My preload screen is black untill 70%!!!?

[Axelrod1]

Hello,

I'm very frustrated. I have a series of flash movies that load in movie clip (using the loadmovie funciton into an empty mc).

In the past, I've never had a problem with this -- I click on a button to load the next movie, and you see the next pre-loader.

Now, I get a black screen that doesn't show the preloader screen untill it's at at least 70-75% loaded??

Can anyone help me out?

Thanks so much!

-AX1

[oldnewbie]

Preloaders in the external movies themselves?

Using components, attached movie clips and/or attached sounds with linkage set to export on the first frame, anywhere in the external movies?

[Axelrod1]

Hello --

Basically, I've got them set-up like this. ( I'm still learning on the programming side, so please tell me if there is a better way.)

I have several movie clips, and they are strucutred like this:

Scene 1 <- contains a preloader, frame one has this action script:


bytes_loaded = Math.round(getBytesLoaded());
bytes_total = Math.round(getBytesTotal());
getPercent = bytes_loaded/bytes_total;
loadBar._width = getPercent*100;
loadText = Math.round(getPercent*100)+"%";
if (bytes_loaded == bytes_total) {
gotoAndPlay(4);
}


Frame two this action script: gotoAndplay(1)

then Frame four has this actionscript:
gotoAndPlay("Scene 2", 1);


--
There is also relative graphics (loadbar, etc.) on the first frame.

I am very clueless about linkage, and everything else you mentioned. Is the way I have it causing the black screens?

thanks for your help, it's truly appreciated!!

-ax1

[oldnewbie]

...At least post links to some of these movies, if you can't anser my questions about content!

[Axelrod1]

Sorry, I'm very confused right now.

As far as linkage, one of the movies has a scrollpane with a MC set to export as actionscript, which does export in the first frame.

As a test, I removed the "export on first frame" option, and the clip still loaded with the black screen untill apx 80%, and the scrollpane did not work.

I've used these preloaders before with no problems....

-AX1

[Axelrod1]

Just a note:

All of these MC's are fairly large, between 1.11 meg and 2.40 meg. Even tho I am using preloaders, could this be the problem?

It just seems like the preloader should appear immediately!

thanks, oldnewbie!

[oldnewbie]

The use of components, attached movie clips with linkage set to export on the first frame, and/or soundObjects, and even new fonts set up in the Library, will all prevent the preloader from displaying anything until they have all downloaded before the first frame.

To cut this useless discussion short, you should use a new seperate preloader only movies which will preload your present movies cleared of their present preloaders. Yet a better way is to use a generic preloader within your main movie (independant and which will not preload your main movie itself...) but which will preload, monitor and display from the start, on all loadings of external files.

[Axelrod1]

thanks for the feedback. I'm not sure why you're calling it a useless discussion, tho.

I'm sorry, I'm working on a learning curve, so some obvious things have gone over my head.

Could you explain this a bit more for me?
My untrained instinct would be to create a seperate movie say, loader.swf that would come before the actual movie to be loaded. But how would loader.swf know when the movie was fully loaded? using the method of "loadmovie" for example, I'm not sure how to make that work....

"you should use a new seperate preloader only movies which will preload your present movies cleared of their present preloaders"


about this:

"Yet a better way is to use a generic preloader within your main movie (independant and which will not preload your main movie itself...) but which will preload, monitor and display from the start, on all loadings of external files."

I'd love to do this, but I don't have the knowledge. Could you direct me to a tutorial of how to set this up?

Sorry, I appologize for the questions -- but, I'm trying to learn as much as I can, and you all here have always been very helpfull.

Also - sorry I'm not containing your quotes properly, for some reason my Firefox isn't allowing the scripting.

take care - AX1

[oldnewbie]

I've PMed you a link to a generic preloader .fla.