AS3 - Getting started with Adobe Flash using the free Flash Develop IDE

Laurence Muller
Laurence Muller

Instead of using Flash CS3 or Flex 3, Flash Development provides a free alternative for building flash applications.

Install instructions:

  1. Flex 3 SDK (free)
  • Download the Flex SDK (I used version 3.1.0.2710 from Fri Aug 15 2008)
  • Unzip the files to a folder, for example: C:\_libraries\flex\_sdk\_3.1.0.2710
  1. Adobe Flash Player 10 (Debugger Version)
  2. FlashDevelop 3.x
    • Download the latest FlashDevelop.
    • Start FD after the install.
    • Click Tools -> Program settings (F10)
    • Click AS3Context
    • Set the Flex SDK Location to C:\_libraries\flex\_sdk\_3.1.0.2710

Optional debugger

  1. Installing a debugger
  • Original post on FD forums.
  • Download the latest version here (currently fdbPlugin0.4.5.0.zip, this version is only compatible with FlashDevelop 3.0.0 Beta9)
  • Unzip it to a temp folder but don’t follow the instructions in the readme.txt
  • Locate your FD plugins directory in your user files:
  • From FD main menu: Tools > Application Files (it will open up a new explorer dialog)
  • Copy all the files Aga.Controls.dll and fdbPlugin.dll (its in the bin directory of the zipfile) to the plugin directory
    (Example: C\\Documents and Settings\Falcon4ever\Local Settings\Application Data\FlashDevelop\Plugins).
  • Do not use FlashDevelop.exe from the zipfile (for some odd reason the exe seems to be corrupted here).
  • Start FD.
  • Click Tools -> Program settings (F10)
  • Click FdbPlugin
  • Set the DebugFlashPlayerPath to C:\_libraries\flex\_sdk\_3.1.0.2710\\flashplayer\_10\_sa\_debug.exe
  1. Using the debugger
    • Start FD.
    • It should show 2 new dialogs, which you can drag into the main GUI.
    • To set breakpoints do a shift-click on the left.
  • To start a debug session press the new play button (if you check the gui, you will see a few new icons, play, pause, stop, fastforward etc)
  • When the program hits a breakpoint you can hoover on the variable to view its contents/value. (Just like in visual studio)

8 responses

  1. very very useful, great thanks

    dewen – February 16th, 2009

  2. I set up the develop enviroment step by step according to your instructions. However, there is an error occurs when i try to run the as file, here are the details of the error Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at FdbPlugin.PluginMain.CheckCurrent() at FdbPlugin.PluginMain.Start_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) Thanks

    dewen – February 16th, 2009

  3. I get the same error as dewen. please help, using Flash develop 3.0 and flex_sdk_3.3.0.4852

    Mark – February 22nd, 2009

  4. The error is probably related to the Fdbplugin. It seems like the author of the Fdbplugin creates builds that only work with a specific version of flash develop. (Using it on an older or newer version than the one intended wont work).

    Laurence Muller – February 27th, 2009

  5. While trying with FD 3.0 RC2, I can set the DebugFlashPlayerPath but after restarting I can’t see the new debugger icons and moreover, I get this error: Type ‘FdbPlugin.PluginMain’ in Assembly ‘FdbPlugin, Version=0.4.6.1, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null’ is not marked as serializable. at System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterServices.InternalGetSerializableMembers(RuntimeType type) at System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterServices.GetSerializableMembers(Type type, StreamingContext context) at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.InitMemberInfo() at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.InitSerialize(Object obj, ISurrogateSelector surrogateSelector, StreamingContext context, SerObjectInfoInit serObjectInfoInit, IFormatterConverter converter, ObjectWriter objectWriter) at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.Serialize(Object obj, ISurrogateSelector surrogateSelector, StreamingContext context, SerObjectInfoInit serObjectInfoInit, IFormatterConverter converter, ObjectWriter objectWriter) at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.ObjectWriter.Write(WriteObjectInfo objectInfo, NameInfo memberNameInfo, NameInfo typeNameInfo) at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.ObjectWriter.Serialize(Object graph, Header[] inHeaders, __BinaryWriter serWriter, Boolean fCheck) at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter.Serialize(Stream serializationStream, Object graph, Header[] headers, Boolean fCheck) at PluginCore.Utilities.ObjectSerializer.Serialize(String file, Object obj) Pity, cause debugging is certainly very, very usefull. Ronald

    Ronald – April 23rd, 2009

  6. Sorry, I forgot to mention this is fdbPlugin0.4.6.1

    Ronald – April 23rd, 2009

  7. fdbPlugin0.4.6.1 is not working with FlashDevelop 3.0.0 RC2. When I use “Start” from the “Debug” menu: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at AS3Context.PluginMain.HandleEvent(Object sender, NotifyEvent e, HandlingPriority priority) at PluginCore.Managers.EventManager.DispatchEvent(Object sender, NotifyEvent e)

    Ian – April 30th, 2009

  8. error does not happen when you debug a project, not a stand alone .as file. this works for both fdbplugin0.4.6.1 and 4.5.0

    alfonso pilato – December 13th, 2009