How to Create a Dynamic Text Layer in Flash CS3

Flash CS3 has three basic text fields: input, dynamic and static.

Adobe's Flash CS3 allows users to create rich and dynamic web environments that constantly push the capabilities of the Internet. An extremely large percentage of websites feature at least some flash coding. One of the most widely used Flash attributes is a dynamic text layer. These special fields return data from calculations, display menu items from external sources, show specific phrases based on user interaction and much more. Creating a dynamic text layer is one of the first skills that Flash programmers learn.

Instructions

1. Start Flash CS3 and create a new project.

2. Right-Click on "Layer 1" in the layers panel and choose "Rename." Name the layer "dynamic text."

3. Create a new layer above the dynamic text layer and call it "actions."

4. Click on the first frame of the dynamic text layer and select the text tool from the toolbox.

5. Select "Dynamic Text" from the first drop-down menu in the properties panel.

6. Give the text an instance name of dynamicText and select "Multiline" from the drop-down menu that is set to "Single Line" by default. Set the field to "Anti-alias for readability" from the drop-down menu choices as well.

7. Choose any additional characteristics desired such as font, size, selectable, and bold.

8. Click on the stage and drag out the text box. The size will depend on the amount of text loaded from the external source.

9. Click on the first frame of the actions layer and press F9 to enter the Actionscript panel.

10. Type the following in the Actionscript panel: loadVariables("dynamicText.txt", this). Type the quotation marks, but do not include the period.

11. Save the file in a new folder on the desktop.

12. Open a notepad document from the accessories folder in the "All Programs" area of the "Start Menu."

13. Type dynamicText= on the first line of the document. Write a short paragraph after the equals sign.

14. Save the notepad document in the same folder as the flash project and name it "dynamicText.txt" without the quotation marks.

15. Return to Flash CS3 and press CTRL+ENTER to test the movie. The paragraph typed in the notepad document will appear in the Flash movie.

Tips & Warnings

• Dynamic text fields can have a variety of special effects and CSS formatting applied to them depending on their intended use.

References

• Adobe: About Text Fields
• Designorati: Dynamic Text In Flash