After learning the basics of creating a Flash animation, I wanted to write a Flash program - with most of the shapes and animation generated by code ("scripts"), not with drawing tools. While looking for a simple project to tackle - a small game or applet that would show off the programming potential of Flash's scripting language - I saw a clever toy in a toy store. It had an assortment of plastic gears that you could rearrange, but instead of the traditional fixed grid of pegs, it sported a magnetic surface - gears could be placed anywhere on it, and would stick there and spin in place. I decided to create a similar toy in Flash. Here is the result: