Re: [flexcoders] Re: shadow lighting

[Michael Schmalle]

Hi Tim,

Vectors will always be faster than bitmap caching in the Flash player.
It has nothing to do with Flex really. If you are doing the things that
Flex is doing, try and use vectors and custom skins and not bitmap
filters.

See the thing is, Flex is all about recursion. You think just becasue
there is no fancy math in a container, there are not some insane calcs
going on? When a container measures itself it calls measure on EVERYONE
of it's children, there is hardcore math going on.

Where BitmapFilters fit into the equation is, every frame it's taking a
snapshot, this just adds to the tremendous load at render time each
framepass.

Questioning this logic just means you don't have a firm understanding
of how the FlashPlayer renders bitmaps verses vectors. I am not going
into detail here there are plenty of places to get a hold of this info.

Tim, as I said it's like "Can I eat Ice cream all the time, no you are
going to get fat", same thing applies here. You can use bitmap filters
whenever you want but, you ARE going to get fat!

Peace, MikeOn 6/30/06, Tim Hoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:













  


    
            Ok, since this is still going. :)

Mike, would you also apply the same reasoning for using filters on 
symbols, text and images, in Flash 8?  Or, is a Flex swf different?

-TH

--- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com, "Michael Schmalle" 

<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> hehe,
> 
> I just have to keep replying to this because I am bored.
> 
> Fancy math; I don't know what you consider fancy math but, since 
you 'know'
> what I am talking about.. you have also looked into the AS3 class 
Flex
> right? You see those loops, there is fancy math, just becasue it 
dosn't have
> a bitwise operator in it dosn't mean it's not fancy Math, 
Exponentialy
> multiply those loops with all containers in your app, then add 
bitmap
> cahcing, you will soon see when they decided to use the native 
vecotrs over
> bitmap filters.
> 
> done
> 
> Peace, Mike
> 
> On 6/30/06, Michael Schmalle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > By the way, when I am talking about math, I am also speaking of 
the
> > Players bitmap caching alogorithms(fancy math)... I hope you get 
your
> > question answered.
> >
> > Peace, Mike
> >
> > On 6/30/06, Michael Schmalle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > >
> > > Ok, well I heard it from the engineers mouth right in front of 
my face.
> > > So, I hope an engineer tells you instead of me.
> > >
> > > Peace, Mike
> > >
> > >
> > > On 6/30/06, hank williams < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >    That may have been their reasoning (I'd like to hear it 
from them)
> > > > but I dont buy that the logic (not really much math) 
involved in calculating
> > > > container positioning would interact with filters much. By 
any reasonable
> > > > measure, there is not much fancy math in flex. And the 
logic, while cool, is
> > > > not exactly taxing to the cpu, particularly in the new 10x 
VM.
> > > >
> > > > Hank
> > > >
> > > > On 6/30/06, Michael Schmalle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >  Ha,
> > > > >
> > > > > The only reason they 'don't' use this stuff for containers 
is the
> > > > > layout algos and they wanted to squeeze every bit of 
performance from the
> > > > > player when rendering the containers.
> > > > >
> > > > > You have to look at it this way, containers are Flex, they 
hold
> > > > > everything and having filters on these things would slow 
down the players
> > > > > rendering.
> > > > >
> > > > > Use them for animation, Flex containers are not animation 
they are
> > > > > logical mass amounts of mathematical checks and balances. 
You want every bit
> > > > > of cpu power to make it look like os containers.
> > > > >
> > > > > Peace, Mike
> > > > >
> > > > > On 6/30/06, Tim Hoff < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > >    Thanks for the tip Mike. Without digging into the 
API's, for
> > > > > > what
> > > > > > appears to be something simple (like this), there's no 
way for the
> > > > > >
> > > > > > average developer to know these things.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > -TH
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com <flexcoders%
40yahoogroups.com>,
> > > > > > "hank williams" <hank777@>
> > > > > >
> > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Hmm...
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Doesnt make much sense. They encourage using filters 
in flash
> > > > > > for
> > > > > > animation
> > > > > > > and effects but its too slow for a static flex 
container?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > It seems to me if performance is an issue flex is the 
last place
> > > > > >
> > > > > > that that
> > > > > > > would be of concern since there is little animation. I 
dont get
> > > > > > how this
> > > > > > > would be a serious impediment for most flex users.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Hank
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > On 6/30/06, Michael Schmalle <teoti.graphix@> wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > The following method gives you a little more 
control over
> > > > > > drop
> > > > > > shadow
> > > > > > > > than the shadow style properties
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > There is a reason they didn't use the DropShadow 
filter for
> > > > > > panels and
> > > > > > > > containers. It is VERY expensive on processing. If 
you are not
> > > > > >
> > > > > > worried about
> > > > > > > > that then it dosn't matter.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > That is why the dropShadow style is actually a 
programmatic
> > > > > > skin
> > > > > > shape.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Peace, Mike
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > On 6/30/06, hank williams <hank777@> wrote:
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Thanks Tim. That is EXACTLY what I was looking 
for. That is
> > > > > > so cool.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Hank
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > On 6/30/06, Tim Hoff <TimHoff@ > wrote:
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Hi Hank,
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > You can use any of the available Flash filters, 
for simple
> > > > > > > > > > control/container skinning, by setting the 
filters
> > > > > > property. The
> > > > > > > > > > following method gives you a little more control 
over drop
> > > > > >
> > > > > > shadow than the
> > > > > > > > > > shadow style properties. Check the docs for the 
syntax of
> > > > > > the other
> > > > > > > > > > available filters.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > -TH
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > <mx:Script>
> > > > > > > > > > <![CDATA[
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > import flash.filters.*;
> > > > > > > > > > private var dropShadowFilter:Array=new Array(new
> > > > > > > > > > DropShadowFilter(3,45,0x000000,.6));
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > ]]>
> > > > > > > > > > </mx:Script>
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > <mx:Panel filters="{dropShadowFilter}"/>
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com<flexcoders%

40yahoogroups.com>,
> > > > > > "Michael Schmalle"
> > > > > > <teoti.graphix@>
> > > > > > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > I would sayif you know what you are going 
after,
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > EVERYTHING in Flex can be skinned with your 
custom
> > > > > > styles
> > > > > > and
> > > > > > > > > > layers.
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > Make custom skin sets. If you read what Adobe 
has said
> > > > > > quite a bit,
> > > > > > > > > > they
> > > > > > > > > > > designed these components for extensibility 
and thus,
> > > > > > some
> > > > > > things
> > > > > > > > > > are not
> > > > > > > > > > > implemented and are left up to the developer 
to extend.
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > Which when you get deeper into the years with 
Flex, you
> > > > > > will thank
> > > > > > > > > > Adobe for
> > > > > > > > > > > taking that path.
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > Peace, Mike
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > On 6/30/06, hank williams hank777@ wrote:
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > when applying shadowing to an object, if the 
lighting
> > > > > > source is to
> > > > > > > > > > the
> > > > > > > > > > > > top left of the object, then the shadow will 
be on the
> > > > > >
> > > > > > bottom and
> > > > > > > > > > the
> > > > > > > > > > > > right. Typically there is also a white or 
light band
> > > > > > across the
> > > > > > > > > > top
> > > > > > > > > > > > and down the left side.
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > I am wondering how you do this in flex. I 
see it in
> > > > > > the
> > > > > > > > > > application
> > > > > > > > > > > > bar and so I am thinking that I should be 
able to
> > > > > > style
> > > > > > a canvas
> > > > > > > > > > to do
> > > > > > > > > > > > it, but I cant seem to do it with the shadow 
related
> > > > > > settings. I
> > > > > > > > > > > > believe I was able to do this kind of things 
with
> > > > > > movie
> > > > > > clips in
> > > > > > > > > > > > flash.
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > I guess a second question is whether it is 
possible to
> > > > > >
> > > > > > do any of
> > > > > > > > > > those
> > > > > > > > > > > > cool flash 8 effects on containers/canvases 
in flex.
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > Hank
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > > > > > What goes up, does come down.
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > > What goes up, does come down.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > >
> > > > > What goes up, does come down.
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >  
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > What goes up, does come down.
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > What goes up, does come down.
> >
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> What goes up, does come down.
>


      

    
    










-- What goes up, does come down.

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