mx.effects

# CompositeEffect - AS3 Flex

Package | mx.effects
Class | public class CompositeEffect
Inheritance | CompositeEffect Effect EventDispatcher Object
Subclasses | Parallel, Sequence

Language Version: | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version: | Flex 3

Runtime Versions: | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

The CompositeEffect class is the parent class for the Parallel and Sequence classes, which define the `<mx:Parallel>` and `<mx:Sequence>` MXML tags. Flex supports two methods to combine, or composite, effects: parallel and sequence. When you combine multiple effects in parallel, the effects play at the same time. When you combine multiple effects in sequence, one effect must complete before the next effect starts.

You can create a composite effect in MXML, as the following example shows:

      <mx:Parallel id="WipeRightUp">
        <mx:children>
          <mx:WipeRight duration="1000"/>
          <mx:WipeUp duration="1000"/>
        </mx:children>
      </mx:Parallel>

      <mx:VBox id="myBox" hideEffect="WipeRightUp">
        <mx:TextArea id="aTextArea" text="hello"/>
      </mx:VBox>

The `<mx:children>` tag is optional.

Starting a composite effect in ActionScript is usually a five-step process:

1. Create instances of the effect objects to be composited together; for example:

       myFadeEffect = new mx.effects.Fade(target);

2. Set properties, such as `duration`, on the individual effect objects.
3. Create an instance of the Parallel or Sequence effect object; for example:

       mySequenceEffect = new mx.effects.Sequence();

4. Call the `addChild()` method for each of the effect objects; for example:

       mySequenceEffect.addChild(myFadeEffect);

5. Invoke the composite effect's `play()` method; for example:

       mySequenceEffect.play();

MXML Syntax Show MXML Syntax
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The CompositeEffect class adds the following tag attributes, and all the subclasses of the CompositeEffect class inherit these tag attributes:

      <mx:tagname>
        <mx:children>
          <!-- Specify child effect tags -->
        </mx:children>
      </mx:tagname>

Default MXML Property `children`

Learn more

About effects
Using MX effects
Handling MX effect events
About transitions

Public Properties
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| Property | Defined By
--- | --- | ---
|  | children : Array An Array containing the child effects of this CompositeEffect. | CompositeEffect
|  | className : String [read-only] The name of the effect class, such as "Fade". | Effect
|  | compositeDuration : Number [read-only] Returns the duration of this effect as defined by the duration of all child effects. | CompositeEffect
|  | constructor : Object A reference to the class object or constructor function for a given object instance. | Object
|  | customFilter : mx.effects:EffectTargetFilter Specifies a custom filter object, of type EffectTargetFilter, used by the effect to determine the targets on which to play the effect. | Effect
|  | duration : Number Duration of the effect in milliseconds. | Effect
|  | effectTargetHost : mx.effects:IEffectTargetHost A property that lets you access the target list-based control of a data effect. | Effect
|  | filter : String Specifies an algorithm for filtering targets for an effect. | Effect
|  | hideFocusRing : Boolean Determines whether the effect should hide the focus ring when starting the effect. | Effect
|  | instanceClass : Class An object of type Class that specifies the effect instance class class for this effect class. | Effect
|  | isPlaying : Boolean [read-only] A read-only flag which is true if any instances of the effect are currently playing, and false if none are. | Effect
|  | perElementOffset : Number Additional delay, in milliseconds, for effect targets after the first target of the effect. | Effect
|  | playheadTime : Number Current time position of the effect. | Effect
|  | relevantProperties : Array An Array of property names to use when performing filtering. | Effect
|  | relevantStyles : Array An Array of style names to use when performing filtering. | Effect
|  | repeatCount : int = 1 Number of times to repeat the effect. | Effect
|  | repeatDelay : int = 0 Amount of time, in milliseconds, to wait before repeating the effect. | Effect
|  | startDelay : int = 0 Amount of time, in milliseconds, to wait before starting the effect. | Effect
|  | suspendBackgroundProcessing : Boolean = false If true, blocks all background processing while the effect is playing. | Effect
|  | target : Object The object to which this effect is applied. | Effect
|  | targets : Array An Array of objects that are targets for the effect. | Effect
|  | triggerEvent : Event The Event object passed to this Effect by the EffectManager when an effect is triggered, or null if the effect is not being played by the EffectManager. | Effect

Protected Properties
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| Property | Defined By
--- | --- | ---
|  | applyTransitionEndProperties : Boolean This flag controls whether the effect, when run in a transition, automatically applies the property values according to the end state, as opposed to leaving values as set by the effect itself. | Effect
|  | endValuesCaptured : Boolean = false A flag containing true if the end values of an effect have already been determined, or false if they should be acquired from the current properties of the effect targets when the effect runs. | Effect

Public Methods
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| Method | Defined By
--- | --- | ---
|  | CompositeEffect(target:Object = null) Constructor. | CompositeEffect
|  | addChild(childEffect:IEffect):void Adds a new child effect to this composite effect. | CompositeEffect
|  | addEventListener(type:String, listener:Function, useCapture:Boolean = false, priority:int = 0, useWeakReference:Boolean = false):void Registers an event listener object with an EventDispatcher object so that the listener receives notification of an event. | EventDispatcher
|  | captureEndValues():void Captures the current values of the relevant properties on the effect's targets and saves them as end values. | Effect
|  | captureMoreStartValues(targets:Array):void Captures the current values of the relevant properties of an additional set of targets Flex uses this function when a data change effect is run. | Effect
|  | captureStartValues():void Captures the current values of the relevant properties on the effect's targets. | Effect
|  | createInstance(target:Object = null):IEffectInstance Creates a single effect instance and initializes it. | Effect
|  | createInstances(targets:Array = null):Array Takes an Array of target objects and invokes the createInstance() method on each target. | Effect
|  | deleteInstance(instance:IEffectInstance):void Removes event listeners from an instance and removes it from the list of instances. | Effect
|  | dispatchEvent(event:Event):Boolean Dispatches an event into the event flow. | EventDispatcher
|  | end(effectInstance:IEffectInstance = null):void Interrupts an effect that is currently playing, and jumps immediately to the end of the effect. | Effect
|  | getAffectedProperties():Array Returns an Array of Strings, where each String is the name of a property changed by this effect. | Effect
|  | hasEventListener(type:String):Boolean Checks whether the EventDispatcher object has any listeners registered for a specific type of event. | EventDispatcher
|  | hasOwnProperty(name:String):Boolean Indicates whether an object has a specified property defined. | Object
|  | isPrototypeOf(theClass:Object):Boolean Indicates whether an instance of the Object class is in the prototype chain of the object specified as the parameter. | Object
|  | pause():void Pauses the effect until you call the resume() method. | Effect
|  | play(targets:Array = null, playReversedFromEnd:Boolean = false):Array Begins playing the effect. | Effect
|  | propertyIsEnumerable(name:String):Boolean Indicates whether the specified property exists and is enumerable. | Object
|  | removeEventListener(type:String, listener:Function, useCapture:Boolean = false):void Removes a listener from the EventDispatcher object. | EventDispatcher
|  | resume():void Resumes the effect after it has been paused by a call to the pause() method. | Effect
|  | reverse():void Plays the effect in reverse, if the effect is currently playing, starting from the current position of the effect. | Effect
|  | setPropertyIsEnumerable(name:String, isEnum:Boolean = true):void Sets the availability of a dynamic property for loop operations. | Object
|  | stop():void Stops the effect, leaving the effect targets in their current state. | Effect
|  | toLocaleString():String Returns the string representation of this object, formatted according to locale-specific conventions. | Object
|  | toString():String Returns the string representation of the specified object. | Object
|  | valueOf():Object Returns the primitive value of the specified object. | Object
|  | willTrigger(type:String):Boolean Checks whether an event listener is registered with this EventDispatcher object or any of its ancestors for the specified event type. | EventDispatcher

Protected Methods
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| Method | Defined By
--- | --- | ---
|  | applyValueToTarget(target:Object, property:String, value:*, props:Object):void Used internally by the Effect infrastructure. | Effect
|  | effectEndHandler(event:EffectEvent):void Called when an effect instance has finished playing. | Effect
|  | effectStartHandler(event:EffectEvent):void This method is called when the effect instance starts playing. | Effect
|  | effectStopHandler(event:EffectEvent):void Called when an effect instance has stopped by a call to the stop() method. | Effect
|  | filterInstance(propChanges:Array, target:Object):Boolean Determines the logic for filtering out an effect instance. | Effect
|  | getValueFromTarget(target:Object, property:String):* Called by the captureStartValues() method to get the value of a property from the target. | Effect
|  | initInstance(instance:IEffectInstance):void Copies properties of the effect to the effect instance. | Effect

Events
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| Event | Summary | Defined By
--- | --- | --- | ---
|  | activate | [broadcast event] Dispatched when the Flash Player or AIR application gains operating system focus and becomes active. | EventDispatcher
|  | deactivate | [broadcast event] Dispatched when the Flash Player or AIR application operating loses system focus and is becoming inactive. | EventDispatcher
|  | effectEnd | Dispatched when one of the effect's instances finishes playing, either when the instance finishes playing or when the effect is interrupted by a call to the end() method. | Effect
|  | effectStart | Dispatched when the effect starts playing. | Effect
|  | effectStop | Dispatched when the effect has been stopped, which only occurs when the effect is interrupted by a call to the stop() method. | Effect

Property Detail

### children

property

`children:Array`

Language Version: | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version: | Flex 3

Runtime Versions: | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

An Array containing the child effects of this CompositeEffect.

Implementation
`public function get children():Array`
`public function set children(value:Array):void`

### compositeDuration

property

`compositeDuration:Number` [read-only]

Language Version: | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version: | Flex 3

Runtime Versions: | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Returns the duration of this effect as defined by the duration of all child effects. This takes into account the startDelay and repetition info for all child effects, along with their durations, and returns the appropriate result.

Implementation
`public function get compositeDuration():Number`
Constructor Detail

### CompositeEffect

()
Constructor

`public function CompositeEffect(target:Object = null)`

Language Version: | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version: | Flex 3

Runtime Versions: | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Constructor.

Parameters

| `target:Object` (default = `null`)`` — This argument is ignored for composite effects. It is included only for consistency with other types of effects.

Method Detail

### addChild

()
method

`public function addChild(childEffect:IEffect):void`

Language Version: | ActionScript 3.0

Product Version: | Flex 3

Runtime Versions: | Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Adds a new child effect to this composite effect. A Sequence effect plays each child effect one at a time, in the order that they were added. A Parallel effect plays all child effects simultaneously; the order in which they are added does not matter.

Parameters

| `childEffect:IEffect` — Child effect to be added to the composite effect.

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Mon Apr 10 2017, 12:28 PM -07:00