interactive scripting - CGR C/092 - fall 2004
Philip van Allen - v a n a l l e n @ a r t c e n t e r . e d u
room 142, Monday 4:00pm-7:00pm
all materials on this web site © copyright 2004, Philip van Allen
 
syllabus - people.artcenter.edu/~vanallen/

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course overview, interaction design problems, scripting approach, first scripts
Flash scripting overview
project 1 assignment, scripting overview continued, count selections and go game
variables & variable scope, properties, using randomness
exercise, enterframe event, variable flags, movieclip states, events
project 1 due, project 2 assign, dynamically created clips
project 2 due, arrays, getting user input, quiz example
project 3 assign, keyboard input, collision detection, directional move, target game
final project assigned, scripted audio, drawing, loadMovie/preloaders
project 3 due, final proposal due, Director intro
Director navigation code, video
final prototype due, in class work
state management
final critiques

slideClip example


     

description : 

This course provides an introduction to software scripting for designers who want to create interactive and dynamic web and other applications. Using Flash and Director, the basic concepts and applications of scripting are explored. Real world problems in interaction design are analyzed, and students produce a series of projects that use scripting to solve these problems. Students also complete a final project that synthesizes the interaction design and scripting techniques covered in the course.

Interactive Scripting is for designers who want to extend their capabilities beyond static web pages and simple Flash applications. Interactive and dynamic applications require scripting, and successful scripting requires an understanding of the fundamentals presented in this course. Flash ActionScript and Director ECMAScript are used to teach scripting fundamentals such as variables for storing temporary information, loops for repetitive tasks, conditional statements for making decisions, and using an event model to handle user interactions.

Examples of interaction problems addressed in the course include:

  • Navigation
  • Animating graphics with code
  • Creating custom, active media applications
  • Customizing the user activity
  • Game interactions including scoring and detecting when objects collide for games

Scripting concepts covered include:

  • Variables, variable scope, data types
  • Conditional statements
  • Loops
  • Functions
  • Arrays
  • The event model
  • Flags
  • Timers
  • Collision detection

Benefits of Interaction (per Nathan Shedroff):

  • Provide Feedback
  • Enhance Control
  • Enhance Productivity
  • Enable Creativity or Co-Creativity
  • Enable Communications
  • Make the System Adaptable/Customizable

Students adapt existing scripts, use authoring tools that generate scripts, and write their own code. Interaction design issues such as usability and consistency are addressed in the projects.


  

course structure : 

The course involves lectures and exercises on a series of topics. Students complete several projects during the term to apply the concepts discussed. A final project is assigned that synthesizes the concepts learned in a complete interactive application. Projects and the final are critiqued in class.

 

  
objectives : 

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

  1. Apply the concepts of variables, loops, conditional statements, functions, objects, and data types to solve basic interaction design problems
  2. Apply the event model to handling user interactions
  3. Analyze projects for interactive design issues including usability and consistency
  4. Use the authoring capabilities in Flash and Director to build scripts, and then modify these scripts

 

  
prerequisite : 

CGR C/062, Web Design 1

Experience with Flash or Director

 

  
textbooks : 

Required

cover
ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition
by Colin MoockO'Reilly & Associates; 2nd edition (December 19, 2002) ISBN: 059600396X

A full reference for ActionScript 1.0, but not the rest of Flash.

Recommended

cover
Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Bible
by Robert Reinhardt, Snow Dowd, John Wiley & Sons; First edition (December 22, 2003) ISBN: 0764543032
Introduction by Philip van Allen

If you need an all-around book on Flash, this is a good one. Includes the basics of scripting

 

cover
Inside Flash MX
by Jody Keating, New Riders Publishing; ISBN: 0735712549; 2nd edition (June 2002)

 

 

cover
Flash Math Creativity
by various, Publisher: friends of Ed; ISBN: 1590591852; 1st edition (February 2002)

 

 

cover
Essential ActionScript 2.0 by Colin Moock, O'Reilly; 1 edition (June 2004), ISBN: 0596006527

cover
Macromedia Director MX 2004 Bible by Brian Underdahl, John R. Nyquist, Robert Martin, Wiley; (August 2004) ISBN: 0764569902

 

 

 

  
materials : 

You should have an external FireWire drive for backups and extra storage. In addition, I recommend that you get a USB storage device for backing up and storing smaller projects. Assignments and projects will be delivered electronically from the Art Center server.

 

  

grading : 

Exercises 20%
Projects 40%
Final Project 40%

  

all materials on this web site © copyright 2004, Philip van Allen

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