[F8] Managing MCs via Arrays

[Ray Beez]

OK I am needing to update some of my techniques for managing lots of movieClip objects... I have seen somewhere some people will create the clip then push it into an Array.

Then, somehow you can control it from the array and delete it. How do I go about deleting it from the array such that it also deletes the entire movieClip?

My initial tests aren't working.

~Ray, the advanced Noob
(Will post code soon)

[renderhjs]

this should work

var mcs:Array = new Array();

function addMc(){
    var z:Number = _root.getNextHighestDepth();//unique depth and name ID
    var mc = _root.createEmptyMovieClip("mcClp"+z,z) ;//movieClip with the instance name "mc"+z and a shortcut to mc
    mcs.push( mc );//add the link to the array
    
    mc.lineStyle(2,0xff0000,100);
    mc.moveTo(0, 0);
    mc.lineTo(128, 0);
    mc.lineTo(128, 64);
    mc.lineTo(0, 64);
    mc.lineTo(0, 0);
    trace(z+"length: "+mcs.length);
}
function removeMc(nr){
    mcs[nr].removeMovieClip();
    mcs.splice(nr,1);//remove the array container
}

for (var i:Number = 0;i<6;i++){
    addMc();
    mcs[i]._x = i*(128+8);
} 

you basicly create pointers or shortcuts to the actual movieClip object - that´s at least the way I know how to do it in AS1/2.
In AS3 you then actually can initiate a real MovieClip or sprite inside a Array container but not in AS2.


Btw. a very effecient way to store automaticly all movieClips from _root level in a array is:

var mcs:Array = new Array();
for (mc in _root){//loop through all elements in the _root level
    if ( typeof(eval(mc)) == "movieclip"){
        mcs.push( eval(mc) );//add shortcut to array
    }
} 

that would be basicly the same except that it catches the movieClips from the stage automatily in a array.
This can be usefull to analyze the movieClips using a clipping grid or some other mechanics that require to inspect the positions of all movieClips and sizes ahead.

[Ray Beez]

Thank you Render. This is basically what I was trying but killing off content doesn't work. Example:

Creating and "storing" the clips:
clip = this.SCROLL_BATTLERS.viewer_mc.content_mc.createEm ptyMovieClip("ROW" + row1, depth++);
chatInBattleObjects.push(clip);

Testing to see if the reference still works (this works!):
chatInBattleObjects[0]._xscale = 200;

Trying to remove the clips, NONE of these work:
chatInBattleObjects[0].unloadMovie();
chatInBattleObjects[0].removeMovieClip();
delete chatInBattleObjects[0];

Any ideas?

[BlinkOk]

sorry. misread the post.

chatInBattleObjects[0].removeMovieClip();

should work. try tracing the value;

trace("mc="+chatInBattleObjects[0]);

one you remove the mc you can delete the zero array reference by shifting it;

chatInBattleObjects.shift();

[Ray Beez]

Trace shows:

_level0.SCROLL_BATTLERS.viewer_mc.content_mc.ROW0

[Ray Beez]

I think I know what's going on. I've got a mix of movieclips and textfields in the array. So textfields aren't being removed unless I use removeTextField()

Thank you for your help. It's all good now.