Accessibility
Dan Carr

Dan Carr

Dan Carr Design

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Getting started
  3. Loading, preloading, and
    displaying a video
  4. Playing, pausing, and
    stopping a video
  5. Seeking to a location in a video
  6. Handling full-screen mode and
    layout controls
  7. Creating a video playlist
    (playing multiple videos)
Created:
16 April 2007
Modified:
13 July 2009
User Level:
Intermediate
Products:
Flash

Controlling web video with ActionScript 3 FLVPlayback programming

This article provides an overview to the basic coding for custom manipulation of the ActionScript 3 FLVPlayback component, which is included in Adobe Flash CS4 Professional as a built-in solution for displaying video on the web. The FLVPlayback component can be manipulated manually at authortime or dynamically at runtime using the component's application programming interface (API). To take full advantage of all the component's features, you'll have to dive into the dynamic approach.

Because automated code placement is not available through behaviors in ActionScript 3 files, this article focuses on making simple adjustments to hand-placed code. By using the code samples and simple instructions for customization, you'll be able to create your own controls that allow you to load, start, seek, and stop one or more videos.

Note: The ActionScript 3 version of the FLVPlayback component is available in the Components panel only when an ActionScript 3 FLA file is active. If you open an existing ActionScript 2 or earlier file in Flash CS4, the ActionScript 2 FLVPlayback component is displayed in the Components panel along with the Flash MX 2004 Media components. You cannot run ActionScript 3 components in an ActionScript 2 file, and vice versa.

If you're using an ActionScript 3 file in Flash CS3 Professional or later, then continue reading this article for more details on working with the newest video component technology. In case you are using Macromedia Flash Professional 8 or are working with an ActionScript 2 file, see the previous version of this article, Controlling web video with the ActionScript 2 FLVPlayback behaviors.

Requirements

To make the most of this tutorial, you'll need the following software and files:

Flash CS4 Professional

Sample files:

Note: The sample files are in CS4 FLA format. Flash CS4 includes the updated FLVPlayback with Accessibility component.

Prerequisite knowledge

This article assumes you have previous experience encoding FLA video and understand the basics of using the FLVPlayback component. If you need additional information, please refer to the resources provided in the following section, "Getting started."

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License

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About the author

Dan Carr is owner, lead developer, and trainer for Dan Carr Design in San Francisco. With years of experience developing for Macromedia and Adobe, Dan has created a range of features available in Flash, including e-learning templates, UI components, and Developer Resource Kit extensions. Dan teaches Flash design and ActionScript classes in Northern California and develops e-learning and web applications for the public, as well as for Adobe product teams.