Here is my latest offering of notification alerts to Flash - a Facebook style pop up window that supports basic html formatting.

It seems that the power of Facebook is everywhere (just take a look at flCodr [try clicking on the download link]- its using the Facebox javascript code to create modal dialoge boxes).

I couldn’t resist creating my own version just for Flash. This one is a simple AS2.0 version that uses the tween and easing classes to add a bit of animation aswell.

Take a look at it here and come back for some info about how it works.

Setting it all up

When you open up the .fla you will see the following code on the actions layer:

stop();

#include “copyright.as”
#include “fb_actions.as”

createFeedbackPopUpBox(”Facebook style pop up winodw”,65,82,”This is a nifty little Facebook style pop up window for your Flash applications that is really simple to implement!!<br><br>It even supports basic HTML such as <b>bold</b> and <ul><li>Unordered lists</li></ul>”)

The first include is the copyright notice and must be kept intact. If I see anyone using it online without the notice I will hunt you down and kill you (not literally, but I will be really pissed off!!). This script basically replaces the right click context menu and replaces it with a link back to this site. You can find more scripts for protecting your swf’s over at flCodr.

The second include contains the function’s that allow the thing to work. I could go through everyline but its pretty straighforward. The box is positioned according to the values passed into the function, the box is faded from 0 to 100% alpha, once the fade is completed the text is added.

To remove the opposite process is followed and the box is placed off the screen.

Arguably I could have used the attachMovieClip  and removeMovieClip functions, but this is much simpler, quicker and eaiser.

Making it happen

To make the popup box just call the following function:

createFeedbackPopUpBox(title,xposition,yposition,bodyText)

title - This is the title that gets displayed, contained within quotes. it could easily be a variable name - just loose the quotes.

xposition - The X position of the window on the screen

yposition - The Y position of the window on the screen

bodyText - The string (requires quotes) or variable name that should be displayed as the body text, It can contain basic HTML such as bold, un-ordered lists and hyperlinks.

Thats it - nice and simple.

Grab the files here!

Just a quick note about our sister site - flCodr.

There is an update available for the extension panel. Find out more about it here: www.flcodr.com/download.php

As you can see from the scree shot above, I have created my first iPhone web app. I say web app loosly as it doesn’ty actually do anything apart from tell you about me!!

There is some interactivity however - simply swipe your finger on the screen to move between different frames.

Try it on your iPhone or iPod touch (you need to be running 2.0 or higher).

Go to i.sizzla-media.co.uk

If you’re wondering how it was done - check this out.

As soon as I can be bothered ( and find a need to) I will create a proper working web app that actually does something useful, maybe an optimised version of my flCodr site for viewing Flash snippets on the go, although how useful that will be I don’t know.

If you’re reading this on an iPhone or iPod Touch then you will see the customised theme for iPhones.

My latest Flash based location app is called Find Me and is basically a mash up using Google Maps API, the GMap Flash component and a geo-ip script that tweets your location on Twitter.

Take a look at it here. Please note that is in beta at the moment. You will also need a Twitter account set up which can be done here.

To tweet your location simply enter your username and password and click on the green tick. When the app loads click on the little transmit icon at the bottom right.

Your information is stored on a cookie on your local machine and is not saved anywhere on my server. If you like just enter some random text and save the settings to overwrite your details.

The process involves a php script which geo-locates a users position based on their IP address. This should be noted that it isn’t 100% accurate as it relies on the IP of either the host machine, router or ISP. When I try this with BT it locates me in London even though I am in Birmingham.

The script outputs a latitude and longitude which I then use to place a marker on the GMap component. Look at this post for more info.

Finally by clicking on the marker the user can see the position aswell as the name and even more info by clicking on a link.

When I have had a play around with the Fire eagle API, I will add support for the Fire Eagle service. If you don’t know what Fire eagle is it basically allows you to update your location and then share that with other web services and apps. This is definitely going to be big business in the future with devices like the iPhone 3G and Nokia N95 having the ability to update your location automatically.

I would really like to build an app that would periodically update your status from an iPhone to Fire eagle, however i’m not too sure I would want people tracking me all the time!!

Not that I mean to show off or anything, but I was in Web Designer Mag again this month.

This time they were featuring my Locator panel extension for the GMap component. The extension is a search engine for latitude and longitude co-ordinates that can be entered into the GMap component as points on a map.

To read about it, take a look at the original post here.

Take a read of Web Designer Mag for loads of Flash, Dreamweaver and Photoshop goodness, plus subscribe to my RSS feed to stay updated on my future Flash work.

Tumblr

I’ve had a Tumblr blog for quite a while now but never really used it. It was a case of trying something new without actually needed it (why would I when I have this blog). However over the past few weeks there have been times when I want to post something that is funny or stupid to my blog.

As I want to keep SizzlaBlog, strictly for Flash and web related stuff, I started adding things to Tumblr.

There is now even an iPhone app that allows me to post while on the go, so why not check out my Tumblr page by clicking on the icon below:

After many hours of hard work by the team here at the SizzlaMedia offices (ok just me, in the study) the problem with the GMap powered apps has been fixed. Turns out a Google Analytics script was somehow appearing in the Flash apps.

Once I removed the script everything seemed to work just fine!

Hopefully we won’t see any more errors popping up!!

I have just spotted an error with the location abilities of the two apps I have made that use the GMap component that causes the Flash to crash.

As soon as I can I will investigate these errors.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Leon

I’ve not written a full post on here for a while - party due to the fact that I have been on holiday and have moved house (still waiting for my internet equipment - come on BT!!).

There are a few Flash tutorials/apps that I will be adding over the next few weeks, such as a Facebook style pop up window to display messages in your Flash applications.

I will also the flCodr panel with some nice new features so check the site regularly for that!!

Just testing to see how well the native iPhone app works. Its breeze to set up and use. I’ve been waiting for this one, so far, so good!!