Trouble with character movement

[jbum]

Let's say you make a movie in which each frame corresponds to one of your diagonal directions (each frame would contain a movieclip with a walk cycle of the man walking in the desired direction).

I've modified the order so that it will work with atan2 (0 degrees starts pointing to the right (3:00) and then proceeds clockwise).

1 * Right
2 * Down-right
3 * Down
4 * Down-left
5 * Left
6 * Up-left
7 * Up
8 * Up-right


Set up the movieclip so the crosshairs correspond to the 'center' of the man.

Put the movieclip on the stage, and call it man_mc.

Use the following script (attached to a frame on the main timeline) to control which frame to use.

code:

---

man_mc.stop();



man_mc.onMouseDown = function()

{

  // dx,dy are the position of the mouse relative to the center of the man

  var dx = this._xmouse;

  var dy = this._ymouse;



  // get the angle of the mouse

  angle = Math.atan2(dy,dx);

  // convert to a frame number (1-8)

  frameNbr = Math.round(8+4*angle/Math.PI) % 8 + 1;

  this.gotoAndStop(frameNbr);

	// trace(angle + ", " + frameNbr);

}

---

Attached is a hastily-constructed sample movie that uses this script in the way that I describe. I'm using static pictures of the man, but instead, each frame of the man_mc movie should contain the animation you wish to use for that direction.