Flex 3

Rasterize a Transformed Vector without Pixelation

0
2 years ago
by johntimothybailey in ,

How does one rasterize a transformed vector capturing it’s new dimensions without pixelation?

Note: This follows my previous post Matrix Not Synchronized

Challenge: To render a bitmap of a transformed vector display object without pixelation. Specifically, after a mx.controls.Text is transformed, a bitmap snapshot is needed to be taken of the new object including the dimensions.  I should note that the reason I am needing to get a bitmap snapshot is do to some shaping to the text.

Problem: However, doing so results in pixelation or resamples / renders the original dimensions of the transformed Text. It appears that flash.display.BitmapData::draw cannot get the new transformed display. In other words,  when a flash.display.InteractiveObject is scaled on the x axis (or any axis) using transform.matrix, flash.display.BitmapData::draw cannot capture the new dimensions of the display object.

Example: http://sources.novelastudios.com/flash/matrix_adustments/MatriciesAndDimensions.html#
When the application creation complete is fired a snapshot is made. Change the matrix width (transform.matrix.a) and then re-render a snapshot / bitmap. Notice it retains the original, non-transformed values. Therefore and considering it is a rastered snapshot, when the snapshot/bitmap is scaled it becomes pixelated. Example version was 1.1.0.0 that should this problem. Version 1.2.0.0 is a workaround for now showing the workaround.

Workaround: I give credit to Guy Stables (needs a link) and Alex Harui (http://blogs.adobe.com/aharui).  Essentially, the workaround is as follows:

  1. The InteractiveObject (we’ll call our target) needs to be placed in a container. In this example mx.controls.Text is placed inside a mx.core.UIComponent.
  2. The matrix transform is then applied to the target (eg mx.controls.Text)
  3. The dimensions of the container (eg the UIComponent that contains the Text/target) are then set to the  target’s pixelBounds dimensions.
  4. Finally, take the snapshot bitmap of the container (the UIComponent).

For a demonstration see the latest version 1.2.0.0 of the example.

More Information:
Also found at http://forums.adobe.com/thread/521432

Popularity: 20% [?]

Funny Compiler Check Bug

0
2 years ago
by johntimothybailey in ,
Evidently, to the compiler the following is a big difference:


PASSES
return [
{label:"MyriadPro",styleName:"textDefault"}
,{label:"Albertus",styleName:"textAlbertus"}
];
FAILS
return
[
{label:"MyriadPro",styleName:"textDefault"}
,{label:"Albertus",styleName:"textAlbertus"}
];


[error message]
Severity and Description    Path    Resource    Location    Creation Time    Id
1065: Metadata attributes cannot have more than one element.    ProjectName/src/com/novelastudios/examples    FontsUtil.as    line 8    1255105753861    1317796
[/error message]


If you couldn’t tell the difference, all that is different is the bracket starts on the same line as the return in the first example. Whereas, in the second, it is on the following line.
I’m actually curious if there is a reason to the humor in this perceived “bug.” I’m going to search for a post in Adobe’s JIRA for Flex

Popularity: 5% [?]

Hidden $addChild for Flex Components

0
2 years ago
by johntimothybailey in

Ever try to add a DisplayObject to a Flex Component? If you have, you know the run-time engine will complain about a type conversion (Adobe casts DisplayObjects to IUIComponents). Well, there is a hidden $addChild for UIComponents. To utilize simply add use namespace mx_internal; to the beginning of your script. Now you can use $addChild.

For more information, check out http://www.boostworthy.com/blog/?p=224.

Popularity: 5% [?]

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