For everyone with a preloader problem

[flashMine]

Hey,

My problem is that I have a .swf file with 1 MB in the first frame - and that a normal preloader doesn't seem to work for this!

Any suggestions???

Thanks,
Chris

PS -

Here's an image of the problem:
http://www.pc16.net/chris/city/problemImage1.jpg
How can I use this to fix it?
The movie is about 1 megabyte - and it seems it's all in the first frame! Is this because of my library? Virtually everything is in the library - ie everything is a movieclip and is "exported" under "linkage properties".

Is this the problem? What can I do?

The movie is here:
http://www.pc16.net/chris/city/index2.php?swf=cityjj

[flashMine]

Hey guys,

I really really really need help with this.

I have nothing unnecessary in my Library and my first frame is now EMPTY, yet Flash still tells me that my first frame is 899KB!

I have tried everything I can think of, but preloaders aren't working properly. I have tried them in a separate scene at the beginning, and as separate .swf files. But I can't get it to count the "bytes loaded" for an external clip. I can't find anything helpful in the tutorials for Flash 5.

Can someone plese help me?

You can see the problem here:
http://www.pc16.net/chris/city/problem1.jpg
Thanks a lot,
Chris

[flashMine]

Hey,

I've sorted this now:
http://www.pc16.net/chris/city/?swf=holder

I made holder.swf which loaded preloader.swf into level2 then loaded city.swf (my main move, 1MB) into level1.

I used _level1.getBytesLoaded and _level1.getBytesTotal to get my percentage.

This is all I had wanted to know - just post this in case someone else finds it helpful. I'm knackered now so I'm finally gonna sleep - woo hoo!!!

Chris
ps - one thing I don't understand is that my main movie works fine even though it's now in _level1, but still refers to variables loaded into _level0.

[sportzguy933]

Hi. I'm glad you sorted things out. Thinking about it, that's a completely logical solution, very nice job.

Good luck,
Sportzguy933

[vinitt jaiswal]

Great Thread and wonderful explanation. Too Good

[tongxn]

Yea, I wonder how can you make complecated preloader? Not that I needed it but -

[whispers]

tongxn-
what kind of preloader?

also..I knwo this thread is somewhat older..and I did NOT read the entire first post..(just most of it)...and I have to say....some of the things/ways shown to make a preloader are out of date and not good coding practices (like the going to frame 2 with code going back to frame 1)....there is no reason to do that anymore when you onClipEvent (enterFrame) and this.onEnterFrame = function() available to you.

It also never a good idea to use preloaders IN the external.swf's you are loading..as they will never be accurate and usually cause problems.

the best practice (IMHO) is to create a "generic" preloader...that can used over and over again...no matter what content is loaded into the "containerClip"

[tongxn]

oh I get it is it something like a head preloader? so that you put it into a MC and tell it to load level_whatever? I never know the stuff with levels. could anyone explain it to me?

Regards,
I am too basik.#
Tongxn

[sportzguy933]

the best practice (IMHO) is to create a "generic" preloader...that can used over and over again...no matter what content is loaded into the "containerClip"

Yes, I definitely agree with that, I don't have time to change it now, but I definitely will. But the coding practices really don't make a difference. Either way, you're still making a preloader, and I've been making it this way ever since I can remember, and it's definitely not flawed...

~Sportzguy933

[whispers]

Coding practices DO make a difference...as older ways are abandoned everyday and with each new release. Now Im not sure what way is "definately not flawed"....but if you ARE referring to have the preloader in the external.swf that you are loading that IS a flawed method.. just because it may be working for you...(your lucky).. by design, it shouldnt...and thats why most of the time you see posts like:

"My preloader starts @ 22%".. or "my preloader doesnt show until the external.swf is at 100%"....etc..etc.

Wheather you make it re-usable or not..it is better to have your preloader in the MAIN .swf chekcing the content being loaded into whatever _level or movieClip you want.

[tongxn]

still, I still don't get no stilling stuff about _levels and everything.

[sportzguy933]

Coding practices DO make a difference...as older ways are abandoned everyday and with each new release. Now Im not sure what way is "definately not flawed"....but if you ARE referring to have the preloader in the external.swf that you are loading that IS a flawed method.. just because it may be working for you...(your lucky).. by design, it shouldnt...and thats why most of the time you see posts like:

"My preloader starts @ 22%".. or "my preloader doesnt show until the external.swf is at 100%"....etc..etc.

Wheather you make it re-usable or not..it is better to have your preloader in the MAIN .swf chekcing the content being loaded into whatever _level or movieClip you want.

Check out my post... I agreed with you on the "practice" of preloading external scripts...

~Sportzguy933

[tongxn]

why no one answer me!

[sportzguy933]

still, I still don't get no stilling stuff about _levels and everything.

Because 'no stilling stuff' doesn't make any sense... lol .

~Sportzguy933

[tongxn]

but no stuff dont make sense, everything doesn't not does.

[whispers]

I dont use _levels much (only for music)...

but _levels are like movieClips.. but they are stacked on top of each other. I do believe they supercede all layers as well.

anyways... your MAIN.swf is always treated as _level 0 ... so remeber that when loading into levels.

Also..you woudl not use "loadMovie();"....but you would use loadMoivieNum() as this lets you assign a parameter for the _level.

play with it... start new .fla and load some random images into _levels

I prefer loading into target clips (movieClips)

[whispers]

but no stuff dont make sense, everything doesn't not does.

huh?

[vinitt jaiswal]

Hey Wisper,
I agree with you. If you make it complicated, the more complicated it gets on the server, and it becomes difficult for you to handle it later. Keep it to the basics.

[tongxn]

if you get the double negative, you get that sentence.

[whispers]

I guess dude...