GreenSock

• Compatibility: Flash Player 8 and later (ActionScript 2.0) (Click here for the AS3 version)
• File Size added to published SWF: About 8Kb

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DESCRIPTION

TweenMax builds on top of the TweenLite core class and its big brother, TweenFilterLite, to round out the tweening family with popular (though not essential) features like bezier tweening, pause/resume capabilities, easier sequencing, hex color tweening, and more. TweenMax uses the same easy-to-learn syntax as its siblings. In fact, since it extends them, TweenMax can do anything TweenLite and/or TweenFilterLite can do, plus more. So why build 3 classes instead of one? Good question. The goal was to maximize efficiency and minimize file size. Frankly, TweenLite is probably all most developers will need for 90% of their projects, and it only takes up 3k. It's extremely efficient and compact considering its features. But if you need to tween filters or rich imaging effects like saturation, contrast, hue, colorization, etc., step up to TweenFilterLite at 6k (total). Still need more? No problem - snag TweenMax to add extra features jam-packed into 8k (total). See below for a chart describing the differences between the classes. TweenMax introduces an innovative feature called "bezierThrough" that allows you to define points through which you want the bezier curve to travel (instead of normal control points that simply attract the curve). Or use regular bezier curves - whichever you prefer. It'll even handle rotating your object so that it aligns with the direction of the bezier (orientToBezier)! See the sample below. Click to add bezier points.

Other links: AS3 Version | Speed Comparison | Bezier Speed Comparison

FEATURE COMPARISON

	TweenLite	TweenFilterLite	TweenMax
File size	3k	6k	8k
AS2 and AS3 versions with identical syntax
Extremely fast performance
Tween ANY numeric property of any object
Tween multiple properties with a single line of code
Syncronized tweens
Use any standard easing equation
onComplete, onStart, and onUpdate callbacks, including the ability to pass any number of parameters to those functions (onCompleteParams, onStartParams, onUpdateParams)
Delay any tween by a set amount (good for sequencing)
Automatic garbage collection
Tween frames of a MovieClip
Tween tint of a MovieClip/DisplayObject
autoAlpha (toggles visibility of an object off when the alpha hits zero)
Tween the volume of any MovieClip/SoundChannel
Unique "from()" call that allows you to use the current properties as the end values
Use relative values
Tween arrays of numeric values with a single call
Automatically overwrite tweens of the same object by default in order to avoid conflicts (this behavior can easily be turned off too)
Pass extra parameters to easing equations (like Elastic.easeOut or Back.easeOut) for added control
Tween standard filters like Blur, Glow, DropShadow, Bevel, and ColorMatrix
Simple controls for tweening a MovieClip's/DisplayObject's saturation, hue, brightness, contrast, threshold, and colorization
Bezier tweening
Bezier "through" tweening (define points to hit instead of just control points)
Automatically orient an object's rotation to a Bezier path
Pause/Resume capability
Easier sequencing
Tween multiple objects with a single call, including a special "delayIncrement" property that staggers the starting time of each tween
isTweening() function for easily determining if an object is currently tweening
Jump to any point in the tween using the "progress" property
Tween any number of hex color properties
Get an array of all TweenMax (and TweenLite and TweenFilterLite) instances that are currently affecting a particular target object.
Price:	FREE (supported by donations)

USAGE

EXAMPLES

FAQ

1. How do I install the class? Do I have to import it on every frame?
   Just make sure the "gs" folder from the download is in the same folder as your FLA file. Keep the class files in the "gs" folder (don't remove them). That's it. And, yes, just like any Class, you need to import TweenMax at the top of any frame that contains code referencing it. This does NOT add extra Kb to your file size very time you import it. Flash is smart enough to embed it once and all the other import statments just act as a "pointer" to the embedded Class.

2. Why doesn't the tweening engine selectively overwrite ONLY tweens that are affecting the same property? How can I achieve this effect?
   As you can tell from the speed tests, performance is a primary concern. Searching through potentially hundreds or thousands of tweens for overlapping tween properties can get expensive in terms of performance. Therefore, the TweenLite family opted for a much faster approach: all or nothing. But don't worry - in almost every case, you can achieve the result you're after with a little bit of extra code. Trust me, it's worth the increased speed and efficiency you'll get.

   You can selectively kill tweens by keeping track of the TweenMax instance that’s returned by the to() or from() methods, and calling removeTween() on them. For example, if you want to have a button scale up when you roll over it, and scale back down when you roll off (those tweens should overwrite each other) but you don't want them to overwrite a from() call that fades the button in over the course of 2 seconds, you could do:

   1. TweenMax.from(myButton, 2, {_alpha:0, overwrite:false});
   2. var scaleTween:TweenMax;
   3. myButton.onRollOver = function():Void {
   4.     TweenMax.removeTween(scaleTween);
   5.     scaleTween = TweenMax.to(myButton, 0.5, {_xscale:120, _yscale:120, overwrite:false});
   6. }
   7. myButton.onRollOut = function():Void {
   8.     TweenMax.removeTween(scaleTween);
   9.     scaleTween = TweenMax.to(myButton, 0.5, {_xscale:100, _yscale:100, overwrite:false});
   10. }

   Remember, other tweens of the same object will always be overwritten by default. You must set overwrite:false to avoid that behavior. The above example is essentially allowing you to selectively handle overwriting yourself instead of relying on the tweening engine to do the "all or nothing" technique.

3. How do I pause/resume a tween?
   Simple. Whenever you do a to() or from() tween, the function returns a reference to that particular tween, so just keep track of that and call pause() or resume() on it, like this:
   1. import gs.TweenMax;
   2. var myTween = TweenMax.to(mc, 2, {colorMatrixFilter:{colorize:0xFF0000, amount:1}});
   3. myTween.pause();
   4. myTween.resume();

4. How do I get/set the progress of a tween?
   Just use the "progress" property. The value should always be between 0 and 1 (0 = tween is at its starting values, 0.5 = half-way finished, and 1 = the tweening is complete) Whenever you do a to() or from() tween, the function returns a reference to that particular tween, so just keep track of that and call get/set the progress property, like this:
   1. import gs.TweenMax;
   2. var myTween = TweenMax.to(mc, 2, {colorMatrixFilter:{colorize:0xFF0000, amount:1}});
   3. myTween.progress = 0.75;

5. Why aren't my filters working?
   If you're using a filter that has an alpha property, try setting it to 1. The default alpha value is zero, so the filter may be working just fine, but you're not seeing it.

6. Do the properties have to be in a specific order?
   Nope. The only thing that matters is that the first parameter is the object you're tweening, the second parameter is the time (in seconds), and the third parameter contains all the properties you want to tween (in any order). So TweenMax.to(clip_mc, 1, {colorMatrixFilter:{colorize:0xFF0000, amount:1}}) is the same as TweenMax.to(clip_mc, 1, {colorMatrixFilter:{amount:1, colorize:0xFF0000}});

7. Do I have to purchase a license to use this code? Can I use it for commercial purposes?
   TweenMax is free. You're welcome to use it for commercial purposes - I only ask that you donate what you think the class is worth in your project(s), and consider joining Club GreenSock which gives you some bonus classes, updates, and more. If you want to use one (or more) of my classes in your commerical software product which would entail distributing the class files, please get my permission first by e-mailing me at jack -at- greensock.com.

Need Help?

Feel free to e-mail me a question. I'd highly recommend joining Club GreenSock to get prioritized access to my time in answering your question, and so that you receive updates and lots more. When you e-mail your question, please include a simplified FLA file (and any class files) that clearly demonstrates the problem and provide a brief explanation.