ActionScript
3.0 includes ten filter classes that you can apply to display objects and
BitmapData objects:
-
Bevel filter (BevelFilter class)
-
Blur filter (BlurFilter class)
-
Drop shadow filter (DropShadowFilter class)
-
Glow filter (GlowFilter class)
-
Gradient bevel filter (GradientBevelFilter class)
-
Gradient glow filter (GradientGlowFilter class)
-
Color matrix filter (ColorMatrixFilter class)
-
Convolution filter (ConvolutionFilter class)
-
Displacement map filter (DisplacementMapFilter class)
-
Shader filter (ShaderFilter class)
The first six filters are simple filters that can be used to
create one specific effect, with some customization of the effect
available. Those six filters can be applied using ActionScript,
and can also be applied to objects in Flash Professional using the
Filters panel. Consequently, even if you’re applying filters using
ActionScript, if you have Flash Professional you can use the visual
interface to quickly try out different filters and settings to figure
out how to create a desired effect.
The final four filters are available in ActionScript only. Those
filters, the color matrix filter, convolution filter, displacement
map filter, and shader filter, are much more flexible in the types
of effects that they can be used to create. Rather than being optimized
for a single effect, they provide power and flexibility. For example,
by selecting different values for its matrix, the convolution filter
can be used to create effects such as blurring, embossing, sharpening,
finding color edges, transformations, and more.
Each of the filters, whether simple or complex, can be customized
using their properties. Generally, you have two choices for setting
filter properties. All the filters let you set the properties by
passing parameter values to the filter object’s constructor. Alternatively,
whether or not you set the filter properties by passing parameters,
you can adjust the filters later by setting values for the filter
object’s properties. Most of the example code listings set the properties
directlyto make the example easier to follow. Nevertheless, you
could usually achieve the same result in fewer lines of code by
passing the values as parameters in the filter object’s constructor.
For more details on the specifics of each filter, its properties and
its constructor parameters, see the listings for the flash.filters
package in the
ActionScript 3.0 Reference for the Adobe
Flash Platform
.
