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The Bitmap and BitmapData classes

The main ActionScript 3.0 classes for working with bitmap images are the Bitmap class, which is used to display bitmap images on the screen, and the BitmapData class, which is used to access and manipulate the raw image data of a bitmap.

Understanding the Bitmap class​

As a subclass of the DisplayObject class, the Bitmap class is the main ActionScript 3.0 class used for displaying bitmap images. These images may have been loaded via the flash.display.Loader class or created dynamically using the Bitmap() constructor. When loading an image from an external source, a Bitmap object can only use GIF, JPEG, or PNG format images. Once instantiated, the Bitmap instance can be considered a wrapper for a BitmapData object that needs to be rendered to the Stage. Because a Bitmap instance is a display object, all the characteristics and functionality of display objects can be used to manipulate a Bitmap instance as well. For more information about working with display objects, see Display programming.

Pixel snapping and smoothing​

In addition to the functionality common to all display objects, the Bitmap class provides some additional features that are specific to bitmap images.

The pixelSnapping property of the Bitmap class determines whether or not a Bitmap object snaps to its nearest pixel. This property accepts one of three constants defined in the PixelSnapping class: ALWAYS, AUTO, and NEVER.

The syntax for applying pixel snapping is as follows:

myBitmap.pixelSnapping = PixelSnapping.ALWAYS;

Often, when bitmap images are scaled, they become blurred and distorted. To help reduce this distortion, use the smoothing property of the BitmapData class. This Boolean property, when set to true, smooths, or anti-aliases, the pixels within the image when it is scaled. This gives the image a clearer and more natural appearance.

Understanding the BitmapData class​

The BitmapData class, which is in the flash.display package, can be likened to a photographic snapshot of the pixels contained within a loaded or dynamically created bitmap image. This snapshot is represented by an array of pixel data within the object. The BitmapData class also contains a series of built-in methods that are useful for creation and manipulation of pixel data.

To instantiate a BitmapData object, use the following code:

var myBitmap:BitmapData = new BitmapData(width:Number, height:Number, transparent:Boolean, fillColor:uinit);

The width and height parameters specify the size of the bitmap. Starting with AIR 3 and Flash player 11, the size limits for a BitmapData object have been removed. The maximum size of a bitmap is dependent on the operating system.

In AIR 1.5 and Flash Player 10, the maximum size for a BitmapData object is 8,191 pixels in width or height, and the total number of pixels cannot exceed 16,777,215 pixels. (So, if a BitmapData object is 8,191 pixels wide, it can only be 2,048 pixels high.) In Flash Player 9 and earlier and AIR 1.1 and earlier, the limitation is 2,880 pixels in height and 2,880 in width.

The transparent parameter specifies whether the bitmap data includes an alpha channel (true) or not (false). The fillColor parameter is a 32-bit color value that specifies the background color, as well as the transparency value (if it has been set to true). The following example creates a BitmapData object with an orange background that is 50 percent transparent:

var myBitmap:BitmapData = new BitmapData(150, 150, true, 0x80FF3300);

To render a newly created BitmapData object to the screen, assign it to or wrap it in a Bitmap instance. To do this, you can either pass the BitmapData object as a parameter of the Bitmap object's constructor, or you can assign it to the bitmapData property of an existing Bitmap instance. You must also add the Bitmap instance to the display list by calling the addChild() or addChildAt() methods of the display object container that will contain the Bitmap instance. For more information on working with the display list, see Adding display objects to the display list.

The following example creates a BitmapData object with a red fill, and displays it in a Bitmap instance:

var myBitmapDataObject:BitmapData = new BitmapData(150, 150, false, 0xFF0000);
var myImage:Bitmap = new Bitmap(myBitmapDataObject);
addChild(myImage);