Embed swf assets in Flash 9 AS3 - not flex not flashdevelop

[Birdsong]

(About the title: searching for pure AS3 Flash 9 info is so incredibly difficult because everything on the web seems to be polluted with fl_ex and other 3rd party compilers like flash_dev_elop references - hope this thread will be of some use to others like me looking for pure Flash 9 AS3 info.)

Hi, due to the issue summarized above I can not find any clear information about how or if I can embed swf files will library assets in my Flash 9 AS3 code. I think all the references I have seen to [Embed...] are likely fl_ex references. Because when I try using it in Flash 9 AS3 the compiler errors out.

So is it possible to embed swf files with library assets - like for use in theming? If so, how? If not, what is recommended for managing libraries of graphics and fonts etc?

Note I want to compile them in, not load them at run time.

Thanks a lot in advance!

[plutocrat]

I am having trouble understanding what it is you want; Library items are automatically embedded at compile-time (that is what the Library is for...).

To add library items at run-time, simply use:

new LibraryItem()

where LibraryItem is the class in the Library.

Perhaps an example might help?

[Birdsong]

thanks for the reply.

generally it would be convenient to compile in assets from other swfs, rather than have to always put everything into the library of my main fla. ha_xe and flash_dev_elop and it appears flex supports compiling in assets from other swfs.

I believe this is the syntax for fl_ex

[Embed(source="library.swf", symbol="linkageID")]
private var SomeClass:Class;

ha_xe uses

-swf-version 9
-swf-lib lib.swf

[dr_zeus]

Only the Flex SDK supports [Embed] metadata.

In Flash CS3, you can import complete SWF files into the library, but I'm pretty certain that you cannot import a specific symbol from a SWF. You will need to copy the symbol from the original FLA file or export your symbols into individual SWFs.

[Birdsong]

hmm - ok - well that is managable for my current project - thanks for the reply!

But that pretty much means Adobe took a powder on extending OOP concepts to graphics in Flash 9. Nice. Also great that AS3 features are different in Flash than in fl_ex.

[plutocrat]

You could hack together a solution along the lines of:

1. A library swf, document class:

package com.lib {
     import com.lib.symbols.*
     public class myLibrary {
          public static const symbolReference:whateverSymbol
          //etc
     }
}

2. Then in your main swf load that swf and instatiate the symbols from it.

It seems unnecessary, but might come in handy if one were to attempt to use some form of dynamic library.

Although I have no experience with Flex itself, I imagine that it might be more relevant to you in this case .

[dr_zeus]

[Embed] is not an AS3 language feature. It's a compiler specific "metadata" feature in the Flex SDK.

I'm curious, Birdsong, why do you keep inserting underscores _ when you type Flex, HaXe, or FlashDevelop?

[Birdsong]

because it is so frustrating trying to find info on AS3 that's not cluttered with Flex info on the web. Most of my searched for AS3 info return code thats got flex only stuff in it or is written in that xml like markup. So to find pure info about AS3 that I typically do a search like: AS3 whatever -Flex

Thus if flex is mentioned in the page then that might not show up in search results later so I was trying to keep flex and other things not related to AS3 and Flash 9 completely out of the thread. Ah well - it was worth a shot.

[sasxa]

Originally Posted by Birdsong

But that pretty much means Adobe took a powder on extending OOP concepts to graphics in Flash 9.

they did more than that: whole Illustrator CS3, for example, is built on OOP concepts. They took whole display-list-structure and implemented it in Illustrator. Now you can access all objects and objects' properties individualy, change anything you like. apply filters/effects to any part of your design... Buying Macromedia was great move for Adobe...

[harborbay]

Hi Birdsong,

I think you'll find the answer you want here:

http://www.bit-101.com/blog/?p=853

David