Set movieclip default properties in flash
I had to write a function to reset any movieclip in Flash. It's very simple -- you have an array with all the default properties you want to have in the reset. Then you pass any movieclip to the setDefaultProperties function to set the defaults. Now whenever you want to reset the movieclip, just pass it as the first parameter to resetMovieClip.
Done.
var aDefaultProps:Array = new Array('_width', '_height', '_x', '_y', '_alpha');
function setDefaultProperties(mMovieClip:MovieClip):Void {
for(sProperty in aDefaultProps) {
mMovieClip['default' + aDefaultProps[sProperty]] = mMovieClip[aDefaultProps[sProperty]];
}
}
function resetMovieClip(mMovieClip:MovieClip):Void {
for(sProperty in mMovieClip) {
if (sProperty.substr(0, 8) == 'default_') {
mMovieClip[sProperty.substr(7)] = mMovieClip[sProperty];
}
}
}
The greatest Flash site ever made
For two years now, this site has topped my all time greatest-Flash-sites list. Yes, it was even built before Flash 8's alpha channel.
And I am still amazed every time I go to it.
It’s been a while
Since I checked in at the FWA... But this site is freakin amazing. The works section is unbelievable. Good job Medios y Proyectos.
This guy had too much time on his hands
This is definitely one of the best flash animations that I have seen, and I've seen a lot in my lifetime. Check it out, it's about 3 minutes long.
Scrybe
Scrybe. It seems like everybody (Scoble = blogosphere buzz) is talking about this new app, even though it hasn't come out. I must admit, I can't wait to get to try it out.
One thing I noticed while watching the demo video is that Scrybe is 100% IN FLASH. Yep. And it looks like Scrybe is going to be the most powerful personal organizer ever created. Oh yeah, it's not in Ruby on Rails either ! Flash has evolved so much since I began using it with Flash 6. Companies are starting to see it's potential, and tapping in to the power of ActionScript.
Adobe's acquisition of Macromedia was a genius move (even though I still hate them). Adobe has literally cornered the commercial market for the internet. Aside from Open Source programs, I don't know any good web developer that doesn't use Adobe products for their work. And yes, I'm saying that everyone that uses MS FrontPage is a terrible developer (don't ever come looking for a job from me if you use that program).
New site for Okapi is coming out very soon, working hard on that and some other projects.
Soft Launch of 1221 Youth
Ladies and gentlemen... 8 months in the making... [drumroll]
The new 1221 site is here! 1221youth.com
I am still adding content, but it has a large backend so that any admin can go in and add anything they want, at anytime, anywhere.
An update on sdpurtill.com
After letting it sit for 8 months and promising a "new site coming soon," I've finally put something nice on the front page.
Check it out :)
Being well rounded is a bad excuse
For mediocrity.
I don't believe in being well rounded anymore. I don't believe in knowing a little bit about everything. I used to try to know a little bit about everything that was going on; what was happening in sports, technology, business, the blogosphere, etc... I don't want to be like that anymore. It's all a waste of my life. The only thing I should be doing is becoming great at what I love to do; flash developing. After reading The Fountainhead I came to this conclusion. And I'm not talking about trying to become good at something you suck at; find something that you're naturally good at and become the best.
There is a long list of reasons why I have come to this belief; I will begin to list a few.
#1 - Love work, love life - How many people do you know that are miserable simply because they work jobs that they hate ? Last time I checked, nearly 87% of people don't like the jobs that they work at. Sucks for you buddy, that's 1/3 of your day that you get to spend trapped in a cage, realizing that you should be doing what you love. Oh the pain and agony!
#2 - The experts make all the money - True in nearly every industry (I have yet to find an industry that this is not true). Here are a few examples: professional sports - the best players get paid the most; freelancing - the best charge the most; colleges - the best educations cost the most (a bunch of bs - the best educations are free; from real life experiences... but whatever)
#3 - The more you charge, the less you have to work - I'm going to make up this next statistic, but you will understand I think: for every one polo shirt that Abercrombie sells, Old Navy has to sell 10 polo shirts to make the same profits. This is terrible for Old Navy; they have to be selling like crazy to stay in business. Rahul Sood said it best --"Growing market share by slashing prices is ultimately a losing proposition."
#4 - Mediocrity is the bane of human existence - What an unfulfilling life. Great, you're above average at everything you do. You're going to get an above average paying job, an above average car, an above average house. How depressing! You're in between greatness and average! I'd rather suck at everything else and just be the greatest flash developer in the world than being mediocre at everything my hands touch. I must admit, I have tried to be like this for the last few years and it has been completely unfulfilling
#5 - The greatest make all the money - I said it in number 2 and I'll say it again. The world revolves around money; my blog revolves around money; everything in the universe revolves around money. However, I don't want to come across as greedy; let me crush that impression right now. I am very ambitious, and want to be the world's greatest at whatever I decide to do with my life. And money will come with it.
In a world of rapidly evolving technology and competition, becoming the best has never been so easy, and staying the best has never been so hard. Look at Terrel Owens; he was the best wide receiver in the NFL until Chad Johnson came. He couldn't step it up to the next level though, which (my speculation) has led him to an attempted suicide. Life must suck if you can't stay the greatest.
Once you get to the top, stay there.. And stay there for a long time... Do whatever it takes to stay the best, and never follow. Remember: second always tries harder.
Anyways. Don't be well rounded. Be great. At one thing. And you will own the whole world.
Why Cuban is right about YouTube
Mark Cuban recently posted The Coming Dramatic Decline of YouTube, and I must say... I am in total agreement.
I think the main two reasons why YouTube is destined for failure is because 1) they don't have the infrastructure that Google does and 2) they don't have the ability to grow internally as fast as they are on the outside (they can't hire fast enough)
My first point is self explanitory: Google has much deeper pockets and hundreds of thousands of servers around the world. Google is the fastest most reliable CDN in the world (correct me if I'm wrong). Online video is in its beginning stages still, and it's going to take a while for people to realize that video quality and dl speed matters more than upload speed and amount of content.
My second point: they can't hire fast enough. They are huge. They need to sell right now to a company that knows what how to deal with such fast growth. Last time I checked, they had like 20 employees and were working above a pizza parlor. Um... Yeah. Right now, going with 37signals motto "less is more" isn't really going to help. YouTube makes enough money every month that it won't be much more overhead by hiring on 1,0000 employees to make their site better.
I hope to look at this post in about two years and see if I'm right. What do you think ?
Coding for 1221 is DONE!!!
I have just written the last hundred lines of code for the site... And I am
FINISHED
And now I'm headed off to In N Out to get a Cheeseburger animal style, Fries, and a water with lemons to celebrate. Yee yee yee!