated tutorial
More than a solution in most of the levels

Videos:

Watch Master of alchemy videos on YouTube



Aviary new bird, Roc Music Creator!

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 09:03:54 +0100

Yesterday Aviary announced the new bird: Music Creator ( codename Roc ).

Now anyone can create music and beats completely from scratch and right in their browser, by simulating almost 50 different instruments, ranging from common instruments like various drums, pianos and guitars to orchestral instruments like harps and flutes to more obscure (but fun!) instruments you may never have heard of like the balarimba and hammered dulcimer.

There are tons of different instruments to chose from. Creation is really simple and every creation can be exported both as mp3 and to be used in the Aviary Audio Editor.

Let's have fun with it!

Read pdf metadata with purePDF

Fri, 28 May 2010 08:42:22 +0100

In the recent purePDF update I've added the getInfo method to the PdfReader class, this allows to extract pdf informations once the document has been parsed.

Here's an example:

var pdf: ByteArray = URLLoader( event.target ).data as ByteArray;
var reader: PdfReader = new PdfReader( pdf );
reader.addEventListener( Event.COMPLETE, onReadComplete );
reader.readPdf();

function onReadComplete(event:Event):void
{
	var map: HashMap = reader.getInfo();
	for( var iterator: Iterator = map.keySet().iterator(); iterator.hasNext(); )
	{
		var key: String = iterator.next();
		trace( key + ": " + map.getValue( key ) );
	}
}

In this way all the document's metadata will be traced (Author, Creation Date, Title, Subject, etc..)

In order to extract the field directly simply use:

function onReadComplete(event:Event):void
{
	var map: HashMap = reader.getInfo();
	trace( "Author: " + map.getValue( "Author" ) );
	trace( "Creator: " + map.getValue( "Creator" ) );
	trace( "Title: " + map.getValue( "Title" ) );
}

Download the latest purePDF here.

Amethyst Actionscript editor

Tue, 25 May 2010 08:44:10 +0100

It's since the first time I used Eclipse that I'm waiting for an actionscript editor non eclipse based!

I never like eclipse and hated all its problems.

Unfortunately Adobe decided to implement its editor over eclipse and also other nice editors, like fdt, used the eclipse framework to build their own editors.

I used Visual Studio for a while but that was enough to make me fall in love with it.

Visual Studio is indeed the best editor at all, without doubts!

Finally I discovered an interesting project for editing actionscript projects integrated into Visual Studio.

Amethyst is still in beta and probably too premature to be used in large production environment, but it's a great news for me.

I hope they'll continue in the development and create a serious competitor for Flash Builder.

For more info visit their product page: http://www.sapphiresteel.com/Amethyst-Product-Page

Bicephalous Dance is on App Store

Thu, 20 May 2010 09:55:15 +0100

Try our first IPhone game for free! It's a simple but addictive game which will stress your multi-task brain abilities!

GAME BENEFITS:

- Improve your multi-tasking abilities (it's really important if you want be ready for the next iPhone release!)
- It's perfect when you have nothing to do! (i.e. when you are on a train or your girlfriend/boyfriend is boring you, ...)
- A lot of FUN!

GAME DEFECTS:
- brain's short circuits possible!!
- creates addiction!!

DESCRIPTION:
Can you split your brain in half and play in two different way at once? Use accelerometers to move the grey ball while using your finger to hit the buttons!Improve your concentration and memory with these simple but addictive game. Share your score with your OpenFeint friends and find out if you are a real bicephalous!!!

GAME FEATURES:
- Tutorial
- OpenFeint support
- Built-in high score
- Endless fun with increasing difficulty

SCREENSHOTS:

DOWNLOAD:

Download it from the App Store here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bicephalous-dance/id371977705?mt=8

WMF and BMP support in purePDF

Fri, 07 May 2010 14:08:34 +0100

Just a quick update on the project status. In the last 2 days I've added a couple of features to purePDF:

BMP support ( see BitmapImageSample )
WMF Windows metafile support ( see WMFImageSample )

Now almost all basic image formats are supported.