too big for flash. need plan B

[TeddTucker]

I originally started a website for a client that was a simple way for her to display her catalog of table linens original site (basic demo). Since then it has grown to include other related products and now contains too many pictures that it takes 2 mins to load. I need to change formats to accommodate the expanded inventory. Can anyone recommend a very basic catalog-like template? i don't need a shopping cart because it is just inventory that is purchased via-phone. I was thinking of purchasing something like this can anyone reccomend something simpler or should i do my flash another way?

[IanMX]

Do your flash another way - Use external swf's for the different categories, so they only get called in when they are requested, rather than before the site loads in, you can then use preloaders on your external swf's to indicate that the section is loading in. You could also use xml to allow dynamic adding and removal of items from each section too.

I am pretty sure that Coco Chanel might be a bit pi$$ed with you nicking her logo hehehe

[TeddTucker]

lol ya in regards to the logo. thats alright been changed I dont think external swf is an option because i need functionality that, correct me if i'm wrong, a remote swf can't perform ( i would need a on Release go to and play frame 8 of external swf).

[IanMX]

Well you can target any movieclip that you have loaded externally by targetting the holding mc.

For example if you had an empty movieclip called 'contentholder' in your main movie, and the on release of a button loaded in a movieclip called 'fabric.swf' with the loadMovie(); command you can target this movie clip and any named instance in that clip.

so to get to frame 8 of the external clip from a button within your main movieclip as a target path you could use:

this.contentholder.gotoAndPlay(8);

or if you wanted to go to frame 5 of the timeline of a movieclip within the external swf that was called 'fabric1':

this.contentholder.fabric1.gotoAndPlay(5);

or if you were wanting to use a link within the external clip to go to somewhere in the main movieclips timeline you could use:

this._parent.gotoAndPlay(20);

at least that should work, I am at home now and don't have Flash here to double scheck my target paths lol, so it may need a little tweaking :P

[TeddTucker]

hi IanMX

thanks so much for your help, but it doesn't work. I don't understand what the "this" portion of the command does. any additional info u could provide would be greatly appericated