Flash CS3 Documentation

Learning ActionScript 2.0 in Adobe Flash > Animation, Filters, and Drawings > About blending modes

About blending modes

You can apply blend modes to movie clip objects by using the Flash workspace or ActionScript. At runtime, multiple graphics are merged as one shape. For this reason, you cannot apply different blend modes to different graphic symbols.

For more information on using ActionScript to apply blend modes, see Applying blending modes.

Blend modes involve combining the colors of one image (the base image) with the colors of another image (the blend image) to produce a third image. Each pixel value in an image is processed with the corresponding pixel value of the other image to produce a pixel value for that same position in the result.

The MovieClip.blendMode property supports the following blend modes:

add Commonly used to create an animated lightening dissolve effect between two images.

alpha Commonly used to apply the transparency of the foreground on the background.

darken Commonly used to superimpose type.

difference Commonly used to create more vibrant colors.

erase Commonly used to cut out (erase) part of the background using the foreground alpha.

hardlight Commonly used to create shading effects.

invert Used to invert the background.

layer Used to force the creation of a temporary buffer for precomposition for a particular movie clip.

lighten Commonly used to superimpose type.

multiply Commonly used to create shadows and depth effects.

normal Used to specify that the pixel values of the blend image override those of the base image.

overlay Commonly used to create shading effects.

screen Commonly used to create highlights and lens flares.

subtract Commonly used to create an animated darkening dissolve effect between two images.

Flash CS3