Arrrg!!! Movie Clips!

[Esherbet]

Is there a way to make a button out side a movie clip tell a movie clip to go to a certain frame? Any help will be appreciated!

Thanks

Esherbet

[tublu]

yeah .. use Tell Target .
Tell Target (mcname or levelname )
gotoAndPlay (Frame #)

[telekin]

Originally posted by Esherbet
Is there a way to make a button out side a movie clip tell a movie clip to go to a certain frame? Any help will be appreciated!

Thanks

Esherbet

Yes there is! on your button use the 'tell target' action.

on (release) {
tellTarget ("/whatever") {
gotoandplay(1);
}
}

This only works if you assign an instance name to the movie clip you're trying to control (using the bottom panel 'instance' tab).

Hope this works (and is what you wanted)


telekin:

[mgason]

Hi,
you need to read up on target paths, or tellTarget.
basically your movie is like a directory structure on a computer, each timeline is a level.
The main timeline is referred to as _root.
The timeline containing a mc is referred to as _parent
you can say _parent._parent.

confused?

FIRST VERY IMPORTANT. the name of a mc in your library is not what you use in actionscript. when you put a mc onstage give it a name in the "instance panel" This is for the obvious reason that you might put 5 copies of symbol "bird" from your library on stage, but you will need unique names to control them with, that where "instance names" comes in.

now some practical examples.
On my main timeline i have a mc with INSTANCE name "Amovie" on the main timeline I also have a button. To play fred from frame 10 I say
on (release) {
Amovie.gotoAndPlay(10);
}

If Amovie contains Bmovie which contains Cmovie which has the button in it, how could you tell a movie to play? 2 methods, a absolute path, that is directions starting right at the _root telling the movie where to find the Amovie

on (release) {
_root.Amovie.gotoAndPlay(10);
}

or a relative path which is often useful, for instance if you put another copy of that Amovie mc onstage and called it Amovie2 the button code above would not work for that one. But if you said

on (release) {
_parent._parent.gotoAndPlay(10);
}
that button would work in both copies of teh mc as it says go up one level then another and tell that mc to play.

Say your button was on the main timeline and you want to tell Cmovie to play

on (release) {
Amovie.Bmovie.Cmovie.gotoAndPlay(10);
}

use those dots just liek you would a \ in a directory structure

confusing but very important stuff good luck
and feel free to ask more questions, look up some tutorials here.
mark

[Esherbet]

Thanks alot guys thats helped loads!!

Esherbet