Stopping A "while" Loop

[vincognito]

Hi,

I'm using Flash MX

I got this open source code to create a lighting effect off of text. I am using the effect for an intro to a website. My problem is that I have not been able to stop the loop.

i = "1";
alpha = "0.8";
maxlight = "20";
while (Number(i)<=Number(maxlight)) {
duplicateMovieClip("ray0", "ray" add i, 800-i);
setProperty("/ray" add i, _xscale, getProperty("/ray" add (i-1), _xscale)+i*alpha);
setProperty("/ray" add i, _yscale, getProperty("/ray" add (i-1), _yscale)+i*alpha);
setProperty("/ray" add i, _alpha, 10-i*(0.5/50));
i = Number(i)+1;
}
setProperty("ray0", _visible, "0");

I have tried 'break' but, because I'm not entirely sure of the syntax, it breaks the entire clip before it even starts. I've used "removeMovieClip" as well, but I think the problem here is addressing the the duplicated movie clip correctly. I have tried addressing it as, "ray0," "ray" and "/ray" and none of them work.

I just want this thing to iterate about three times and then jump to another clip.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks beforehand!

[milna93]

you need to set an instance on your created mc instead of just naming it

ive named the mc your copying to mctocopy
and named the new mc to copiedmc
thats easy enough for you to see
use:

var copiedmc = mctocopy.duplicateMovieClip("copiedmc", 1);

1 is the depth, so change that with your 800-i or whatever, now your new mc is named copiedmc so then you use it as a instance inside of the setproperty so

setProperty(copiedmc, _xscale, 200);

the rest of the script looks right and your while loop should end when Number(i)<=Number(maxlight)
if you need it to end before that for whatever reason then just kill the loop by writing Number(i) = Number(maxlight); inside the loop, if you understand what ive done there only because i dont particularly know how to end the while loop properly :/ ive never used it as ive only ever really used for and i use break to end it, hope that helps

[vincognito]

Thanks for the detailed info. I'll give this a shot and see how it works. I think that giving an instance name to the copied movie clip will make it much more manageable. Thanks. I'll get back about this.

[vincognito]

Okay. If I replace out "/ray" with "copiedmc" this is the renewed code:

i = "1";
alpha = "0.8";
maxlight = "20";
var copiedmc = mctocopy.duplicateMovieClip("copiedmc", 1);

while (Number(i)<=Number(maxlight)) {
duplicateMovieClip("ray0", "ray" add i, 800-i);
setProperty("copiedmc" add i, _xscale, getProperty("copiedmc" add (i-1), _xscale)+i*alpha);
setProperty("copiedmc" add i, _yscale, getProperty("copiedmc" add (i-1), _yscale)+i*alpha);
setProperty("copiedmc" add i, _alpha, 10-i*(0.5/50));
i = Number(i)+1;
}
setProperty("ray0", _visible, "0");

The movie doesn't run at all with this code. I probably misinterpreted something. Any idea? Should I also add "copiedmc" to this line:

duplicateMovieClip("ray0", "ray" add i, 800-i);

so it now becomes:

duplicateMovieClip("ray0", "copiedmc" add i, 800-i);

[vincognito]

Looks like I answered my own question. It is running now. Thanks. I'll see what I can do now to manipulate it...

[milna93]

hey sorry for my slow reaction on your reply, does it work now yes ?

[vincognito]

Nope. I can't control it yet.

[milna93]

ahh i see your mistake already i think it is, youve used "" on the already created object

you put::
setProperty("copiedmc" add i, _xscale, getProperty("copiedmc" add (i-1), _xscale)+i*alpha);

it should be::
setProperty(copiedmc add i, _xscale, getProperty(copiedmc add (i-1), _xscale)+i*alpha);

NOTE
"copiedmc" is a string
copiedmc is a variable/instance/name

you get it ?

[milna93]

what do you mean you cant control it yet ?

[vincognito]

you get it ?

Yep. I understand. I'll change that out, even though, for some reason it still works the way it is.

What I mean about controlling it is that I want the effect to simply stop (or better, alpha out to zero), at frame 440 on the main timeline. I'm having hell getting it to stop. I mean, I can throw the "break" command in but then it doesn't run at all.

Basically, whatever I've tried either doesn't start the movie, or starts it and it goes infinitely. Basically, I want to get it to stop entirely after about two or three iterations of the effect.

I hope I'm making sense here...

[milna93]

well if you want it to only do it 2 or 3 times then why are you using while ? haha ill write the whole script out for you how it should be hang on a minute

[vincognito]

well if you want it to only do it 2 or 3 times then why are you using while ? haha ill write the whole script out for you how it should be hang on a minute

I didn't write the script. It was open source. Sometimes I can look at scripts and figure out what they're doing and then tweak them from there, but I've always been crappy at building code from scratch.

I appreciate your help!

[milna93]

haha no problem sorry i taking ages :P ive got 2 computers, my coding one which has flash on but without internet and this computer with internet but without flash haha so i have to type everything back up into my other comp to test and the write back into this

[vincognito]

haha no problem sorry i taking ages :P ive got 2 computers, my coding one which has flash on but without internet and this computer with internet but without flash haha so i have to type everything back up into my other comp to test and the write back into this

You're one patient, dude. Thanks a lot. I'll hang on for your next reply.

[milna93]

ahh i just realised why you dont actually see the animation thing, because it does it all at once mate, because the loop happens the millesecond the swf is opened

[milna93]

there you go, editted code for you to mess round with that will actually work this time :P paste that code into frame 1 of a new actionscript 2 flash file, dont have any more frames, then draw a box in the middle of the screen and give it a black border and a lightish blue inside, select it all and press F8, then make it into a movieclip, then go onto propertys and change the instance name to mctocopy and then play the movie 8)

maxlight = 10;
j = 0;
timer = 100;

countdown = function(){
	
j++
ralpha = 100 - (10 * j);
rxyscale = 100 + (10 * j);
raynew = "ray" + [j];
var raynew = mctocopy.duplicateMovieClip(raynew, j);

setProperty("ray" + [j], _xscale, rxyscale);
setProperty("ray" + [j], _yscale, rxyscale);
setProperty("ray" + [j], _alpha, ralpha);

if(timer==0){
clearInterval(countdownInterval);
}
}
countdownInterval = setInterval(countdown,500);

[vincognito]

Thanks. I'll give it a shot. Much appreciated. I'm running out to do some stuff, but I'll get back later or tomorrow on it.

[milna93]

okay dude :P i will edit the script a lil bit and make it better then haha then i helpin sum other dude with his thing, he seems rather impatient and if he continues being so impatient i wont help him

[vincognito]

Okay. Well, I did everything exactly as you wrote, but nothing at all happened. But that's okay. I solved the problem by using a loadMovie into an empty movie clip. When I want it to go away, I just use unloadMovie.

So, problem solved! Thanks for all of your help. It is totally appreciated!

[milna93]

haha no problem man