Loading and unloading of external swf's using buttons

[letospirit]

Alright. Here's the deal. I have 7 buttons on my main page, on the left side of the screen. I want the buttons to load the external swf on the right, and then unload when a different button is pressed. Do I need to make an array? Do I need an empty movie clip to load each swf into?

///////////////Buttons/////////////////////

graphic design - loads thumbnail scroll bar

mixed media - loads thumbnail scroll bar

photography - loads thumbnail scroll bar

illustration - loads thumbnail scroll bar

words - loads story list

contact - loads contact info

about - loads bio

////////////////////////////////////////////

Thanks for any help.

[letospirit]

Or if anyone knows a good tutorial they can direct me towards, that would be great.

[kglad]

just use one loader:

var ldr:Loader;

function onButtonClick(e:MouseEvent){

if(ldr!=null){

ldr.unloadAndStop();

} else {

ldr=new Loader();

}

ldr.load(new URLRequest(e.currentTarget.urlS));  // assign a urlS property fo each movieclip button

}

[letospirit]

Ok, thanks. Bare with me though. It's been three years since  I have worked in actionscript.

Are you saying I need to make each of my "buttons" a movieclip?

And what do you mean "assign a urlS property for each movieclip button" Do you mean "contact.swf" for the contact button?

Do I place that code on each movieclip button? Or on the main timeline?

Can you give me an example in your code of what your talking about?

[kglad]

you don't need to use movieclip buttons but it's a lot easier to encode, if you do:

button1.urlS = "swfone.swf";
button2.urlS = "2ndswf.swf";
button3.urlS = "swf3.swf";

button1.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);
button2.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);
button3.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);

var ldr:Loader;

function onButtonClick(e:MouseEvent){

if(ldr!=null){

ldr.unloadAndStop();

} else {

ldr=new Loader();

}

ldr.load(new URLRequest(e.currentTarget.urlS));  // assign a urlS property fo each movieclip button

}

[letospirit]

Ok, so im testing the code in a test .fla

I am getting this compiler error message: 1061: Call to a possibly undefined method unloadAndStop through a reference with static type flash.display:Loader.      ldr.unloadAndStop();

I have three movie clips on the stage:

red

black

blue

each with a corresponding instance name of Red, Black, and Blue

I have this code on a seperate layer called "actions" on the main timeline:

Red.urlS = "introIMAGE.swf";
Black.urlS = "Jill and the Wolf_closeup.jpg";
Blue.urlS = "Death of the Bear_closeup.jpg";

Red.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);
Black.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);
Blue.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);

var ldr:Loader;

function onButtonClick(e:MouseEvent){

if(ldr!=null){

ldr.unloadAndStop();

} else {

ldr=new Loader();

}

ldr.load(new URLRequest(e.currentTarget.urlS));  // assign a urlS property fo each movieclip button

}

[kglad · Accepted solution]

if you can't publish for flash player 10, you'll need to use the unload() method instead of unloadAndStop().

[letospirit]

Alright. So, that fixed the error message. However when I test the movie and click on a button nothing loads. Does that have anything to do with how I set up my buttons\movies? Do I nest the button inside a movie? I have everything in the same folder as the .fla

Thanks so much for the help.

[kglad]

do you see any error messages

[letospirit]

No error messages. Just nothing loads when I click a button.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

On Jun 30, 2010 11:28 PM, kglad <forums@adobe.com> wrote:

do you see any error messages

[kglad]

did you add ldr to the display list?

[letospirit]

I'm not sure I know what you mean by that. I have the code set up exactly as shown above. With the exception of changing the unload() so it will run in player 9.0

[kglad]

use:

button1.urlS =  "swfone.swf";
button2.urlS = "2ndswf.swf";
button3.urlS =  "swf3.swf";

button1.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);
button2.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);
button3.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);

var ldr:Loader;

function onButtonClick(e:MouseEvent){

if(ldr!=null){

ldr.unload();

} else {

ldr=new Loader();

addChild(ldr);

}

ldr.load(new  URLRequest(e.currentTarget.urlS));  // assign a urlS property fo each movieclip button

}

[letospirit]

That works! Thanks

One last question.

Where would I place the x and y coordinates in the code, so I can postion what I am loading on the stage?

[kglad]

to center:

button1.urlS =  "swfone.swf";
button2.urlS = "2ndswf.swf";
button3.urlS =  "swf3.swf";

button1.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);
button2.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);
button3.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);

var ldr:Loader;

function onButtonClick(e:MouseEvent){

if(ldr!=null){

ldr.unload();

} else {

ldr=new Loader();

ldr.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE,loadCompleteF);

addChild(ldr);

}

ldr.load(new  URLRequest(e.currentTarget.urlS));  // assign a urlS property fo each movieclip button

}

function loadCompleteF(e:Event){

ldr.x=(stage.stageWidth-ldr.width)/2;

ldr.y=(stage.stageHeight-ldr.height)/2;

}

[letospirit]

That did not seem to have an effect on anything.

[kglad]

copy and paste your code.

[letospirit]

Red.urlS = "introIMAGE.swf";
Black.urlS = "new scroller.swf";
Blue.urlS = "Death of the Bear_closeup.jpg";

Red.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);
Black.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);
Blue.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onButtonClick);

var ldr:Loader;

function onButtonClick(e:MouseEvent){

if(ldr!=null){

ldr.unload();

} else {

ldr=new Loader();

ldr.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE,loadCompleteF);

addChild(ldr);

}

ldr.load(new  URLRequest(e.currentTarget.urlS));  // assign a urlS property fo each movieclip button

}

function loadCompleteF(e:Event){

ldr.x=(stage.stageWidth-ldr.width)/2;

ldr.y=(stage.stageHeight-ldr.height)/2;

}

[kglad]

there's nothing wrong with that code.  what do you see when you click on Blue that makes you think the image is not centered?

[letospirit]

The image is off to the left of the screen. I have tried changing the x and y numbers and it has no effect.

[kglad]

you're either seeing something else of you have some other code that causing that problem.

start over with a new fla, add that code and your three buttons and retest.