Question

I am trying to create a Flash application which will allow a user to draw arrows on the screen/canvas by using the mouse. So if they click and hold the left mouse button at coordinates 23,12 and release the left button at 84,45 a line would be drawn between the 2 points with an arrow head at the second coordinate.

I also need each individual arrow to be selectable so they can be moved or deleted (I know how to do this part!).

If someone could help me and point me in the right direction (such as an example or tutorial), it would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

Since it’s your first question:

package
{
    import flash.display.CapsStyle;
    import flash.display.Graphics;
    import flash.display.JointStyle;
    import flash.display.LineScaleMode;
    import flash.display.Sprite;
    import flash.display.StageAlign;
    import flash.display.StageScaleMode;
    import flash.events.Event;
    import flash.events.MouseEvent;
    import flash.geom.Point;

    [SWF(percentWidth = 100, percentHeight = 100, backgroundColor = 0xefefef, frameRate = 30)]
    public class Arrows extends Sprite
    {

        public var arrows:Vector.<Sprite> = new Vector.<Sprite>();

        public var canvas:Sprite;

        public var lineColor:uint = Math.random() * 0xffffff;

        public var lineWeight:Number = 5;

        private var startPoint:Point;


        public function Arrows()
        {
            super();

            addEventListener(Event.ADDED_TO_STAGE, addedToStageHandler);
        }

        protected function addedToStageHandler(event:Event):void
        {
            stage.scaleMode = StageScaleMode.NO_SCALE;
            stage.align = StageAlign.TOP_LEFT;

            addCanvas();
        }

        protected function addCanvas():void
        {
            canvas = new Sprite();
            addChild(canvas);

            lineColor = Math.random() * 0xffffff;

            // give alpha for interaction
            var g:Graphics = canvas.graphics;
            g.beginFill(0x0, 0.0);
            g.drawRect(0, 0, stage.stageWidth, stage.stageHeight);
            g.endFill();

            // listen for mouse down
            canvas.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandler);
        }

        protected function mouseDownHandler(event:MouseEvent):void
        {
            canvas.removeEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandler);

            // mark start point
            startPoint = new Point(event.localX, event.localY);

            // start rendering
            canvas.addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, enterFrameHandler);

            // listen for mouse up / out to end arrow
            canvas.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, mouseUpHandler);
            canvas.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT, mouseUpHandler);
        }

        protected function enterFrameHandler(event:Event):void
        {
            var angle:Number = polarAngle(new Point(mouseX, mouseY), new Point(startPoint.x, startPoint.y));

            // draw line
            var g:Graphics = canvas.graphics;
            g.clear();

            // give alpha for interaction
            g.beginFill(0x0, 0.0);
            g.drawRect(0, 0, stage.stageWidth, stage.stageHeight);
            g.endFill();

            g.lineStyle(lineWeight, lineColor, 1, true, LineScaleMode.NORMAL, CapsStyle.SQUARE, JointStyle.MITER);
            g.moveTo(startPoint.x, startPoint.y);
            g.lineTo(mouseX, mouseY);

            // draw arrow head
            g.moveTo(mouseX - (20 * Math.cos((angle - 45) * Math.PI / 180)),
                     mouseY - (20 * Math.sin((angle - 45) * Math.PI / 180)));

            g.lineTo(mouseX + (5 * Math.cos((angle) * Math.PI / 180)),
                     mouseY + (5 * Math.sin((angle) * Math.PI / 180)));

            g.lineTo(mouseX - (20 * Math.cos((angle + 45) * Math.PI / 180)),
                     mouseY - (20 * Math.sin((angle + 45) * Math.PI / 180)));
        }

        protected function polarAngle(point:Point, center:Point=null):Number
        {
            if (!center)
                center = new Point(0, 0);

            return Math.atan2(point.y - center.y, point.x - center.x) * 180 / Math.PI;
        }

        protected function mouseUpHandler(event:MouseEvent):void
        {
            canvas.removeEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, mouseUpHandler);
            canvas.removeEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT, mouseUpHandler);

            // stop rendering
            canvas.removeEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, enterFrameHandler);

            // push canvas to arrows collection
            arrows.push(canvas);

            // add a fresh canvas
            addCanvas();
        }

    }
}

You say you know how to move them, so I’ll leave that up to you.