Simon, thanks so much for your detailed reply, I had seen some of these posts before but this has really helped me. Now I have managed to compile my SWFs from Textmate using fcsh and I am tracing in the Console it's great! I was using XTrace as you can colour your debug messages which is a nice way of differentiating between them though it isn't ported to AS3, I may do this if I get time.

I still have a couple of things I need to figure out:

1) Is there a way I can compile in Textmate that can incorporate designs made in an FLA? I would like to be able to create interfaces in Flash, create the SWF initially from the Flash IDE and then edit all of my code in Textmate and compile from Textmate while I am working. I'm aware that I can create library items and attach them to the stage at runtime but I would like to be able to lay them out in Flash as well. I was able to do this in AS2 when using MTASC but when I compile using fcsh the content from the original SWF (compiled from Flash) is overwritten.

2) Is there a way I can get Textmate to launch the SWF immediately after it is compiled?

Nice looking site btw, the helvector animations look great

Thanks for any advice, Ali

On 29 May 2008, at 18:53, Simon Gregory wrote:

...

I would like to compile my AS3 SWFs direct from Textmate. At the moment I am only building a single SWF as you would get if you published from Flash.

You could try the bundle help, or for a step by step intro on setting things up there's this:

http://flashalisious.com/2007/07/30/installing-as3-and-flex-bundle- for-textmate/

and there's this to help you along with the bundle

http://blog.iconara.net/2007/10/15/textmate-flex-tips-part-2/

...

I would like to be able to build my graphic assets in Flash then write my code in Textmate and compile from Textmate and view my SWF and trace using Xtrace.

I've no experience using Xtrace, what does it offer over the console?

...

Could someone give me some pointers on how to do this, all of the AS3 / Flex bundles seem to want to create a whole Flex application not just the single SWF.

A whole flex application is, in most cases, a single swf, so I'm not sure what you mean here? As soon as you move on to how to build using flex and as3 you shouldn't need to consider the IDE you are using.

...

If someone could also point me in the direction of a step-by step tutorial for creating Flex Apps in textmate that would be super- handy too as I would also like to learn this at some point.

To the best of my knowledge there isn't anything specifically on the subject, I've spotted TextMate and the ActionScript 3 bundle being used in screen casts here (see the flash player 10 posts):

http://www.gotoandlearn.com/index.php

also by the same guy, and may help if you're wanting to publish using the Flash IDE - http://theflashblog.com/?p=376

Cheers, Simon

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alistair Colling Interactive Developer

FPP Brand Communications (Newcastle upon Tyne) The Courtyard Dinsdale Place Sandyford Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1BD Telephone: +44 (0)191 261 6662 Fax: +44 (0)191 233 2511

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Gaby thanks :) this is great. I hadn't thought of putting my designs in symbols and then importing these from the SWF. I was trying to import the top-level of the SWF and lay everything out there but all I need to do is put this inside a movieclip so it appears in the library. Thanks again, Ali

On 2 Jun 2008, at 16:21, Gaby Vanhegan wrote:

On 2 Jun 2008, at 11:14, Alistair Colling wrote:

...

1. Is there a way I can compile in Textmate that can incorporate

designs made in an FLA? I would like to be able to create interfaces in Flash, create the SWF initially from the Flash IDE and then edit all of my code in Textmate and compile from Textmate while I am working. I'm aware that I can create library items and attach them to the stage at runtime but I would like to be able to lay them out in Flash as well. I was able to do this in AS2 when using MTASC but when I compile using fcsh the content from the original SWF (compiled from Flash) is overwritten.

This works perfectly for me:

package {

    [Embed(source="file.swf",symbol="MyExportedSymbol")]
    public class MyExportedSymbol extends Sprite {

            // Create a public var for each named clip in the  

symbol's root

            // Standard constructor
            public function MyExportedSymbol ( ) : void {
            }

    }

}

Then just build the application in TM. mxmlc will pull in the appropriate symbol from the swf then any time you create a MyExportedSymbol object with:

var ms:MyExportedSymbol = new MyExportedSymbol();

If creates it with the asset from the .swf file you specified. The gotcha will be that if you have a couple of clips in that symbol's root timeline you need to create public variables to hold them in the class definition. For example if you have two clips dropped into it named ClipA and ClipB, you will need to have:

    public var ClipA:Sprite;
    public var ClipB:Sprite;

As public variables of the class.

Enjoy!

G.

-- Being drunk is feeling sophisticated without being able to say it. http://www.playr.co.uk/

---

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alistair Colling Interactive Developer

FPP Brand Communications (Newcastle upon Tyne) The Courtyard Dinsdale Place Sandyford Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1BD Telephone: +44 (0)191 261 6662 Fax: +44 (0)191 233 2511

This transmission is confidential and intended solely for the person or organisation to whom it is addressed. It may contain privileged and confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy, distribute or take any action in reliance on it. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender at the e-mail address above. FPP Design Limited. Reg. Office: The Courtyard, Dinsdale Place, Sandyford, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1BD. Registered Number 3775564. Registered in England and Wales. Visit our website at http://www.fpp.net/

Thanks for the suggestion, what's the benefits of haxe over fcsh?

On 2 Jun 2008, at 17:22, Baluta Cristian wrote:

if you've used MTASC, maybe you want to use it's succesor now, haXe, wich can compile to AS3 also. There's already a bundle to integrate it in TM.

On Mon, Jun 2, 2008 at 7:07 PM, Alistair Colling alistair.colling@fpp.net wrote: Gaby thanks :) this is great. I hadn't thought of putting my designs in symbols and then importing these from the SWF. I was trying to import the top-level of the SWF and lay everything out there but all I need to do is put this inside a movieclip so it appears in the library. Thanks again, Ali

On 2 Jun 2008, at 16:21, Gaby Vanhegan wrote:

On 2 Jun 2008, at 11:14, Alistair Colling wrote:

1. Is there a way I can compile in Textmate that can incorporate

designs made in an FLA? I would like to be able to create interfaces in Flash, create the SWF initially from the Flash IDE and then edit all of my code in Textmate and compile from Textmate while I am working. I'm aware that I can create library items and attach them to the stage at runtime but I would like to be able to lay them out in Flash as well. I was able to do this in AS2 when using MTASC but when I compile using fcsh the content from the original SWF (compiled from Flash) is overwritten.

This works perfectly for me:

package {

   [Embed(source="file.swf",symbol="MyExportedSymbol")]
   public class MyExportedSymbol extends Sprite {

           // Create a public var for each named clip in the  

symbol's root

           // Standard constructor
           public function MyExportedSymbol ( ) : void {
           }

   }

}

Then just build the application in TM. mxmlc will pull in the appropriate symbol from the swf then any time you create a MyExportedSymbol object with:

var ms:MyExportedSymbol = new MyExportedSymbol();

If creates it with the asset from the .swf file you specified. The gotcha will be that if you have a couple of clips in that symbol's root timeline you need to create public variables to hold them in the class definition. For example if you have two clips dropped into it named ClipA and ClipB, you will need to have:

   public var ClipA:Sprite;
   public var ClipB:Sprite;

As public variables of the class.

Enjoy!

G.

-- Being drunk is feeling sophisticated without being able to say it. http://www.playr.co.uk/

---

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---

---

Alistair Colling Interactive Developer

FPP Brand Communications (Newcastle upon Tyne) The Courtyard Dinsdale Place Sandyford Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1BD Telephone: +44 (0)191 261 6662 Fax: +44 (0)191 233 2511

This transmission is confidential and intended solely for the person or organisation to whom it is addressed. It may contain privileged and confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy, distribute or take any action in reliance on it. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender at the e-mail address above.FPP Design Limited. Reg. Office: The Courtyard, Dinsdale Place, Sandyford, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1BD.Registered Number 3775564. Registered in England and Wales. Visit our website at http://www.fpp.net/

---

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-- Cristi www.ralcr.com <ATT00001>

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alistair Colling Interactive Developer

FPP Brand Communications (Newcastle upon Tyne) The Courtyard Dinsdale Place Sandyford Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1BD Telephone: +44 (0)191 261 6662 Fax: +44 (0)191 233 2511

This transmission is confidential and intended solely for the person or organisation to whom it is addressed. It may contain privileged and confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy, distribute or take any action in reliance on it. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender at the e-mail address above. FPP Design Limited. Reg. Office: The Courtyard, Dinsdale Place, Sandyford, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1BD. Registered Number 3775564. Registered in England and Wales. Visit our website at http://www.fpp.net/