How to add random movie clip from library to stage dynamically?

[fjckls]

Hi,
How to add random movie clip to stage from many different movie clips in library?
If I wanted to add one movie clip to stage I would do liko so:

stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_MOVE, onMove); 
function onMove(e:MouseEvent):void {     
var mc:MovieClip = new Ball();     
mc.x = mouseX;     
mc.y = mouseY;     
addChild(mc); 
}

Code above works perfect but I tried following but with no success, no errors, but nothing happens - no mc's are added to stage. I have 6 movie clips in library and they all are linked, exported for actionscript. On MouseOver I want to add random movie clip from those six movie clips to the stage. Am I going in wrong direction? Any thoughts how to achieve this?

var myArray:Array = [mc1, mc2, mc3, mc4, mc5, mc6]; 
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER, onLoop); 
function onLoop(e:MouseEvent):void {     
for (var i:int = 0; i< myArray.length; i++) {
         var randomMc:Number = Math.floor(Math.random()*i);
         var mc:MovieClip =  new myArray[randomMc];
         addChild(mc);
         mc.x = mouseX;
         mc.y = mouseY;
     }
 }

Thanks

[florianvanthuyn]

The loop you use will generate 6 objects on the stage, and you only want to add 1 right?
Try this:

var theClip:Object;
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER, onLoop); 

function onLoop(e:MouseEvent):void
{ 
   var random:uint = Math.round(Math.random() * 6);
   var randomClass:Class = Class(getDefinitionByName("mc" + random));
   if(mainClass) // if it exists, so no errors
   {
      theClip = new randomClass();
      addChild(theClip as DisplayObject);
   }
 } 

EDIT: Oh, and be sure your library items extend to mc1, mc2, mc3, mc4, mc5 and mc6, because it will be looking for those exact names

[fjckls]

Hi, your code returned error:
1120: Access of undefined property mainClass.
I took away if statement and then got no errors but it didn't work, then I replaced MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER with MOUSE_MOVE and then your code worked, the only thing I could not figure out how to assign x and y properties of mouse to the movie clips:

var theClip:Object;
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_MOVE, onLoop); 

function onLoop(e:MouseEvent):void
{ 
   var random:uint = Math.round(Math.random() * 6);
   var randomClass:Class = Class(getDefinitionByName("Mc" + random));
         theClip = new randomClass();
      addChild(theClip as DisplayObject);
}

Meanwhile I fixed my code and now it works:

var myArray:Array = [Mc,Mc1,Mc2,Mc3,Mc4,Mc5]; 
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_MOVE, onLoop); 
function onLoop(e:MouseEvent):void {     
         var randomMc:Number = Math.floor(Math.random()*myArray.length);
         var mc:MovieClip =  new myArray[randomMc];
         addChild(mc);
         mc.x = mouseX;
         mc.y = mouseY;
     
 }

Thank you!

[florianvanthuyn]

Yeah sorry, that should have been if(randomClass)
So it was probably because of the naming it didn't work, right? Because I see you've capitalized the m's in your Array.

[fjckls]

I was testing this approach for my future project. I will create particle effect: on MOUSE_MOVE I want to add random latin alphabet letters (26 alltogether), so now I must figure out the way how to do this without creating by hand 26 movie clips and then link them from library....
Any thoughts on that?

Cheers

[florianvanthuyn]

Sure, just type in the alphabet in an Array and use the same method to make an instance of a Textfield, which you then put inside of a MovieClip (can be done in code) or an instance of a MovieClip in your library containing a dynamix textfield

[fjckls]

Thanks dude, will try right away

P.S

Yeah sorry, that should have been if(randomClass)
So it was probably because of the naming it didn't work, right? Because I see you've capitalized the m's in your Array.

I just tried again your code again with if(randomClass) + MOUSE_MOVE instead of MOUSE_OVER and it works, also gave x and y properties to MC's, works perfect!

var theClip:Object;
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_MOVE, onLoop); 

function onLoop(e:MouseEvent):void
{ 
   var random:uint = Math.round(Math.random() * 6);
   var randomClass:Class = Class(getDefinitionByName("Mc" + random));
   if(randomClass) // if it exists, so no errors
   {
      theClip = new randomClass();
      addChild(theClip as DisplayObject);
	  theClip.x = mouseX;
	  theClip.y = mouseY;
   }
}

thnks again!

[florianvanthuyn]

Also, see if adding e.updateAfterEvent(); at the end of the onLoop() function (just beneath the if()) gives you a more fluid particle effect

[dconstruct]

This worked perfectly for what I was looking for. Thanks to everyone!

I have one additional question regarding this method. I am working with creating movie clips on the stage. With every mouse click event, a new movie clip is created in a static position. But, as it is currently coded, a new movie clip is loaded directly on top of the previously loaded movie clip. So, with every click, I keep adding more and more on top of each other.

Now, I know I should probably use the removeChild(); command, but I'm not sure if I should be removing the array or theClip, as I have never worked with this "addChild as DisplayObject" method before.

So, what would I remove and where would I put that code?

My code is essentially exactly the same, but here it is, just so you get a better idea of what's happening:

var front:Object;
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, onLoop);

function onLoop(e:MouseEvent):void {
    var random:uint = Math.round(Math.random() * 2) + 1;
    var randomClass:Class = Class(getDefinitionByName("fmc" + random));
    if(randomClass) {
        front = new randomClass();
        addChild(front as DisplayObject);
            front.x = 0;
            front.y = 0;
    }
}

[Amasos]

Hi all!
I am new to programming.
I want to ask?
How to add 26 movie clip from library to stage when press different key on the keyboard?
In other way how to place letters-movie clips from library on the stage when press associated key on keyboard?


Thank you

[avicbk]

Thank you for introducing the "Class" type and the use of "getDefinitionByName".
I was looking for this solution and it's was not easy to find!

The loop you use will generate 6 objects on the stage, and you only want to add 1 right?
Try this:

var theClip:Object;
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER, onLoop); 

function onLoop(e:MouseEvent):void
{ 
   var random:uint = Math.round(Math.random() * 6);
   var randomClass:Class = Class(getDefinitionByName("mc" + random));
   if(mainClass) // if it exists, so no errors
   {
      theClip = new randomClass();
      addChild(theClip as DisplayObject);
   }
 } 

EDIT: Oh, and be sure your library items extend to mc1, mc2, mc3, mc4, mc5 and mc6, because it will be looking for those exact names