Looping 1-framed Animated Actionscripted Background (starry)

[taifunbrowser]

I was very surprised this wasnt asked before O.O i did my search

Anyway heres my question - what would be the most efficient way (trying not to compromise on all the other things going on at the same time (this is just an animated background, a game plays on the higher lvl, i just want this under it)
To have a star-field background, where stars float up randomly from top to bottom and with random sizes and positions.

I know this much: make a single star. check.
Make the background layer. check.

for (N=0; N<=22; N++) {
_root.attachMovie("Star", "cell"+N, 0);
_root["cell"+N]._x = Random(550);
_root["cell"+N]._y = 0;
_root["cell"+N]._xscale = Random(5);
_root["cell"+N]._yscale = Random(5);
_root["cell"+N+speed] = Random(5);
Next N

^Places 22 stars. (i think). Check.
I then need a script that runs in between "placements" of the stars, and makes them float down. (with the randomized speed).

I'm just having logical problems with "where to place the codes" Because there arent actual "subroutines" i can access on... Time values, maybe? like every 2 seconds it makes new / deletes old / and moves the stars that are currently out? or is there a better way.

In other words, i tried to phrase my question to get the most "alternative methods" to achieve what i want. (In case you havent guessed, i am demonically contributing to the already hellish amounts of SHMUP's online... (its a good exercise - no flame plox))

IN OTHER WORDS - its just a randomized starfield running on 1 frame completely actionscript made (excepting the background solid color + the star movieclip. should be very small in size.)


ACTUALLY: EVEN BETTER WAY: a script that constantly checks up on values / movieclips and then executes stuff on them - but while still leaving enough space in between "check ups" so that the other layers can keep "doing their thing"

[Smilev]

for (N=0; N<=22; N++) {
	_root.attachMovie("star", "cell"+N, _root.getNextHighestDepth()); // in your code you would overwrite the movieclips if you attach all in the same level 0
	_root["cell"+N]._x = random(550);
	_root["cell"+N]._y = random(400); //so you get the starfield look from the beginning
	_root["cell"+N]._xscale = 50+random(50);// this I changed cause I drew the stars really small so a scale of 0 to 4 would render them practically invisible
	_root["cell"+N]._yscale = 50+random(50);
	_root["cell"+N].speed = random(5)+1; // + 1 because the random function returns value from 0 to 4 so you would eventaully end with not moving stars
	_root["cell"+N].onEnterFrame = function() { //on each frame
		this._y += this.speed; // move down by the value of the variable speed for that star
		if (this._y>400) { //if _y is bigger then the hight
			this.speed = random(5)+1; //set new random speed
			this._y = 0; //move it on top to go again
		}
	};
}

[taifunbrowser]

i coulda done that myself >_> thats the simple stuff

the problem i'm having is that its all on one frame! (games tend to be that way)

so? how do i get the function to run rapidly, but not constantly (that = crash), and i dont think i can use onenterframe... cuz its on one frame.

damit. Or, does anyone have a miracle solution to perhaps, laying out the game so that it runs on multiple frames? single frame seems the only way to me >_>

OH: if i came across b1tchy, its cuz i am having a bad day, but on edit: thx for the advice smily, i prob would have forgotten to do some of that

[Smilev]

So what's the problem of using onEnterFrame and being on one frame? I sort of can't understand what you are trying to say ... can you?

P.S. Have you even try the code?

[691175002]

onEnterFrame will work.

[taifunbrowser]

OH!

it does >_> dam i feel stupid.

its illogical, but it works . so "stop()" is actually more of "keep looping this frame"?! cool!

EDIT: wait, no it doesnt >_> i did test it... i see nothing

hmm i tried it on a movieclip and on the frame itself, its on the top layer... sigh its not syntaxed wrong but just not seeing anything.

EDIT: alright, the debugging shows that it doesnt have a problem with the onenterframe part ()

its the part before that, the debug goes by the steps that say "attach movieclip" and such, but they dont appear on screen >_>...

OH GOD how could i be so stupid >_> i didnt have the item in the library "ready for actionscript exporting"... oh well stupid mistake number one

[Smilev]

It's not illogical at all Every movieclip in a flash movie has it's own timeline. Basically the onEnterFrame happens so many time per seconds as your fps is set to. The _root is a movie clip too, so if you assign onEnterFrame event, it executes the code 30 times if your fps is set to 30.