ActionScript Dilemma: An alternative to _root.createEmptyMovieClip ?

[landrvr1]

I've got some code for a Flash Panorama tool that I cannot figure out how to change. The problem is that it loads .swf files and movieClips using the _root method. I've figured out how to dump my pano .swf into an empty movieClip in my project, but this still means that once you import your panorama master .swf into a larger Flash project, that master .swf clip never goes away after you call it up.

Is there a way to replace all of the _root load instances in the script with something that you can control? Here's the code:

-------------------------

var radar_offset:Number=0;
var currentid:Number=0;
var topid:Number=1;
var hotspots:Array=new Array;

// Create container movieclip
var vr:MovieClip = _root.createEmptyMovieClip("vr", 1);
// prevent access to "real" root
vr._lockroot=true;

function clearHotspots() {
var mc:MovieClip;
var i:Number;
for (i=0;i<hotspots.length;i++) {
mc=hotspots[i];
mc.removeMovieClip();
}
hotspots=new Array();
}

function loadPanorama(id:Number) {
// Create a Movieclip loader
var myLoader = new MovieClipLoader();
var myListener = new Object();

// remove old Hotspots
clearHotspots();

myListener.onLoadStart = function () {
var filename:String;
// Set the dimentions and position of the pano
vr.window_width=500;
vr.window_height=398;
vr.window_x=364;
vr.window_y=0;
// change autorotation
vr.autorotate=0.5;
vr.autorotate_delay=20;

// add a preview bar...
var my_fmt:TextFormat = new TextFormat();
my_fmt.bold = true;
my_fmt.font = "Arial";
my_fmt.size = 12;
my_fmt.color = 0xffffff;
_root.createTextField("pretxt",10,170,40,200,20);
_root.pretxt.setNewTextFormat(my_fmt);
_root.pretxt.selectable = false;
_root.pretxt.text = "Loading...";
_root.createEmptyMovieClip("prebar",21);
};

myListener.onLoadProgress = function(target_mc:MovieClip, loadedBytes:Number, totalBytes:Number) {
// update progress bar
var x1:Number,x2:Number,y1:Number,y2:Number;
_root.pretxt.text = "Loading... " + Math.floor(100*loadedBytes/totalBytes) + " %";
_root.prebar.clear();
_root.prebar.beginFill(0x0000FF, 30);
_root.prebar.lineStyle(2, 0x000080, 100);

x1=_root.pretxt._x;
x2=x1 + 180 * loadedBytes/totalBytes;
y1=_root.pretxt._y+20;
y2=y1+10;

_root.prebar.moveTo(x1, y1);
_root.prebar.lineTo(x2, y1);
_root.prebar.lineTo(x2, y2);
_root.prebar.lineTo(x1, y2);
_root.prebar.lineTo(x1, y1);
_root.prebar.endFill();

};

myListener.onLoadComplete = function () {
// remove progress bar
_root.pretxt.removeTextField();
_root.prebar.removeMovieClip();
};

myListener.onLoadInit = function () {
setupPanorama(currentid);
// Add another hotspot to position pan 0, tilt -90 (nadir) without rollover effect
var hs_p2q:MovieClip=_root.attachMovie("pano2qtvr_lib" ,"hs_textmc2",10200);
hs_p2q.onRelease=function() {
_root.getURL('http://www.pano2qtvr.com','_blank');
}
vr.pano.addHotspot('p2q',0,-90,hs_p2q);
// add hotspots to a list to clear them
hotspots.push(hs_p2q);
compass.fov._visible=true;
};

// add the Listener
myLoader.addListener(myListener);

// set the parameters for the different panoramas
if (id==1) {
filename="/support/StateFarm-Office.swf";
radar_offset=0;
compass._x=map._x+map.bt1._x;
compass._y=map._y+map.bt1._y;
}
if (id==2) {
filename="/support/StateFarm-Welcome.swf";
radar_offset=180;
compass._x=map._x+map.bt2._x;
compass._y=map._y+map.bt2._y;
}

// remove the radar during loading
compass.fov._xscale=0;
compass.fov._yscale=0;
compass.fov._visible=false;

// ... and finally load the pano!
myLoader.loadClip(filename, vr);
currentid=id;

}





// add the map
var map:MovieClip=_root.attachMovie("map","map",20005, {_x:230,_y:0});

// connect the buttons in the map
map.bt1.onPress=function () {
loadPanorama(1);
}
map.bt2.onPress=function () {
loadPanorama(2);
}


// ... and the rader is even higher...
var compass:MovieClip=_root.attachMovie("compass_lib", "compass",20010,{_x:60,_y:200,_alpha:50});

compass.fov._xscale=0;
compass.fov._yscale=0;
compass._visible=true;
compass.fov._visible=false;

// update the shape of the rader on each frame
_root.onEnterFrame=function() {
compass.fov._rotation=-(vr.pano.getPan()+radar_offset);
compass.fov._xscale=100*Math.tan(vr.pano.getFov()* Math.PI/360);
compass.fov._yscale=100*Math.cos(vr.pano.getTilt() *Math.PI/180);
}

// load the pavilion pano first
loadPanorama(2);


------------------------

Thanks

[cresquin]

there are two solutions here: one is to set _lockroot = true. that makes your loaded panorama it's own entity and cam be easily removed with minimal impact to the rest of your movie. The alternative ti to change all the "_root" calls to "this". I haven't looked at the entire structure of this script, (seriously it's 4 pages of un formatted code... who's gonna read all that), but it will probably work with some small tweaks.

[landrvr1]

there are two solutions here: one is to set _lockroot = true. that makes your loaded panorama it's own entity and cam be easily removed with minimal impact to the rest of your movie. The alternative ti to change all the "_root" calls to "this". I haven't looked at the entire structure of this script, (seriously it's 4 pages of un formatted code... who's gonna read all that), but it will probably work with some small tweaks.

I think I've found a solution.

I've simply removed the

_root.

whenever there's loading to be done.

I then took that code and dumped it into a movieClip that resides in my main project library. A button loads the clip to level 10 (which is where all my movieClips reside). Press another menu button and that clip is replaced. If I hadn't removed the root, it gets difficult to remove.