AS3 Embedded Fonts list and their names - actionscript-3

How to get a list of all embedded fonts with their names using AS3.

Use Font.enumerateFonts().
var fonts:Array = Font.enumerateFonts();
for each(var font:Font in fonts)
trace( font.fontName+":"+font.fontType );

Related

AS3 - How to create a new MovieClip from externally loaded SWF

I am exporting my animated characters from Flash Professional as a SWF to externally load them into AS3. I do not want to export them as SWC's because I have hundreds of these characters and only a small portion of them will be used at a given time.
It seems impossible to create multiple of these character MovieClips from the same loaded SWF since they are not SWC's I have no ActionScript linkage to be able to say
var myClip:MovieClip = new MyMovieClip();
I need to be able to make separate MovieClips from this same loaded character SWF. I essentially want to be able to say
var newMovieClip:MovieClip = otherMovieClip.clone();
Can this be done?
Would you be able to try this:
var newMovieClip:MovieClip = new (otherMovieClip as Object).constructor()
or
var className:String = getQualifiedClassName(otherMovieClip);
if(className)
{
var _class:Class = getDefinitionByName(className);
if(_class)
{
newMovieClip = new _class;
}
}

embedding a font in a swf using as3

I have a project using flash (and AIR for android and eventuall iOS) for translating some phrases. Although most fonts are fine there are some that I have to load after the user has chosen the languages. Over a year ago I generated a couple of swf files (Bengali and Urdu) and put them on my web server. The flash application then loads them when required and everything is OK...
However as I am nearing implementing the project I thought I should generate the swf files for the other languages that are in the pipeline and for some reason I can't manage it! Needless to say I have misplaced (tidied) the original AS3 source for the two fonts I have done.
package
{
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.events.Event;
public class ArabicF extends Sprite
{
[Embed(source = "trado.ttf",
fontName = "ArabicX",
fontFamily = "ArabicY",
fontWeight = "normal",
fontStyle = "normal",
mimeType = "application/x-font",
advancedAntiAliasing="true",
embedAsCFF="true")]
public static const ArabicZ:Class;
}
}
This has expanded from a much simpler form as I added things to get it to work and I must have tried all permutations of true and false. I load the swf ok but then can't extract the class. With the two fonts I embedded before the swf class and the parameter all have the same name and they work fine (i.e.
Urdu.swf
then later:
var FontClass:Class = evt.target.applicationDomain.getDefinition("Urdu") as Class;
and then
Font.registerFont(FontClass.Urdu);
in the calling .as application with the above Arabic.swf I try
trace("1 Arabic "+evt.target.applicationDomain.hasDefinition("ArabicF"));
trace("2 Arabic "+evt.target.applicationDomain.hasDefinition("Arabic"));
trace("3 ArabicX "+evt.target.applicationDomain.hasDefinition("ArabicX"));
trace("4 ArabicY "+evt.target.applicationDomain.hasDefinition("ArabicY"));
trace("5 ArabicZ "+evt.target.applicationDomain.hasDefinition("ArabicZ"));
but all return false
PS also tried generating the Arabic.swf using fontswf.bat which again seems to make a very similar swf file which is loaded but I can't extract the class from it
PPS I'm using flashdevelop and the font swf are set up as AS3 standard project compiler options.
I don't use Flash Develop, but perhaps I can offer some perspective from my implementation.
If I wanted to embed Arial, the embedding swf would "Export for ActionScript" the embedded font. In its document class, use registerFont() as below:
Font.registerFont(Arial);
Like every other swf, you'd use a Loader to import it into your runtime, and at that point, the font will be available to your global table. You can query the complete list of registered fonts using enumerateFonts().
var fontList:Array = Font.enumerateFonts();
for (var i:int = 0; i < fontList.length; i++) {
trace(fontList[i].fontName);
}
Assuming we've got a TextField called "txt", you can then implement that font with setTextFormat() like so:
var format:TextFormat = new TextFormat();
format.font = "Arial";
txt.embedFonts = true;
txt.antiAliasType = AntiAliasType.ADVANCED;
txt.setTextFormat(format);
txt.defaultTextFormat = format;
A disclaimer from Adobe on the use of these last two settings:
"When you apply a TextFormat object to a text field using the
TextField.defaultTextFormat property or the TextField.setTextFormat()
method, only its defined properties are applied. Use the
TextField.defaultTextFormat property to apply formatting BEFORE you
add text to the TextField, and the setTextFormat() method to add
formatting AFTER you add text to the TextField."
As I said before, my workflow doesn't utilize Flash Develop, but rather Flash IDE to embed the fonts into the swfs. Your results may vary, but be aware you must set embedFonts to true, or it won't respond to your embedded font. I've lost hair on that issue before.
Hope that helps. Cheers,
OK In case someone else runs into similar problems this is stage one of the answer (really the answer to my original question) still have to sort out how to get the font to be used in the flash.font.engine apparatus!
The critical parts are:
Point #1. the embedded font swf must have a name that doesn't clash with ANY name registered in the calling script. Bizzare and (as far as I could search) undocumented. i.e. I have a list of languages uploaded via xml services to an xml object and that includes for instance 'English' however the font loading doesn't work until I make the loadable font file into 'EnglishF.swf' The obvious choice of just 'English.swf' fails. So my embedded font source is now called EnglishF.swf and reads:
package
{
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.text.Font;
import flash.system.Security;
Security.allowDomain("*");
/**
* ...
* #author patrick
*/
public class EnglishF extends Sprite
{
[Embed(source = "Kingthings Exeter.ttf",
fontName = "EnglishF",
fontFamily = "EnglishF",
fontWeight = "normal",
fontStyle = "normal",
mimeType = "application/x-font",
advancedAntiAliasing="true",
embedAsCFF="true")]
public static var myFont:Class;
}
}
and the using script goes:
private function fontLoaded(evt:Event):void {
var FontClass:Class
if (evt.target.applicationDomain.hasDefinition(font1Name)) FontClass = evt.target.applicationDomain.getDefinition(font1Name) as Class;
else if (evt.target.applicationDomain.hasDefinition(font2Name)) FontClass = evt.target.applicationDomain.getDefinition(font2Name) as Class;
try {
Font.registerFont(FontClass.myFont);
trace("successfully loaded " + FontClass);
} catch (err:Error) {
trace("couldn't register font "+FontClass.myFont+" =>"+err);
}
}
The line in the embedded script about security is because of point #2: the registerFont doesn't work across domains. In fact the Security.allowDomain() didn't work and to debug this I have had to copy/paste the swf files on the PC and change the loader.load(URLRequest()) accordingly
There is still an issue that although the font is registered and claims to be compatible with the flash.text.engine TextElement requirements it still fails to be used as in:
_tl = new Array();
var block:TextBlock = new TextBlock();
var font:FontDescription = new FontDescription(fontName);
var formt:ElementFormat = new ElementFormat(font, fontSize);
//following gives 'true EnglishF'
trace(FontDescription.isFontCompatible(fontName,"normal","normal"), formt.fontDescription.fontName);
formt.color = colr;
var span:TextElement = new TextElement(text, formt);
block.content = span;
_tl[0] = null;
_tl[0] = block.createTextLine(null, width);
var tl:TextLine;
// after here justification and addition lines
I will post something if and when I sort out why this doesn't work (Unless some kind person does it for me!)

How to control the image of an object in AS3

I have an object which is coded in a .as file, let's call it a widget, in widget.as. It is listed in the library as a MovieClip and is in fact a MovieClip. How can I, from the code in widget.as, overlay an image (Bitmap) from the library on it so that the Widget has four parts which can be switched between two different styles independently.
As an alternative, I could make a frame in the MovieClip of Widget for each possibility and make the code switch what frame I am on.
This must work in Adobe Flash CS3 and with ActionScript 3
If you have the image you want to show on top of it, and already have that split in four, then you could do something like this:
var tl:Bitmap = new Bitmap();
var tr:Bitmap = new Bitmap();
var bl:Bitmap = new Bitmap();
var br:Bitmap = new Bitmap();
addChild(tl);
addChild(tr);
addChild(bl);
addChild(br);

AS3: Embedding characters

I having some trouble with TextFields and caracter embedding. As I have understood, the way to embed character in Flash, is to have a TextField in a movieclip that is exported to actionscript via some classname. Then have the TextField embed the characters.
But when i try to use that TextField in my project, I cannot auto resize the field any longer!? Is there a better way to embed charactes? or am I missing some unknow attribute? (and yes i have tried TextField.autoSize = "left" (or "center" or "right")).
The TextField is configured like this in Flash CS4:
Properties:
http://screencast.com/t/0VB6KnNO6G
Library implementation:
http://screencast.com/t/w3yQLqit0veI
And I embed the MovieClip containing the TextField like this:
protected var tabname:MovieClip = new Text(); // The property on the object
Adding the text and setting its Settings:
var txt:TextField = tabname.txt;
if( !contains(tabname) )
{
addChild(tabname);
var format:TextFormat = new TextFormat();
format.bold = true;
format.font = "Arial";
format.size = 12;
format.align = "left";
var dropShadow = new DropShadowFilter(0);
dropShadow.color = 0xFFFFFF;
dropShadow.strength = 2;
dropShadow.blurX = dropShadow.blurY = 5;
dropShadow.alpha = .7;
txt.type = TextFieldType.DYNAMIC;
txt.multiline = tabname.wordWrap = false;
txt.autoSize = TextFieldAutoSize.LEFT;
txt.defaultTextFormat = format;
txt.filters = [dropShadow];
txt.mouseEnabled = false;
txt.x = 10;
}
txt.text = value;
txt.y = Math.ceil((tabmask.height - txt.height) /2);
To embed fonts, don't rely on wrapping them in MovieClips in the library. They should be embedded correctly as Fonts. I have included some basic steps below for embedding fonts, then an example for your particular situation:
1 - Make the textfield Dynamic and click the Embed.. button
2 - Name the font with something meaningful (like the fonts name) and tick the character sets you will be using (usually I select caps, lowercase, numbers and punctuation). Also note the Style is 'Bold', you will need to embed a font set for each style. So if you want to use Bold and Regular, you need to embed 2 fonts.
3 - If you plan on adding textfields dynamically through ActionScript, goto the ActionScript tab and add a class for it (again, use a meaningful name)
4 - Finally click ok, and away you go. I have setup an example, using these steps, and the auto size method, you can see the results below
In Flash, you can click the [Embed...] button below the TextField's character properties. In the window that you get then, you can specify which characters you want embedded in your textfield.
There's a lot more to say about font embedding but this is the simple story. Flash CS5 added TLF TextFields but I don't think you were referring to those, right?
The autoSize property really has nothing to do with font embedding but I guess your TextField is not Dynamic when you cannot auto resize it?
Are you using CS5 or CS4 or earlier by the way?

Is it possible to use a non-embedded fallback font when using an embedded font with AS3 TextField?

I have an embedded font in my AIR/AS3 app that lacks support for most international characters. Using TextField and StyleSheet with the font-family property, I assumed I would simply need to do this:
font-family: Interstate-Regular, _sans;
This works if TextField.embedFonts = false; but then Interstate-Regular isn't embedded for users that don't have it on their system. With TextField.embedFonts = true; the text doesn't even show up. Is there a way to embed Interstate-Regular and still use _sans as a fallback system font without embedding it as well?
Flash Text Engine has this "fallback" feature, but it is slower than regular TextField, and more difficult to use it.
Link to the Adobe Manual
You could implement a switch in a custom FontManagement class , if a language is not supported by your main font , revert to a non embedded font. To achieve this , you could use this FontManagement class as a centralized point where to format your TextFields. This could be achieved by creating a public static function which would return a TextField with the relevant format.
//where you need to format a TextField
var params:Object = {color:0xffffff , size:12, supported:false , etc...};
var tf:Texfield = FontManagement.formatTextField(tf , params );
public class FontManagement
{
//A basic example
public static function formatTextField( tf:TextField , params:Object ):TextField
{
//since this is a static function , the Boolean is passed as an argument
//but there are other ways to set it, depending on where in your app
//the language is identified
if( params.supported )
tf.embedFonts = true;
else
tf.embedFonts = false;
//here the rest of your formatting code
return tf;
}
}