I'm using Flash CS5 to make an iPod app/game. The provided layout makes the default setup 320x480, which is the standard way to hold your iPod VERTICALLY. I want to flip these dimensions to hold the iPod on it's side during gameplay. So here's my question: If I just flip the document...to (480x320) will the iPod know how to manage the game from that point on? Or do I need to draw everything horizontally and animate that way too? I tried to do just that, but when I test the scene, it only wants to flip that first frame, so everything flops off screen and it ruins the animation. So how do I develop a HORIZONTAL iPod app/game?
Can't speak specifically for Flash made game, but a regular app on iOS you could set the Initial Interface Orientation to landscape (either home button on left or right) in the <APPLICATION_NAME>-info.plist file. For OpenGL ES games, this would be handled by rotating the projection matrix mode -90 degrees about the X axis. I'm not sure what a flash game ends up compiling to (objective C with UIViews, or OpenGL), but one of those methods should do it for you.
I'm not entirely sure that's helpful... I mean, I know how to flip the dimensions. In flash, I can goto "Page Setup" from the "File" drop down menu, and set the page orientation to "Landscape", and I can use "Modify" and "Document" in a similar manner to change the actual dimensions of the page. Does this mean I would still need to make the game "sideways"? Like, hell, I might as well flip my monitor on it's side and draw that way. It sounds ridiculous but that's all I can think of right now. I've got this same question on 3 separate forums, and not one of them has brought any useful information... does this mean I'm just missing something easy and no one has the time to correct my simple mistake?
pchukwura gave the right answer if you were programming your game directly with xcode. Maybe there isn't anyone in this forum with experience using Flash CS5?
From what I have seen most of the devs on here do work in xCode or one of the many game engines. I would recommend you reasking your question here -- http://forums.adobe.com/community/labs/packagerforiphone I'm sure someone on there could answer your question as it's a normal problem or search the forum since I bet it's been asked already.
I've posted on that forum before, but I chose that specific location mentioned in the post above. If I find out anything from that other place, I'll let everyone know what I find here. That way no one will have to struggle with such a stupid problem ever again! PS: I searched that forum as well... nothing on it so far.
Has anyone heard anything differently? I'm still searching for the answer to the above question... no one on any forum seems to know how to make an ipod game horizontally. I'm guessing (and hoping) that I can just make everything normally, and some code will be needed to do it. Obviously xCode has been mentioned already, so maybe I'll just need to wait and see. So any other ideas?
I can't find anything on this topic unfortunately, so I'm just going to have to trust the people who've posted above. I won't worry about it until I get to the iPod part, so thanks for the help everyone. ...but I'll ask again when it's closer to release. By the way, The game I'm working on is a Survival/Strategy game called "My Darling: The Vampire". We've been working mainly on concepts and functionality for the past month or so, but I've began with the artwork and I'm happy to say it's looking decent. Our estimated time to release is May 2011 - but until then, here's a teaser screen...
