When clicked, Button Action doesn't

Hi!

Problem in Flash Animator 2.5 (from Registered User):
When clicked, Button Action doesn't "Show" a text element in IE 5.5.


Steps I followed

1) I defined a Text element (with the word "Hello!" in red).
- it's initially hidden when the movie starts.

2) I then defined a Button.

3) I then associated an Action with the Button.
- when the Button is pressed down ==> "Show" the Text element ("Hello!").

That's the idea.
It works fine inside the Movie Preview window.
(The word "Hello!" appears when the button is clicked and stays here...OK!)

But when exported and viewed in IE 5.5, (Win ME, 512 RAM, 1 GHZ DELL PC), no "Hello!" message appears when the Button is clicked.
Nothing happens when viewed in the IE5.5 browser...!

Well, my Win-ME PC freezes and crashes. (DELL 1Ghz/512RAM).

Summary: It works in preview mode but not in IE 5.5 browser.

Robert or Team: Can you help?
==>I sent you attached the movie file via separate email yesterday, for you to try: "movie14.mov").


Ray

The file you sent does not show the text when the button is pressed. Instead it takes the value from one edit box and adds it to the value of the other edit box. Perhaps you sent the wrong file?

In any case, you can work around the problem of not being able to show text with a 'show' action - by making the child letter elements have properties as well. There is a fix already for this in the next release.

Hi Robert,

Actually the file "movie14.mov",
which I sent you via separate email and which you saw,
IS indeed the right file.

When the [Button] is pressed,
2 things are supposed to happen
- (one does happen but the other does not):

1) Multiply times 3 the number the user entered
in the top Edit Box and display the result in
the bottom Edit Box.

*** This works fine. This is not the problem ***

--------------------------------------------------

2) Display the Text element "Hello" in red.

*** This does NOT work . This IS the problem ***

Try it!

You mention there is a fix in the next release.
When is the next release (approx)?
I really need this basic Show functionality to work...

Thanks!

Ray

We are working very hard to get a new release ready by next weeekend.

Oh, and like I said, you can easily work around the problem of not being able to show text with a show action.

If you open up the text element, you will see that the letters are represented in the dialog as child elements. All you need to do is turn on the "Element has properties" button for each child element.

This will immediately solve the problem - your text will be shown by a show action.

OK, Robert.
I followed your instructions on the post (above).

The Show action associated with the [Button],
now displays the red Hello message correctly,
when the [Button] is clicked. Thanks!

Understood that the next version will fix the problem
of having to click individually on each "Element has Properties"
for every separate letter in the string to be displayed.

In this case I only had 5 or 6 letters - in "Hello!".
But imagine if I wanted to display a paragraph of 100+ letters, when the user clicked on the [Button].

So, looking forward to the impending next version.

BTW: In the "movie14.mov" file I sent you,
I set the background color of EditBox1 to ==> Yellow.

In the preview window, the EditBox1 shows that background color correctly but not when exported and played in IE5.5.
(In the IE5.5 browser, the EditBox1 still shows a white BG color...).
Any ideas?

Thanks!

Ray

I dont know how you set the background color to yellow. It seems you may have done this through the open-up properties tree at the bottom of the dialog. In which case you can expect the results to be unpredictable.

You have to try to work within the limits of the features that are provided to you through the properties dialog.

Yes, Robert, that's right.

I could not find a way to change the BG color of the EditBox setting through the properties dialog itself.

So, I opened-up the properties tree at the bottom of the dialog. It seemed to change the BG color of the EditBox to Yellow in the preview window, so I got encouraged. (But finally it didn't show the Yellow BG color for the EditBox in the IE 5.5 browser itself).

Anyhow, 2 quick questions:

Q1) If possible, how does one change the BG color & shadow effect of an EditBox element in IFA?
(that's what I need to do).

Q2) Although it might sound obvious, what is the general "rule of thumb" for pressing down the "Element has properties" button - the right-most button in the Element definition in the IFA Main window?.
(It seems almost very Element does have Properties, so why have a user set button at all?).

Thanks again,

Ray

Q1) If possible, how does one change the BG color & shadow effect of an EditBox element in IFA?

Use a transparent edit box (switch off 'draw border and background') and draw a background container for it using the painting tools.

Q2) Although it might sound obvious, what is the general "rule of thumb" for pressing down the "Element has properties" button?

When elements have properties, the file becomes larger and the movie becomes more complex. Do not use properties unless you need to.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by RobStewart
I dont know how you set the background color to yellow. It seems you may have done this through the open-up properties tree at the bottom of the dialog. In which case you can expect the results to be unpredictable.

You have to try to work within the limits of the features that are provided to you through the properties dialog.

---

Hi Rob
Im having a similar issue
I wanted to create a paint element that had text and could be morphed together as a unit
Jason recomended that I just create a layer with the paint object which I pasted and then add the text
which I was able to do but when I export the movie the fill color of the paint object becomes no fill color at all
the movie plays perfect in IFA but once exported and downloaded to the site
When you go to the site to watch it the layer with the paint element and the text display and morph correctly
only thing is no fill color its just white with the text
any ideas...