PHP/SWF - Where to start?

[MidNyte]

Hi,

I use flash, I use PHP, I've got the SWF module installed and running on my server, I've got the file specs of SWF from macromedia.com and openswf.org.... but I don't understand what all the tags do. For example, in the php docs I've got all the push_matrix, pop_matrix etc, but where do I get a tutorial that explains how to put all the tags together into a working solution?

Can anyone help?

[johnie]

This will help:

http://www.php.net/manual/ref.swf.php

[MidNyte]

Thanks Johnie,

I've already got that bit though. The problem is, it explains only specifics and not general points of SWF construction... it's like explaining to someone that a clutch disengages the engine from the wheels, but not explain that you have to do this when you change gear, if you see what I mean.

For example, push_matrix pushes the current matrix onto the stack, but why do that? The docs are fine if you know why and when you have to push a matrix in the first place, but I'm not quite there yet. I'm after a tutorial that explains the overall processes rather than the specifics.

For that matter, does anyone know of a utility that will disassemble an SWF into something comparable? That way I can learn effects I want by creating them and examining the resulting code.