Accessing timeline variables from a class? - actionscript-3

Question

In one of the frame of my program I have code for a "player" that is essentially a cannon that follows the character around, specifics aren't important. So I'd like to make this cannon into a class that I can then place as a movieclip, on the stage and have similar cannons serving similar functions. So Basicly I need to make this into a class that somehow interacts with timeline variables?
right now the Player class looks like this
package
{
import flash.display.*;
import flash.events.*;
import flash.ui.*;
public class Player extends MovieClip
{
public function Player() {
}
}
}
Warning code dump you don't have to read all this, this is the player code that I need to make into a class so that I can make more players with different parameters to their not all following the character etc... So how do I do this? this code is interacting with objects on the stage and other variables in the timeline at the moment.
// player settings
var _rotateSpeedMax:Number = 20;
var _gravity:Number = .10;
// projectile gun settings
var _bulletSpeed:Number = 4;
var _maxDistance:Number = 200;
var _reloadSpeed:Number = 250;//milliseconds
var _barrelLength:Number = 20;
var _bulletSpread:Number = 5;
// gun stuff
var _isLoaded:Boolean = true;
var _isFiring:Boolean = false;
var _endX:Number;
var _endY:Number;
var _startX:Number;
var _startY:Number;
var _reloadTimer:Timer;
var _bullets:Array = [];
// array that holds walls
var _solidObjects:Array = [];
// global vars
var _player:MovieClip;
var _dx:Number;
var _dy:Number;
var _pcos:Number;
var _psin:Number;
var _trueRotation:Number;
/**
* Constructor
*/
_solidObjects = [world.wall01,world.wall02,world.wall03,world.wall04];
stage.addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, enterFrameHandler);
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, onMouseDownHandler);
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, onMouseUpHandler);
//character.addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, moveDude);
//////////////////////////////////////;
// Player & Weapon Methods
//////////////////////////////////////
/**
* Creates player
* Uses "Player" movieclip linked in library
*/
createPlayer();
function createPlayer():void
{
// attach player movieclip from library
// position player in center
if (character!=null&&_player!=null)
{
_player.x = character.x +5;
_player.y = character.y +5;
}
else if (_player ==null)
{
_player = new Player();
// add to display list
stage.addChild(_player);
}
}
/**
* Fire weapon
*/
function fire():void
{
// check if firing
if (! _isFiring)
{
return;
}
// check if reloaded
if (! _isLoaded)
{
return;
}
// create bullet
createBullet();
// start reload timer
_reloadTimer = new Timer(_reloadSpeed);
_reloadTimer.addEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER, reloadTimerHandler);
_reloadTimer.start();
// set reload flag to false;
_isLoaded = false;
}
/**
* Creates a bullet movieclip and sets it's properties
*/
function createBullet():void
{
// precalculate the cos & sine
_pcos = Math.cos(_player.rotation * Math.PI / 180);
_psin = Math.sin(_player.rotation * Math.PI / 180);
// start X & Y
// calculate the tip of the barrel
_startX = _player.x - _barrelLength * _pcos;
_startY = _player.y - _barrelLength * _psin;
// end X & Y
// calculate where the bullet needs to go
// aim 50 pixels in front of the gun
_endX = _player.x - 50 * _pcos + Math.random() * _bulletSpread - _bulletSpread * .5;
_endY = _player.y - 50 * _psin + Math.random() * _bulletSpread - _bulletSpread * .5;
// attach bullet from library
var tempBullet:MovieClip = new Bullet();
// calculate velocity
tempBullet.vx = (_endX - _startX) / _bulletSpeed;
tempBullet.vy = (_endY - _startY) / _bulletSpeed;
// set position
tempBullet.x = _startX;
tempBullet.y = _startY;
// save starting location
tempBullet.startX = _startX;
tempBullet.startY = _startY;
// set maximum allowed travel distance
tempBullet.maxDistance = stage.stageHeight;//_maxDistance;
// add bullet to bullets array
_bullets.push(tempBullet);
// add to display list;
stage.addChild(tempBullet);
}
/**
* Updates bullets
*/
function updateBullets():void
{
var i:int;
var tempBullet:MovieClip;
// loop thru _bullets array
for (i = 0; i < _bullets.length; i++)
{
// save a reference to current bullet
tempBullet = _bullets[i];
// check if gravity is enabled
if (gravityCheckbox.selected)
{
// add gravity to Y velocity
tempBullet.vy += _gravity;
}
// update bullet position
tempBullet.x += tempBullet.vx;
tempBullet.y += tempBullet.vy;
// check if bullet went too far
if (getDistance(tempBullet.startX - tempBullet.x, tempBullet.startY - tempBullet.y) > tempBullet.maxDistance + _barrelLength)
{
destroyBullet(tempBullet);
}
// check for collision with walls
if (checkCollisions(tempBullet.x,tempBullet.y))
{
destroyBullet(tempBullet);
}
}
}
/**
* Destroys bullet
* #parambulletTakes bullet movieclip
*/
function destroyBullet(bullet:MovieClip):void
{
var i:int;
var tempBullet:MovieClip;
// loop thru _bullets array
for (i = 0; i < _bullets.length; i++)
{
// save a reference to current bullet
tempBullet = _bullets[i];
// if found bullet in array
if (tempBullet == bullet)
{
// remove from array
_bullets.splice(i, 1);
// remove from display list;
bullet.parent.removeChild(bullet);
// stop loop;
return;
}
}
}
/**
* Reload weapon
*/
function reloadWeapon():void
{
_isLoaded = true;
}
/**
* Checks for collisions between points and objects in _solidObjects
* #returnCollision boolean
*/
function checkCollisions(testX:Number, testY:Number):Boolean
{
var i:int;
var tempWall:MovieClip;
// loop thru _solidObjects array
for (i = 0; i < _solidObjects.length; i++)
{
// save a reference to current object
tempWall = _solidObjects[i];
// do a hit test
if (tempWall.hitTestPoint(testX,testY,true))
{
return true;
// stop loop
break;
}
}
return false;
}
/**
* Calculate player rotation
*/
function updateRotation():void
{
// calculate rotation based on mouse X & Y
_dx = _player.x - stage.mouseX;
_dy = _player.y - stage.mouseY;
// which way to rotate
var rotateTo:Number = getDegrees(getRadians(_dx,_dy));
// keep rotation positive, between 0 and 360 degrees
if (rotateTo > _player.rotation + 180)
{
rotateTo -= 360;
}
if (rotateTo < _player.rotation - 180)
{
rotateTo += 360;
}
// ease rotation
_trueRotation = (rotateTo - _player.rotation) / _rotateSpeedMax;
// update rotation
_player.rotation += _trueRotation;
}
//////////////////////////////////////
// Event Handlers
//////////////////////////////////////
/**
* Enter Frame handler
* #parameventUses Event
*/
function enterFrameHandler(event:Event):void
{
createPlayer();
updateRotation();
updateBullets();
fire();
}
/**
* Mouse Up handler
* #parameUses MouseEvent
*/
function onMouseUpHandler(event:MouseEvent):void
{
_isFiring = false;
}
/**
* Mouse Down handler
* #parameUses MouseEvent
*/
function onMouseDownHandler(event:MouseEvent):void
{
_isFiring = true;
}
/**
* Reload timer
* #parameTakes TimerEvent
*/
function reloadTimerHandler(e:TimerEvent):void
{
// stop timer
e.target.stop();
// clear timer var;
_reloadTimer = null;
reloadWeapon();
}
//////////////////////////////////////
// Utilities
//////////////////////////////////////
/**
* Get distance
* #paramdelta_x
* #paramdelta_y
* #return
*/
function getDistance(delta_x:Number, delta_y:Number):Number
{
return Math.sqrt((delta_x*delta_x)+(delta_y*delta_y));
}
/**
* Get radians
* #paramdelta_x
* #paramdelta_y
* #return
*/
function getRadians(delta_x:Number, delta_y:Number):Number
{
var r:Number = Math.atan2(delta_y,delta_x);
if (delta_y < 0)
{
r += (2 * Math.PI);
}
return r;
}
/**
* Get degrees
* #paramradiansTakes radians
* #returnReturns degrees
*/
function getDegrees(radians:Number):Number
{
return Math.floor(radians/(Math.PI/180));
}

Answer 1

From the class you can access a variable like this: MovieClip(root).variable