loadMovie question

[Design4Horses]

I am trying to load an external swf using loadMovie and can't seem to get it to work.I have created the external swf and have it in the same folder as the main movie. I have created an empty movie clip named "container" and placed it on the timeline. Here is the code:

on (release) {
loadMovie("people.swf", "container");
}

My movie is 900 x 550. Here's a big question: WHAT SHOULD THE SIZES BE FOR MY CONTAINER AND EXTERNAL SWF??

The graphic in the external swf (people.swf) is 200 x 227, but does the movie dimensions need to match the size of my main movie?

I've tried it both ways and can't seem to get it to work. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[clbeech]

you need to change the call to point at the container clip without the quotes, and add parent since this code is attached to the 'button'.

loadMovie('people.swf', _parent.container);

the size wont matter for the loaded clip, it will show up at the position of the container clip on the stage at 0,0 of that clip.

[Design4Horses]

hmmm....I see why that should work. But for some reason, it doesn't. I know I've done these before, this is baffling me.

Thanks, though.

[clbeech]

do you have an 'instance name' on the container clip - in the properties panel - named container?

[Design4Horses]

well duh...I think I've found the problem. I am trying this in the trial version of CS3. Doesn't that use ActionScript 3? I should probably go back to my old standby...

I'll post in the AS3 forum. I've found where someone had a similar question that was answered, except they didn't refer to using a button.

Thanks for your help!

[Newsgroup_User]

Design4Horses,

> well duh...I think I've found the problem. I am trying this in
> the trial version of CS3. Doesn't that use ActionScript 3?

Only if you configure your FLA file for AS3. You can change the Publish
Settings for ActionScript 2.0 or 1.0 and take your pick. :)


David Stiller
Adobe Community Expert
Dev blog, http://www.quip.net/blog/
"Luck is the residue of good design."

[Design4Horses]

No...I'm in Actionscript 2.

I do have an instance name of container on the movie clip container.

Would it have to do with the button calling the loadMovie being within another movie clip?

Here's what I've done:
- I have my main movie. (MAIN)
- Within MAIN movie, I created a movie clip that slides sideways (upon loading) and contains a series of buttons. (CONTACTBOX)
- I am placing the loadMovie code on a button within the CONTACTBOX movie clip.
- The exernally loading swf is supposed to load in MAIN.

Would the "parent" still apply here? I think so...

If you want to take a look at the movie, you can find it at:

http://www.equinemarketinggroup.com/kcomdraft/index.html

Go to the menu and hit the "contact" button. (Still early in construction!)

Thanks so much for any help.

[clbeech]

sounds like you're two level deep then if container is at MAIN and the button (MC) is in CONTACTBOX - so you'll need two _parent(s) or call to _root, so:

loadMovie('people.swf', _root.container);

[Newsgroup_User]

Design4Horses,

Woops! I'm not sure now if you're replying to clbeech or me, so I hope
I didn't end up hijacking this thread. I just wanted to make sure you
understood you can use Flash CS3 to code in ActionScript 2.0.

> No...I'm in Actionscript 2.

Coding in AS2 is fine, but you also have to make sure that your FLA file
is configured for AS2. See File > Publish Settings > Flash > ActionScript
version.

> I do have an instance name of container on the movie clip
> container.
>
> Would it have to do with the button calling the loadMovie
> being within another movie clip?

The hierarchical arrangement of your movie clips makes all the
difference. clbeech's suggestion was this:

loadMovie('people.swf', _parent.container);

... which makes sense if container exists in the timeline of the parent
movie clip. You can get a quick idea whether or not you're correctly
referencing that container by using a trace statement:

trace(_parent.container);
loadMovie('people.swf', _parent.container);

Try that and see what you get in the Output panel.

> Here's what I've done:
> - I have my main movie. (MAIN)
> - Within MAIN movie, I created a movie clip that slides sideways
> (upon loading) and contains a series of buttons. (CONTACTBOX)

With ya so far.

> - I am placing the loadMovie code on a button within the
> CONTACTBOX movie clip.
> - The exernally loading swf is supposed to load in MAIN.

So where's the movie clip with the instance name "container"?

> Would the "parent" still apply here? I think so...

In ActionScript 2.0, the concept of a movie clip's parent is controlled
by the MovieClip._parent property -- in other words, a _parent property
(with underscore) -- which is available to all movie clips, because all
movie clips are defined by the MovieClip class.

If you're using on() to attach code directly to your button, then the
button's "point of view" is that of the movie clip in which it resides. In
this case, it sounds like that would be your CONTACTBOX clip. So in a
sense, your on() code thinks it exists in the timeline of CONTACTBOX. The
parent of CONTACTBOX would be what you're calling MAIN -- that is, the main
timeline. So if your CONTACTBOX clip (actually, a button *in* that clip,
but using on()) is referencing _parent.container, then there's got to be a
movie clip with the instance name "container" in the main timeline.

It doesn't sound like there's such a clip in this case.


David Stiller
Adobe Community Expert
Dev blog, http://www.quip.net/blog/
"Luck is the residue of good design."

[clbeech]

lol - sorry David - dang newsgroup posts don't show up right away lol!! 🙂

[Design4Horses]

Thanks for the explanations, guys! I tried the code that clbeech suggested, didn't work. Then I tried the trace code from David, and this is what it gave me: _level0.container.

I'm stumped. Should I email the FLA file to see if you see something I don't? (Which wouldn't be saying alot! :)

Thanks for the input...

[clbeech]

lol - you're welcome - but it is odd that '_root' then did not work since the trace shows that the container clip is in fact residing at _level0 - which is the main timeline or the '_root'. You could use: _level0.container - as long as this swf is not loaded into another.

the only other thing I can think of is that either a) the swf file 'people.swf' does not have that exact name - including the same capitalization, or b) it does not reside in the same directory (which you've said that it does) I'd check these as well, just to make sure.

[Design4Horses]

Weird...I decided to scrap the original file and start all over. Kept everything the same, used your code and now it works! Must have been some kind of bug, kinda strange. Anyway, thanks for all the help. You guys rock!