Hi Matt, First, Flex 2 is AS3 only. So if you intend your interactive charting widget to integrate with Flex create it in Flash CS3 using AS3. (The background is ... In Flash Player, AS3 runs in its own AVM2 (ActionScript Virtual Machine 2). AVM2 exists only in Flash Player 9 and higher. In Flash Player 9, AS1/AS2 runs in what is retroactively being called AVM1. The issue is, there is a firewall between AVM1 and AVM2. That is, properties and methods on objects in AVM1 can not be directly called by AS in AVM2, and vice versa.)
Second, you wrote "Flex is a language for tying together individual Flash components into an overall UI/RIA." Actually Flex is: a) a component library; b) at authortime components can be instantiated with using either ActionScript, or via tag based declarative MXML. (By comparison, in the Flash IDE components can be instantiated using ActionScript or by dragging them on the stage and using the property inspector to set their values). So just think of Flex as an extensive set of Flash components with a tag based option for instantiating them. And, Flex has no drawing tools, no timelines, etc. Third, Flex 2 has charting components. And they are extensible. Just straight Object Oriented ActionScript. I don't know how customized your requirement is, but you might be able to extend one of the Flex 2 Charting Components. To get a sense of the charting components, check out the Flex 2 Component Explorer at the following link at the bottom of the component tree expand "Charts": http://examples.adobe.com/flex2/inproduct/sdk/explorer/explorer.html Fourth, the official name for the FlexComponentKit that Troy referred to is: Flex Component Kit for Flash CS3. You can find it here: http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Flex_Component_Kit_for_Flash_CS3 Fyi, as of Flex 3, this component kit functionality will be part of the Flex product (it currently is included in the Flex 3 beta up on labs.) Fifth, lot of links on this topic here: Flex Flash Integration Resources http://blog.halcyonsolutions.net/2007/06/30/flex_flash_integration_resources/ Last, please post back regarding how you ultimately proceed (and about what you learn along the way :-) hth, g _______________________________________________ Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com
