iD News and Blog

Properly Referencing Your Main Class in Flash Actionscript

For those of you moving from Actionscript 2 to 3 (with a heavier focus on proper object-oriented principles), you may find that accessing your Main class and Stage isn’t as straight-forward. In this post we’ll highlight organizing your classes to properly reference your main class. First, let’s take a look at our Main class:

package {

    import flash.display.Stage;

    import flash.display.MovieClip;

    public class Main extends MovieClip {

        private static var _instance:Main = null;

        public function Main() {

            _instance = this;

        }

        public static function getInstance():Main { return _instance; }

        public static function getStage():Stage { return getInstance().stage; }

    }

}

First we define a static variable, _instance, to hold a static reference to Main. We are assuming throughout this that we will use Main statically. In other words, there will only be a single instance of our Main class. Next, in our constructor, we use the line _instance = this; to set our static version of Main to the one that is created when the constructor is called.

We will use two methods to get access to Main and the main stage. First, getInstace() is a static function that always returns a copy of _instance. If you want the stage instead, use getStage(). All getStage() does differently from getInstance() is return the stage property of _instance rather than the object itself. Using this format simplifies your code in other classes.

Now let’s say you want to use these functions in other classes to add something to the stage. Let’s pretend we have a Tree class that needs to add itself to the main stage when it is created. You could use this code:

package {
    import flash.display.Sprite;</code>

    public class Tree extends Sprite {
        Main.getStage().addChild(this);

        x = Math.random() * Main.getStage().stageWidth;
        y = Math.random() * Main.getStage().stageWidth;
    }
}

You can see that we can easily get properties of the stage (stageWidth and stageHeight) simply by statically referencing Main. Note that we could have used the following lines instead:

x = Math.random() * Main.getInstance().stage.stageWidth;
y = Math.random() * Main.getInstance().stage.stageWidth;

It really just depends on which example you find more elegant. One additional benefit of using the techniques described here is that you can use the getInstance() to determine if Main has loaded. Simply do:

if (Main.getInstance() != null) { /* some function */ }

Hope that gives you an easy framework for accessing your stage and Main class in AS3!

 

Tags: Actionscript, AS3, Classes, Flash, Objects, Stage
Posted in iD Tech Bloggers | 4 Comments »

 

 

Summer Computer Camp Inspires Kids and Teens to Do Something Big

I recently interviewed one of our former campers who we have featured on our website.  He attended our computer camp for five seasons and is now gearing up for college.  His story is extraordinary – but one that is replicated in big and small examples each summer.

Whether you’re contemplating joining a gym for the new year or signing up for an AP class in high school, several questions guide your decision. What will come of your effort? Will it be worth the time, energy and money? Questions like these plague parents and students on a daily basis. The fact of the matter is: we’re driven by the prospect of attaining positive results. Paying that monthly gym membership fee is a lot easier when you’re happy with your health and appearance as a result. Likewise, if a student passes his AP History exam with flying colors, that means potentially one less “boring” lower-division class in college – all those extra studying hours will have been worth it.

So when the question comes up of whether or not to attend iD summer computer camps, we’re breaking it down using this same method. Kids and teens who attend iD see immediate positive results in a variety of areas including: increased confidence, exposure to new and exciting fields, preparedness for school and even college, making new friends in a social setting, and more.  Long-term results are even more impressive. The fact is that iD Tech Camps inspires students to reach beyond themselves and aspire to do something big. What students take away from their experience at one of our 60 prestigious locations is more than you can confine to a resume (although it definitely looks good on paper too).  We conducted a survey over the summer with our iD student alumni, and the results were incredible.  We found that 94% of former iD students go on to college.  94%.  That’s significant.  We think our camps fulfill a fun, educational niche that many students just wouldn’t get otherwise.

Take a look at Ian Cinnamon. He attended iD Tech Camps for five summers. When I caught up with him the other day, my jaw dropped when he told me what he’d been up to.

Excerpt from interview with Ian:

iD: How has attending iD Tech Camps inspired you?

Ian: At 15, I wrote Programming Video Games for the Evil Genius (McGraw-Hill, 2008), at 16, I became a programmer/developer for the Apple iPhone creating several applications including “Car Finder” which was recently featured in the New York Times. Last summer I led my Harvard-Westlake (Los Angeles) rocketry club to the national “Team America’s Rocketry Challenge” competition and was recently approved by NASA as a government contractor for the Student Launch Initiative. I’ve also been involved in two UCLA science internships. The common denominator in all these activities is my love of programming and engineering which took root at iD Tech.

You can read more about Ian here.

Granted, Ian’s results are quite extraordinary, but big things can be measured in small ways too.  Better grades.  Higher self esteem.  Even simple happiness.  iD Tech Camps inspires students to take what they learn at camp and apply it in countless ways to benefit them in the future.

Want to learn more about other iD Tech Camps Alumni and their accomplishments? Check out our Do Something Big page to be further inspired.

Start your own success story with us this summer.

-Donna

 

Tags: computer camp, kids camp, programming for games, summer camp, teen summer camp
Posted in Do Something Big | 3 Comments »

 

 

Video Game Sales Are Up. What does it mean for you?

I got a chance to catch up on some reading over Thanksgiving. There was one particular headline that jumped out at me, “No playing around: Video game sales jump 18 percent.” The article by Troy Wolverton of the San Jose Mercury News explained that “retail sales for the month of October tallied $1.31 billion, up 18%” from the same period a year ago.

Of course, this got me thinking. If sales are up, it signals more demand for video games, consoles, etc. And if there is more demand, it should generally translate into good news for gaming publishers, developers, etc. And if the publishers and developers are doing well, that means they’ll be able to hire those lucrative graphic arts, software development, marketing, and other positions.

It feels good to know that iD Tech Camps and the iD Gaming Academy teach real-world game development skills including Maya® Unlimited, Unreal® Engine and other industry-standard tools. We’re teaching skills that will be useful in college–and in a possible future career in the gaming industry. At our summer video game camps, students get a real taste for what it means to work in the gaming industry–and its not all glitz and glamour. Working at a gaming studio means long hours, lots of teamwork and collaboration, the ability to multitask and hit deadlines…and the acknowledgement that one must constantly improve his/her own skills. The industry is filled with amazing talent and is very competitive. So, how do you break in to the industry?

Get started early! Practice makes perfect! Tiger Woods is not the best golfer on the planet by chance. He got an early start. He had great mentors. He is fiercely competitive. And he knows that he has to work hard day in and day out to stay competitive.

The good news is that the video game industry is growing. It is a sweet spot in our economy. Long term, the industry is poised to continue its phenomenal growth. The question is, will there be enough talent to continue the innovation in the gaming industry? The answer to this question rests with the new generation of gamers. Good luck!

 

Tags: gaming camps, video games
Posted in CEO's Blog | 1 Comment »

 

 

Computer Camp Expands Course Offerings to Include Graphic Arts

—————————————————

For Immediate Release

Contact: Donna Pianka, iD Tech Camps
408.871.3734 or donna@internaldrive.com

Interested in Graphic Arts and Graphic Design?

With careers in technology and design reaching an all-time high, kids and teens (and specifically, girls) are searching for creative ways to learn more about these industries. The fashion industry is exploding with new talent from designers. Shows like MTV’s The Hills are exposing a whole new generation to fashion design, from computer-aided design to merchandising.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for graphic artists and graphic designers is “expected to grow 10 percent as demand continues to increase from advertisers, publishers, computer design firms and the entertainment market.”

Recognizing a need for an introductory-level course in Graphic Arts, iD Tech Camps has expanded their course offerings to include a Graphic Arts camp for kids and teens ages 10-17 at various prestigious university locations.

“With both artistic and technological elements, this digital arts camp is one of a kind,” states Pete Ingram-Cauchi, President and CEO of iD Tech Camps. “We’re recognizing a need based on feedback and trends and turning it into a camp where students will not only have fun, but leave with a design portfolio that they’ve built at camp that they can keep building upon for school, college, or even a future career in graphic arts.”

With one-on-one instruction averaging six students per staff, industry professionals will open whole new worlds to students interested in graphic arts and design.

 

Tags: graphic arts, graphic design, Summer Camps
Posted in iD Tech Camps | 1 Comment »