Dear Google & Yahoo!,
In recent months both of you have released wonderful ActionScript libraries that allow us developers to access your mapping services. To have the same power (questionably more) as JavaScript developers is totally freakin' radical. What more can us developers ask for when giant companies give us code for free to use their amazing services...well...for free! Unbelievable and inspiring.
In working on a project, I created a simple utility class that has this public static method. This basically takes a DisplayObject, copies it, and adds it to a new Sprite which is then returned to the caller. Simple enough. I'm sure this can be refined or done a different way, so have at it.
public static function duplicateImageAsSprite( original:DisplayObject ):Sprite
{
var bitmapData:BitmapData = new BitmapData( original.width , original.height ,
true , 0x000000 );
bitmapData.draw( original as IBitmapDrawable );
var bitmap:Bitmap = new Bitmap( bitmapData );
var returnSprite:Sprite = new Sprite();
returnSprite.addChild( bitmap as DisplayObject );
return returnSprite;
}
I'm rather annoyed right now. For whatever reason, I didn't think that determining if the user has 3 keys pressed at once would be so difficult. Attempt to press all the arrow keys that correspond to the arrows being displayed...
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't and I can't understand why or find a pattern to the malfunction. But basically whats happening is at some point the KEY_DOWN event just isn't dispatched for a particular arrow key once two of the other arrow keys have been pressed. Does anyone have any freaking idea why this is happening?
So I just got the OK from work to go to the FITC Chicago event. I'm pretty excited because I'm actually quite interested in the sessions that are going to be happening at the one day event. Most particularly I'm looking forward to hearing Samuel Agesilas (levelofindustry.com fame) speak about Orchid. I'll also be hoping to maybe hear some news about his Saffron project. That of course would just be a bonus. At any rate, is anyone else going? Perhaps I'll bring a few copies of the book to hand out if anyone would be interested.
There was a pretty interesting entry up on CREATIVITY (online) last week. It was about how Arnold, Boston started it's very own Research & Development department, staffed with a couple of young technologist/designers. [read here]
My opinion on this matter is a bit mixed. Part of me is looking at this type of idea with great skepticism, another is looking at it with a little jealousy, and a small part is looking at it with some hope. I'm more curious what other peoples' opinions are on this subject.
This is rad little site. I was able to make a funny little loop and then get an embed code for it. Great concept.
