masking an image inside a dynamic mc

you're welcome.

you can either use the onLoadInit() to determine when you can assign your onRelease handlers or even easier: load into a child of thumbSet_mc[thisColName][thisClipName] and leave your onRelease defined for the parent.

Ahhh! Okay I get it.

Not all images have loaded. The script runs ahead a little. A coule of extra frames or a Listener for the loadMovieClip.. yes, that's it.
I suppose I'll have ti set up some sort of polling procedure for the .onRelease() . I can't "hard wire" in every possibility of mc1... etc if there are 50-100 clips. Although I DO know which column is showing, so that narrows it down a little.

thanks

Yes, but that comes before defining the onRelease doesn't it?

no? what's

image_mcl.loadClip("rich.jpg",thumbSet_mc[thisColName][thisClipName]);

thumbSet_mc.col3_mc.mc3.onRelease=function()

will fail if:

1. there is a mouse handler defined for thumbSet_mc or thumbSet_mc.col3_mc or

2. you loaded something into one of those ancestors of mc3 AFTER defining the onRelease.

I've come across one more, hopefully final, glitch in this method:

thumbSet_mc.onRelease=function() // this works when I click on any of the columns


thumbSet_mc.col3_mc.onRelease=function() // this works when I click on the particular column targeted


thumbSet_mc.col3_mc.mc3.onRelease=function() // this doesn't work when I click on the individual target "mc3" or any of the grandchildren of thumbSet_mc.

Is it because I've loaded an image into the grandchild? That's the only difference between the 3 "generations".
thanks in advance for your help

you're welcome.

by changing matrixMask_mc's x property so it covers one column, you reveal that column and hide the others.

Ok. I make "thumbSet_mc" the parent of all.
THEN:
thumbSet_mc.setMask(matrixMask_mc);
This made all columns invisible.

THEN:
I put the "matrixMask_mc" clip so it covered the col1_mc on the left of the stage. This made it visible, keeping the others invisible. The same "mask" both show AND hides objects. I guess that's what I had trouble with, as well as the use of [ ] within dot syntax.

Anyway I think I get it.
Thanks for your assistance once again
Chop

levels/depths make no difference when using actionscript to assign a mask. flash handles that for you.

when using the authoring environment to assign a mask, layers/depths do make a difference.

okay, that makes sense. Suppose I have the following:
thumbSet_mc.col1_mc.mc1

"thumbSet_mc" = the grandParent
"col1_mc" , "col2_mc" ,"col2_mc"etc. = the children of "thumbSet_mc"
"mc1, m2, mc3" etc = the grandChildren of "thumbSet_mc"

Does each clip have to be on a separate level? I.E can "thumbSet_mc" and its children "col1_mc, col2_mc etc." be on the same level?

This is the most perplexing thing, levels, ...what can exist on the same level? I'm thinking that disassociated (unrelated) mcs need a separate level but is seems that children should be on the same level as their parent. Else it would be like a "dysfunctional family"!