Adobe® Flex® 4 Language Reference
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mx.core 
SpriteAsset 
Packagemx.core
Classpublic class SpriteAsset
InheritanceSpriteAsset Inheritance FlexSprite Inheritance Sprite Inheritance DisplayObjectContainer Inheritance InteractiveObject Inheritance DisplayObject Inheritance EventDispatcher Inheritance Object
Implements IFlexAsset, IFlexDisplayObject, IBorder
Subclasses DefaultDragImage

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

SpriteAsset is a subclass of the flash.display.Sprite class which represents vector graphic images that you embed in an application. It implements the IFlexDisplayObject interface, which makes it possible for an embedded vector graphic image to be displayed in an Image control, or to be used as a container background or a component skin.

The vector graphic image that you're embedding can be in an SVG file. You can also embed a sprite symbol that is in a SWF file produced by Flash. In both cases, the MXML compiler autogenerates a class that extends SpriteAsset to represent the embedded vector graphic image.

You don't generally have to use the SpriteAsset class directly when you write a Flex application. For example, you can embed a sprite symbol from a SWF file and display it in an Image control by writing the following:

  <mx:Image id="logo" source="@Embed(source='Assets.swf', symbol='Logo')"/>

Or use it as the application's background image in CSS syntax by writing the following:

  <fx:Style>
      @namespace mx "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx"
      mx|Application {
          backgroundImage: Embed(source="Assets.swf", symbol='Logo')
      }
  <fx:Style/>

without having to understand that the MXML compiler has created a subclass of BitmapAsset for you.

However, it may be useful to understand what is happening at the ActionScript level. To embed a vector graphic image in ActionScript, you declare a variable of type Class, and put [Embed] metadata on it. For example, you embed a sprite symbol from a SWF file like this:

  [Bindable]
  [Embed(source="Assets.swf", symbol="Logo")]
  private var logoClass:Class;

The MXML compiler notices that the Logo symbol in Assets.swf is a sprite, autogenerates a subclass of the SpriteAsset class to represent it, and sets your variable to be a reference to this autogenerated class. You can then use this class reference to create instances of the SpriteAsset using the new operator, and use APIs of the Sprite class on them:

  var logo:SpriteAsset = SpriteAsset(new logoClass());
  logo.rotation=45;

However, you rarely need to create SpriteAsset instances yourself because image-related properties and styles can simply be set to an image-producing class, and components will create image instances as necessary. For example, to display this vector graphic image in an Image control, you can set the Image's source property to logoClass. In MXML you could do this as follows:

  <mx:Image id="logo" source="{logoClass}"/>



Public Properties
 PropertyDefined By
 InheritedaccessibilityImplementation : AccessibilityImplementation
The current accessibility implementation (AccessibilityImplementation) for this InteractiveObject instance.
InteractiveObject
 InheritedaccessibilityProperties : AccessibilityProperties
The current accessibility options for this display object.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedalpha : Number
Indicates the alpha transparency value of the object specified.
DisplayObject
 InheritedblendMode : String
A value from the BlendMode class that specifies which blend mode to use.
DisplayObject
 InheritedblendShader : Shader
[write-only] Sets a shader that is used for blending the foreground and background.
DisplayObject
  borderMetrics : EdgeMetrics
[read-only] Returns an EdgeMetrics object for the border that has four properties: left, top, right, and bottom.
SpriteAsset
 InheritedbuttonMode : Boolean
Specifies the button mode of this sprite.
Sprite
 InheritedcacheAsBitmap : Boolean
If set to true, Flash Player or Adobe AIR caches an internal bitmap representation of the display object.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedconstructor : Object
A reference to the class object or constructor function for a given object instance.
Object
 InheritedcontextMenu : NativeMenu
Specifies the context menu associated with this object.
InteractiveObject
 InheriteddoubleClickEnabled : Boolean
Specifies whether the object receives doubleClick events.
InteractiveObject
 InheriteddropTarget : DisplayObject
[read-only] Specifies the display object over which the sprite is being dragged, or on which the sprite was dropped.
Sprite
 Inheritedfilters : Array
An indexed array that contains each filter object currently associated with the display object.
DisplayObject
 InheritedfocusRect : Object
Specifies whether this object displays a focus rectangle.
InteractiveObject
 Inheritedgraphics : Graphics
[read-only] Specifies the Graphics object that belongs to this sprite where vector drawing commands can occur.
Sprite
 Inheritedheight : Number
Indicates the height of the display object, in pixels.
DisplayObject
 InheritedhitArea : Sprite
Designates another sprite to serve as the hit area for a sprite.
Sprite
 InheritedloaderInfo : LoaderInfo
[read-only] Returns a LoaderInfo object containing information about loading the file to which this display object belongs.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedmask : DisplayObject
The calling display object is masked by the specified mask object.
DisplayObject
  measuredHeight : Number
[read-only] The measured height of this object.
SpriteAsset
  measuredWidth : Number
[read-only] The measured width of this object.
SpriteAsset
 InheritedmouseChildren : Boolean
Determines whether or not the children of the object are mouse enabled.
DisplayObjectContainer
 InheritedmouseEnabled : Boolean
Specifies whether this object receives mouse messages.
InteractiveObject
 InheritedmouseX : Number
[read-only] Indicates the x coordinate of the mouse position, in pixels.
DisplayObject
 InheritedmouseY : Number
[read-only] Indicates the y coordinate of the mouse position, in pixels.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedname : String
Indicates the instance name of the DisplayObject.
DisplayObject
 InheritednumChildren : int
[read-only] Returns the number of children of this object.
DisplayObjectContainer
 InheritedopaqueBackground : Object
Specifies whether the display object is opaque with a certain background color.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedparent : DisplayObjectContainer
[read-only] Indicates the DisplayObjectContainer object that contains this display object.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedprototype : Object
[static] A reference to the prototype object of a class or function object.
Object
 Inheritedroot : DisplayObject
[read-only] For a display object in a loaded SWF file, the root property is the top-most display object in the portion of the display list's tree structure represented by that SWF file.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedrotation : Number
Indicates the rotation of the DisplayObject instance, in degrees, from its original orientation.
DisplayObject
 InheritedrotationX : Number
Indicates the x-axis rotation of the DisplayObject instance, in degrees, from its original orientation relative to the 3D parent container.
DisplayObject
 InheritedrotationY : Number
Indicates the y-axis rotation of the DisplayObject instance, in degrees, from its original orientation relative to the 3D parent container.
DisplayObject
 InheritedrotationZ : Number
Indicates the z-axis rotation of the DisplayObject instance, in degrees, from its original orientation relative to the 3D parent container.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedscale9Grid : Rectangle
The current scaling grid that is in effect.
DisplayObject
 InheritedscaleX : Number
Indicates the horizontal scale (percentage) of the object as applied from the registration point.
DisplayObject
 InheritedscaleY : Number
Indicates the vertical scale (percentage) of an object as applied from the registration point of the object.
DisplayObject
 InheritedscaleZ : Number
Indicates the depth scale (percentage) of an object as applied from the registration point of the object.
DisplayObject
 InheritedscrollRect : Rectangle
The scroll rectangle bounds of the display object.
DisplayObject
 InheritedsoundTransform : flash.media:SoundTransform
Controls sound within this sprite.
Sprite
 Inheritedstage : Stage
[read-only] The Stage of the display object.
DisplayObject
 InheritedtabChildren : Boolean
Determines whether the children of the object are tab enabled.
DisplayObjectContainer
 InheritedtabEnabled : Boolean
Specifies whether this object is in the tab order.
InteractiveObject
 InheritedtabIndex : int
Specifies the tab ordering of objects in a SWF file.
InteractiveObject
 InheritedtextSnapshot : flash.text:TextSnapshot
[read-only] Returns a TextSnapshot object for this DisplayObjectContainer instance.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inheritedtransform : flash.geom:Transform
An object with properties pertaining to a display object's matrix, color transform, and pixel bounds.
DisplayObject
 InheriteduseHandCursor : Boolean
A Boolean value that indicates whether the pointing hand (hand cursor) appears when the mouse rolls over a sprite in which the buttonMode property is set to true.
Sprite
 Inheritedvisible : Boolean
Whether or not the display object is visible.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedwidth : Number
Indicates the width of the display object, in pixels.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedx : Number
Indicates the x coordinate of the DisplayObject instance relative to the local coordinates of the parent DisplayObjectContainer.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedy : Number
Indicates the y coordinate of the DisplayObject instance relative to the local coordinates of the parent DisplayObjectContainer.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedz : Number
Indicates the z coordinate position along the z-axis of the DisplayObject instance relative to the 3D parent container.
DisplayObject
Public Methods
 MethodDefined By
  
Constructor.
SpriteAsset
 Inherited
Adds a child DisplayObject instance to this DisplayObjectContainer instance.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Adds a child DisplayObject instance to this DisplayObjectContainer instance.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
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
 Inherited
Indicates whether the security restrictions would cause any display objects to be omitted from the list returned by calling the DisplayObjectContainer.getObjectsUnderPoint() method with the specified point point.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Determines whether the specified display object is a child of the DisplayObjectContainer instance or the instance itself.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Dispatches an event into the event flow.
EventDispatcher
 Inherited
getBounds(targetCoordinateSpace:DisplayObject):Rectangle
Returns a rectangle that defines the area of the display object relative to the coordinate system of the targetCoordinateSpace object.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
Returns the child display object instance that exists at the specified index.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Returns the child display object that exists with the specified name.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Returns the index position of a child DisplayObject instance.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Returns an array of objects that lie under the specified point and are children (or grandchildren, and so on) of this DisplayObjectContainer instance.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
getRect(targetCoordinateSpace:DisplayObject):Rectangle
Returns a rectangle that defines the boundary of the display object, based on the coordinate system defined by the targetCoordinateSpace parameter, excluding any strokes on shapes.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
Converts the point object from the Stage (global) coordinates to the display object's (local) coordinates.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
Converts a two-dimensional point from the Stage (global) coordinates to a three-dimensional display object's (local) coordinates.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
Checks whether the EventDispatcher object has any listeners registered for a specific type of event.
EventDispatcher
 Inherited
Indicates whether an object has a specified property defined.
Object
 Inherited
Evaluates the bounding box of the display object to see if it overlaps or intersects with the bounding box of the obj display object.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
hitTestPoint(x:Number, y:Number, shapeFlag:Boolean = false):Boolean
Evaluates the display object to see if it overlaps or intersects with the point specified by the x and y parameters.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
Indicates whether an instance of the Object class is in the prototype chain of the object specified as the parameter.
Object
 Inherited
Converts a three-dimensional point of the three-dimensional display object's (local) coordinates to a two-dimensional point in the Stage (global) coordinates.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
Converts the point object from the display object's (local) coordinates to the Stage (global) coordinates.
DisplayObject
  
Moves this object to the specified x and y coordinates.
SpriteAsset
 Inherited
Indicates whether the specified property exists and is enumerable.
Object
 Inherited
Removes the specified child DisplayObject instance from the child list of the DisplayObjectContainer instance.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Removes a child DisplayObject from the specified index position in the child list of the DisplayObjectContainer.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
removeEventListener(type:String, listener:Function, useCapture:Boolean = false):void
Removes a listener from the EventDispatcher object.
EventDispatcher
  
setActualSize(newWidth:Number, newHeight:Number):void
Sets the actual size of this object.
SpriteAsset
 Inherited
Changes the position of an existing child in the display object container.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Sets the availability of a dynamic property for loop operations.
Object
 Inherited
startDrag(lockCenter:Boolean = false, bounds:Rectangle = null):void
Lets the user drag the specified sprite.
Sprite
 Inherited
Ends the startDrag() method.
Sprite
 Inherited
Swaps the z-order (front-to-back order) of the two specified child objects.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
swapChildrenAt(index1:int, index2:int):void
Swaps the z-order (front-to-back order) of the child objects at the two specified index positions in the child list.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Returns the string representation of this object, formatted according to locale-specific conventions.
Object
 Inherited
[override] Returns a string indicating the location of this object within the hierarchy of DisplayObjects in the Application.
FlexSprite
 Inherited
Returns the primitive value of the specified object.
Object
 Inherited
Checks whether an event listener is registered with this EventDispatcher object or any of its ancestors for the specified event type.
EventDispatcher
Events
 Event Summary Defined By
 Inherited[broadcast event] Dispatched when the Flash Player or AIR application gains operating system focus and becomes active.EventDispatcher
 InheritedDispatched when a display object is added to the display list.DisplayObject
 InheritedDispatched when a display object is added to the on stage display list, either directly or through the addition of a sub tree in which the display object is contained.DisplayObject
 InheritedDispatched when the user selects 'Clear' (or 'Delete') from the text context menu.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when a user presses and releases the main button of the user's pointing device over the same InteractiveObject.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when a user gesture triggers the context menu associated with this interactive object in an AIR application.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the user activates the platform specific accelerator key combination for a copy operation or selects 'Copy' from the text context menu.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the user activates the platform specific accelerator key combination for a cut operation or selects 'Cut' from the text context menu.InteractiveObject
 Inherited[broadcast event] Dispatched when the Flash Player or AIR application operating loses system focus and is becoming inactive.EventDispatcher
 InheritedDispatched when a user presses and releases the main button of a pointing device twice in rapid succession over the same InteractiveObject when that object's doubleClickEnabled flag is set to true.InteractiveObject
 Inherited[broadcast event] Dispatched when the playhead is entering a new frame.DisplayObject
 Inherited[broadcast event] Dispatched when the playhead is exiting the current frame.DisplayObject
 InheritedDispatched after a display object gains focus.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched after a display object loses focus.InteractiveObject
 Inherited[broadcast event] Dispatched after the constructors of frame display objects have run but before frame scripts have run.DisplayObject
 InheritedDispatched when the user presses a key.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the user attempts to change focus by using keyboard navigation.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the user releases a key.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when a user presses and releases the middle button of the user's pointing device over the same InteractiveObject.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when a user presses the middle pointing device button over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when a user releases the pointing device button over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when a user presses the pointing device button over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the user attempts to change focus by using a pointer device.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when a user moves the pointing device while it is over an InteractiveObject.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the user moves a pointing device away from an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the user moves a pointing device over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when a user releases the pointing device button over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when a mouse wheel is spun over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched by the drag initiator InteractiveObject when the user releases the drag gesture.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched by the target InteractiveObject when a dragged object is dropped on it and the drop has been accepted with a call to DragManager.acceptDragDrop().InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched by an InteractiveObject when a drag gesture enters its boundary.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched by an InteractiveObject when a drag gesture leaves its boundary.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched by an InteractiveObject continually while a drag gesture remains within its boundary.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched at the beginning of a drag operation by the InteractiveObject that is specified as the drag initiator in the DragManager.doDrag() call.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched during a drag operation by the InteractiveObject that is specified as the drag initiator in the DragManager.doDrag() call.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the user activates the platform specific accelerator key combination for a paste operation or selects 'Paste' from the text context menu.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when a display object is about to be removed from the display list.DisplayObject
 InheritedDispatched when a display object is about to be removed from the display list, either directly or through the removal of a sub tree in which the display object is contained.DisplayObject
 Inherited[broadcast event] Dispatched when the display list is about to be updated and rendered.DisplayObject
 InheritedDispatched when a user presses and releases the right button of the user's pointing device over the same InteractiveObject.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when a user presses the pointing device button over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when a user releases the pointing device button over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the user moves a pointing device away from an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the user moves a pointing device over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the user activates the platform specific accelerator key combination for a select all operation or selects 'Select All' from the text context menu.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the value of the object's tabChildren flag changes.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the object's tabEnabled flag changes.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when the value of the object's tabIndex property changes.InteractiveObject
 InheritedDispatched when a user enters one or more characters of text.InteractiveObject
Property Detail

borderMetrics

property
borderMetrics:EdgeMetrics  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Returns an EdgeMetrics object for the border that has four properties: left, top, right, and bottom. The value of each property is equal to the thickness of one side of the border, in pixels.



Implementation
    public function get borderMetrics():EdgeMetrics

measuredHeight

property 
measuredHeight:Number  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

The measured height of this object.

This is typically hard-coded for graphical skins because this number is simply the number of pixels in the graphic. For code skins, it can also be hard-coded if you expect to be drawn at a certain size. If your size can change based on properties, you may want to also be an ILayoutManagerClient so a measure() method will be called at an appropriate time, giving you an opportunity to compute a measuredHeight.



Implementation
    public function get measuredHeight():Number

measuredWidth

property 
measuredWidth:Number  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

The measured width of this object.

This is typically hard-coded for graphical skins because this number is simply the number of pixels in the graphic. For code skins, it can also be hard-coded if you expect to be drawn at a certain size. If your size can change based on properties, you may want to also be an ILayoutManagerClient so a measure() method will be called at an appropriate time, giving you an opportunity to compute a measuredHeight.



Implementation
    public function get measuredWidth():Number
Constructor Detail

SpriteAsset

()Constructor
public function SpriteAsset()

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Constructor.

Method Detail

move

()method
public function move(x:Number, y:Number):void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Moves this object to the specified x and y coordinates.

Parameters

x:Number — The new x-position for this object.
 
y:Number — The new y-position for this object.

setActualSize

()method 
public function setActualSize(newWidth:Number, newHeight:Number):void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Sets the actual size of this object.

This method is mainly for use in implementing the updateDisplayList() method, which is where you compute this object's actual size based on its explicit size, parent-relative (percent) size, and measured size. You then apply this actual size to the object by calling setActualSize().

In other situations, you should be setting properties such as width, height, percentWidth, or percentHeight rather than calling this method.

Parameters

newWidth:Number — The new width for this object.
 
newHeight:Number — The new height for this object.