duplicateMovieClip

[grindking01]

There aren't really any tutorials on this for FlashMX...
Can anyone help explain how to use this command?

[EQFlash]

let's say you have a movieclip on stage with a instance name - myClip. To duplicate it 5 times, and position them next to each other, you could write a code like this.

width = myClip._width+5;
for (i=0; i<5; i++) {
    duplicateMovieClip("myClip", "m"+i, 10+i);
    this["m"+i]._y = myClip._y;
    this["m"+i]._x = myClip._x+i*width;
} 

This code places a gap of 5 pixels between the movieclips

[grindking01]

Would you mind explainine what the width=.. is at the top, what the i symbolize, and the ["m"+i] things represent? And will the duplicated movieclip hace the same AS as the original (assuming i put some AS in the parent MC)?

[EQFlash]

Here is a breakdown of the code

width = myClip._width+5; 
for (i=0; i<5; i++) { 
    duplicateMovieClip("myClip", "m"+i, 10+i); 
    this["m"+i]._y = myClip._y; 
    this["m"+i]._x = myClip._x+i*width; 
} 

the first line in the code indicates a variable that is set. the variable is named - "width" and it is equal to the width of the movieclip that will be duplicated. the number 5 tells flash to put a space of 5 pixels between the movieclips. The next lines is called a "loop" cause we want flash to duplicate more than 1 instance of the movieclip. The letter "i" is used commonly as a variable to pretty much keep a count of the duplicated movieclips, basically we creating an array of clips, and letter "i" is a variable that separates the movieclips while keeping the same new name, in this case "m". When flash duplicates a movieclip, it gives each dupe a new name, followed by a number. That number is represent by the letter "i".
You could just as easily duplicate a movieclip like below;

duplicateMovieClip("mc", "m", 1);//where mc - instance name, and m - //newname
m._x = mc._width+5 

you can copy either script and put them on the time line. Just make sure you give the main movieclip the instance name. Hope this helps

[grindking01]

THANK YOU SO MUCH it helps a lot

[EQFlash]

Glad I could help

[grindking01]

I have this put into an mc named food_mc. I want it to spawn between the pixels set in the variables above. Is there something wrong with it?

	completeleft=10
	completeright=540
	completeup=35
	completedown=385
	for (i=0; i<1; i++) { 
	    duplicateMovieClip("food_mc", "m"+i, 10+i); 
    	this["m"+i]._y = random(completedown)+completeup ; 
    	this["m"+i]._x = random(completeright)+completeleft; 
	}

[EQFlash]

nothing that i see, it depends on what you want to happen. do you want the duplicate to appear in different locales when you reload the movie?

[grindking01]

Yes, I want food_mc to appear within the constraint variables, when the snake_mc comes in contanct with it that mc goes away and another duplicate is made, like snake that u have on cell phones and such.

[EQFlash]

can you post the fla?

[grindking01]

Here you go. Can u also check out the hitTest as well? it has been screwing up for me too :s

[EQFlash]

what version of flash are u using? I redid your fla and is saving it for flash player 6 flash mx2004

[grindking01]

Flash MX v6.0

[EQFlash]

ok did you want a point total for when the game is over?

[grindking01]

OO .. umm Sure

[Osteel]

Grindking,

When you want to use a movieclip for duplication, you have to do a 'linkage' to it. Right click the movieclip in the library that you want to be duplicated and select 'linkage'

Now click the check box 'Export for Actionscript', and in the text field , type in the name of the movieclip in which it will be called in the code (usually what it goes by in the library name)

[grindking01]

that can be a problem lol.

[EQFlash]

i'm not sure if you can open it cause it's for flash mx and i did it in flashmx2004, give it a try

[grindking01]

No i cant open it.. u can save as, then select Flash MX from the file format dropdown menu..
u may have to change some AS tho :s if not can u PM me the changed scripts or something (sorry for the trouble)?

[EQFlash]

ok i'll redo it. hold on