Falling Snow - Page 6

Drifting, drifting

In Frames 1 and 2, add the following lines after the line defining magnify:

drift = (Math.random() * 4) - 2; 
spin = (Math.random() * 6) - 3;

Now go to Frame 4 and add the lines highlighted in red below:

flakeyfall = flakey._y;


if (flakeyfall <= fallheight) {
   flakey._y = flakey._y + step;
   flakey._x = flakey._x + drift;
   flakey._rotation = flakey._rotation + spin;
   gotoAndPlay(3);
 } else {
   gotoAndPlay(2);
 }

Now take a look. Adds quite a bit, doesn't it? We're using our random magnify number to define an amount of drift (up to 3 pixels left or right) and spin (up to 2 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise) to be applied with each step.

But occasionally flakes drift out of frame well before they reach bottom, and we don't get to see them. let's modify the if statement so that flakes that drift off to the sides get yanked back up to start again. (Change is in red.)

flakeyfall = flakey._y;
if ((flakeyfall <= fallheight) && (flakeydrift >= -35) && (flakeydrift <=  fallwidth+35)) {
   flakey._y = flakey._y + step;
   flakey._x = flakey._x + drift;
   flakey._rotation = flakey._rotation + spin;
   gotoAndPlay(3);
} else {
   gotoAndPlay(2);
}

Again, you could stop here. but there's one final touch we can add.