AS2 - Seeking troubleshooting help for website! Urgent!

(MX-04)

Hi,

I'm (very hopefully) in the midst of being done with a portfolio website I reluctantly took on for a friend and would really appreciate some troubleshooting.

More pointedly, I am a bit baffled on some issues that are creeping up when I test it:

The basic format is: portfolio, bio, contact, links, cv

1) I have a preloader, but I am unsure of its efficacy.
2) The CV,(custom made scroller) I have does not seem to come up when I select it; only the up/down buttons appear. I can't really see where/what the problem is.

mediafire file w/ mx04 version of the .fla
http://www.mediafire.com/?pcyjf5cpfbyec1s

I have a feeling that this is something really simple that my lack of flash experience is missing altogether.
Many thanks in advance to anyone that takes the time to help out with this!!! I really need to solve this ASAP. :)

*(I tried deleting the images in the .fla to upload it here, but could only get the size of the file to 348kb...so I'm stuck w/ mediafire)

**(later edit....managed to upload separate .fla of the CV if, for some reason, I did not properly insert it into my main .fla for the whole project)

Anyone? Please??? :confused:

sorry to bump, but I really need some help with this!
:crazy:

sorry..just read the PM.. must have missed it.

lets go voer things slowly..and in depth..

1 error/bug/requirement at a time.


I work in AS2 and have CS3..

please .ZIP everthing.. and post a link..that is NOT some freebie public sharing place..where I have to wait to download your .zip


Thanks

I appreciate your reply!

Don't know why I didn't think to .zip the file!:o
(I still had to remove many of the images to make everything fit into the .zip file)


Thanks again!

the .fla is mx04

So, was anyone able to unzip the .fla and have a look?
The suspense is killing me:faded:

Is there some secret handhsake I need to learn? :confused:

I kid...
.....but seriously. I really need someone to lend a kind hand with this ASAP.

this is becoming the equivalent of launching distress signals:yikes:

...S.O.S.
...smoke signals
...setting a fire
...mirror in the sunlight.


again, humbly asking for some help with this!
surely, this is an easy fix for someone that's adept with flash?

I have your .fla open..

what it is you want to do now?

first thing is first..

you can NOT define a variable in frame 1...

move away from that frame.. then try to read/use the data in frame 1 (that is no longer present.. as you have moved away from that frame)



myself I never put a preloader INSIDE the same piece of content I am trying to load/pre-load..

I make my MAIN .swf that has mt loader code in it.. then I load my external.swf's into container clips..and use the preloader coded to 'watch' those containers.

Thanks, whispers, for replying. Sincerely appreciated!

All I want to do is

make sure the preloader is working properly, and if not, get it to do so

...and...

figure out why my scrolling text CV wont show up, (only the up/dwn nav buttons are visible) and apply it correctly.


I have to admit some ignorance concerning the bulk of your reply.
I'm mostly green when it comes to flash hierarchy, specifically, there "wheres" and "hows" of "putting it all together". I followed tutorials for the separate elements: gallery, preloader and scroller, but basically took a stab in the dark in assembling them into one.

I've searched everywhere for tutorials that would help me to this end, but came up empty.

where is the/any code for loading the text into the textfield for the CV part located?

Okay, after going crazy with this most of the day/night, I somehow got the CV to show up when I test it. Of course, I don't know that this means it will work when I put this up on the server. This main .fla I zipped feels like a mess.

In short, I attempted to paste the separate CV here, "FLASHKIT_CV.fla" over the CV seen in the main timeline, due to slightly better scrolling capabilities...and by some odd occurrence, it's working, albeit, with the line-by-line nav of the original CV...if that makes any sense.

You'll see from the separate CV .fla that the actual text is contained within the first actions frame, "scrollableText =". Additionally, this CV contains a movie clip off to the side with actions to allow for smooth scrolling, (instead of the line-by-line nav in the main .fla) The up/dwn buttons have actions applied to them as well.

Hope this clarifies things a bit!
Thanks again. :)

I have you tried to break this up? meaning break out your CONTENT..from your main .swf?

and maybe call or load these external 'sections' like CV..etc.etc when the button is clicked by calling/loading that.swf into a target/containerClip?

I just woke up..and I hear the kids are doing the same.. I'll have to re-read your post..and check out the files again later..

which file/link am I supposed to look at now?

Heh, I don't blame you for needing to re-read it. I was loopy just from writing it!

-The file, FLASHKIT_CV.fla is just the working scrollable CV by itself.
This file also contains a hidden movie clip, ("layer 7") that contains actions for smooth scrolling. The up/dwn buttons also have actions applied to it.

The other main file, FINAL_PL_CV_nopics.fla is the entire portfolio website file also containing:
--the presumably wonky preloader
--the original scrolling CV ALONG with the pasted FLASHKIT_CV.fla**
.
.
.
**in the CONTENT layer (9th layer) of the FINAL_PL_CV_nopics.fla, I attempted to paste the FLASHKIT_CV into FRAME 4 where the CV is located.
When I did so, it distributed everything into the bottom 5 layers as is seen,
(actions, Layer 33, scrollable Text, buttons, text background)

Again, I'm still a bit too green with flash with regard to the hierarchy,
and while I understand the basics of what you mean by "...calling/loading that.swf into a target/containerClip" I don't know how/where to execute this in my file.


Thank you again.
You're the only moderator I've seen here that is consistently and continually willing to help people here, and you should know that it's massively appreciated.

Hi..just got back form cub scouts with my kid (some fancy dinner thing)

Let me see if I cant work up a new base layout from you to work with..

and teach a little on the way.

I think once you move away from frames..

and learn a more nested approach.. alot of your problems will go away.



I have been swamped with work and darth real life... but nobody is abandoning you! =)

Yes, yes...work/real life.:crazy:

This project has been an annoyance. It was bartered two years ago, and since then, I've essentially been waiting for my friend to pick a registrar/host so I could get it online and be done with it-- Well, in waiting...and waiting........and waiting, I obviously put it on the backburner, and now that a registrar/host has FINALLY been settled, I have to get something online before heading out of town in a few days. ughhhhhhhh

question:

why is the logo 'off-stage'? and why are the buttons 'off-stage as well??

seems the stage is only 600x400 but these elements are not shown?

I mean I see them in the .fla and when I test through IDE>. but they are not placed on the stage to be seen?

Errors on my part. Noted, though...I didn't realize everything needed to be 'on stage', proper.

umm..ok..let me try and whip something up for you.. see if you find this approach a little 'better'..

try this..

I have created the project as follows.

the MAIN.swf holds your navigation and preloader....along with a blank/empty clip that is there for us to load content into.. (thats it)


I made two separate .swf's two represent two sections of your site. (portfolio and cv)

you can now edit these sections separately..and in their own .swf/.fla

this 'same' concept can be used/applied to loading all sorts of content.. images, external.swf's videos..etc..etc..

hope it helps give you some direction..

Wow, thanks so much!
I can't access these in MX04 though.

If I recall correctly, you work w/ CS3?



*searching for a trial version of cs3

I can only save back down to flash 8

perhaps tomorrow I can see if I still have F8 installed and save to MX2004?

Found a trial version of CS3 and am making some headway.

Okay, NOW I see the benefits of loading separate SWFs and how it seems to work! So, does merely having everything in the same folder enable this sort of organization to work such that any updates/edits take immediate effect?

Two small things:

1)There's a preloader error output that comes up when I test the .fla :

PHP Code:

---

>> contentListener.onLoadStart()
>> contentListener.onLoadProgress()
PERCENTAGE: 0
>> contentListener.onLoadProgress()
PERCENTAGE: 0
>> contentListener.onLoadProgress()
PERCENTAGE: 0
>> contentListener.onLoadProgress()
PERCENTAGE: 100
>> contentListener.onLoadProgress()
PERCENTAGE: 100
>> contentListener.onLoadProgress()
PERCENTAGE: 100
>> contentListener.onLoadProgress()
PERCENTAGE: 100
>> contentListener.onLoadProgress()
PERCENTAGE: 100
>> contentListener.onLoadComplete()
>> contentListener.onLoadInit() 


---

2) Suddenly, my next/prev buttons for the gallery are no longer working, and I can't find any possible errors in the script.


I can't express my thanks enough for all of your help.
You've saved my sanity in a very didactic way!

I didnt go through the portfolio .swf.I just created (copied) it really.. to an external.swf

I looked at it.. and I have no clue what are you trying to do. doesnt even look to have any images in the main image section above your thumbnails..etc..

anyways.. the logic is there for you load in any external .swf you ant now..

so you can build any .fla/.swf you want all by itself..and test it.. (do not use _root...'or' use _lockroot = true; in the first frame of every external.swf 'if' you have to use references to _root in it)

I can check into the preloader.. but hard to test it locally.. did you try to slow the loading by ctrl+enter (twice in a row)

Yeah, I had to delete the images to ensure that I could zip everything...
I reinserted all of them, and when I did, the only thing off was the navigation w/ the next/prev arrows below the thumbnails.

As for the preloader, I did try both methods w/ the ctrl/enter (twice) and the standard test method, and the error screen came up. The same error message comes up again when I click on the different buttons in the file: bio, portfolio, etc.

what do you mean by 'off'?

and I'll look into the preloader..but have you tried it live?

just meant that it's not working by "off". :P

It is now live:

http://www.djeanjawrunner.com

...but the working elements, (portfolio and CV) are not loading. The preloader doesn't seem to be loading everything.


All that aside, you've been wonderful in walking me through this!!
Thanks again!