How to make SWF with dynamic text effects with Delphi SWF SDK Base edition only (not using ActionScript compiler)?

Let's create a movie with a text effect with Flash Professional 8. This will be randomly dropping chars.

So, we make it in Flash IDE:

1. File -> New... -> Flash Document.
2. Set frame rate to 24 fps and choose version Flash Player 7.
3. Select the first frame.

4. Enter the following code in the Actions window:

var str: String = "Hello, world!";
var y = 200;
var startflag = str.length;

stop();

function cl_enter_frame()
{
    this.v = this.v + 1;
    this._y = this._y + this.v;
    if (this._y > _root.y)
    {
        this.v = this.v * -0.700000;
        this._y = _root.y;
    } // end if
	if (Math.abs(this.v) < 0.500000 && Math.abs(this._y - _root.y) < 1)
    {
        this._y = _root.y;
        delete this.onEnterFrame;
        _root.startflag -= 1;
        if (_root.startflag == 0) _root.play();
    } // end if
} // End of the function
function extractObjects(str)
{
    var _l8 = 0;
    var _l10 = 0;
    var _l5 = [];
    var _l11 = 0;
    while (_l11 < str.length)
    {
        var _l3 = _root.createEmptyMovieClip("l_" + _l11, _l11 + 1);
        _l5.push(_l3);
        _l3.createTextField("t_field_" + _l11, _l3.getNextHighestDepth(), 0, 0, 0, 0);
        var _l2 = _l3["t_field_" + _l11];
        _l2.embedFonts = true;
        var _l7 = str.charAt(_l11);
        _l2.text = _l7;
        var _l4 = new TextFormat();
        _l4.font = "myfont";
        _l4.color = 0;
        _l4.size = 24;
        _l2.setTextFormat(_l4);
        _l2.autoSize = "left";
        _l2.selectable = false;
        var _l6 = _l2._width - _l2.textWidth;
        _l3._x = _l8;
        _l8 = _l8 + (_l2._width - _l6 / 2);
        _l3.v = -10 * Math.random();
        _l3.onEnterFrame = cl_enter_frame;
        ++_l11;
    } // end while
    _l10 = (Stage.width - _l8) / 2;
    for (var _l11 in _l5)
    {
        _l5[_l11]._x = _l5[_l11]._x + _l10;
    } // end of for...in
} // End of the function

extractObjects(str);

5. Right click at the Library window, select in the popup menu New Font...
6. Set font parameter.

7. Right click at myfont, select in the popup menu Linkage...
8. Set flag Export for ActionScript.
9. Save file as "char_jump.fla".
10. Click Ctrl+Enter for testing.

That's all, our example is ready.

char_jump.swf

Download Parse demo at our site. Run parse.exe and open "char_jump.swf".

Analyzing SWF we can see: it contains 3 important tags: DefineFont2, ExportAssets and DoAction. Note, DefineFont2 contains outlines for all chars, but SWF uses just some of the chairs. DoAction contains all actions and the first instruction ConstantPool containing our dropping text.

Now let's try to make the same SWF in Delphi .

1. Create Console Application.
2. Write code:

program as_textjump;
uses
  Windows,
  SysUtils,
  FlashObjects,
  SWFObjects,
  SWFConst;
 
var
  stt: string;
  Movie: TFlashMovie;
  label1, label2, label3, label4, label5,
  label6, label7, label8, label9, label10: TSWFOffsetMarker;
 
begin
  if ParamStr(1) = '' then stt := 'Hello world!'
    else stt := ParamStr(1);
 
  Movie := TFlashMovie.Create(0, 0, 500, 400, 24, scPix);
  Movie.Compressed := true;
  Movie.Version := SWFVer7;
 
  Movie.AddFont('Courier New', true, false, 20, false);
  with Movie.Fonts[0] do
  begin
    AddChars(stt);
    Layout := true;
  end;
 
  Movie.ExportAssets('myfont', Movie.Fonts[0].CharacterId);
  with Movie.FrameActions do
  begin
// insert actions
  end;
 
  Movie.ShowFrame(2);
  Movie.MakeStream;
  Movie.SaveToFile('delphi_char_jump.swf');
  Movie.Free;
end.

3. In tree select DoAction tag (Parse demo).
4. Select menu command Tools -> Copy pascal actions to clipboard.
5. Paste code to Movie.FrameActions
6. Declarate lebel1, lebel2, ... label10: TSWFOffsetMarker;
7. Replace "Hello world!" to stt.
8. Change line Push([FlashVar_null], [vtNull]);
to Push(['FlashVar_null'], [vtNull]); or Push([fvNull], [vtNull]);

delphi_char_jump.swf

Compiling we have a new SWF identical to the first one. Take attention our file size is much less because it is included outlines for used chars only.
To download all materials click here.

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