Using the Flash command "_level" in XXPro.

[Egg Bramhill]

I haven't seen this documented but someone was asking whether you could get one swf movie to call another. I wasn't sure but I thought I'd give it a try. I was pretty certain you could get one html page containing flash to call another but could you get XXPro to load further swf files in different LEVELS as per the ActionScript command :

on (release) {
 loadMovieNum("coast.swf",2);
}

Whereby the swf in layer0 loads the swf "coast.swf" into layer 2 WHILST layer0 remains visible.

In fact you can get it to work very well using XXPro and the Web Address dialogue.

As an example of how to replicate the actionScript above in the Web Address use the url as coast.swf and the Target Frame of _level2.

There are some important things to note:

1: The loading of swf's into different levels will not work in the Flash Browser Preview. It has to be uploaded to a web server directory.

2: Whilst editing pages you can upload a new swf file that you've altered in some manner. When you test it, nothing's changed!

This is because the swf is always being loaded from the local cache. Refreshing the swf file won't have any effect as you're only updating the level zero swf, the swf's on higher levels still continue to be loaded from your computers cache. The only way to completely refresh loading all swf files is to go into Internet Options / Delete Temp Internet Files.


Anyway here's an example. It might look like one XXPro swf file but is in fact eight seperate & distinct XXPro swf files. CLICK HERE


It's quite simple & could have been done in a single XXPro swf file but even at this level of simplicity to do it in one linear fashion would soon start to tax the brain. Each swf only has a single frame.

I also attach the various swf's. Not exiting in themselves but hopefully in assisting you in what's going on.

[Intbel]

Not sure I understand all o' that .. I'll have a play.
Stand by to answer idiot questions ...

[Egg Bramhill]

Perhaps THIS will help Intbel.

What's happening is that you have one swf (index_menu.swf).

This swf is just one frame on which exist the show hide buttons.

When any of the buttons are pressed it loads another swf file in a layer above index_menu.swf which is on level 0.

In this manner you can load multiple swf's with a varying number of frames and timing.

As all the animations aren't in a single swf file it enables you to alter only one swf at a time (say the foot [level3.swf]) by adding 10 additional frames say, which changes the foot animation only . If they all sat in the same swf creating additional frames would effect the whole animation.

I'll post the swf files for this group of animations. Notice the widely different frame numbers and animation leghts. This wouldn't be possible in a single swf.

REMINDER: index_menu.swf wont do anything if viewed here. Use the link above to view it.

[Intbel]

Thank you.

I had got the idea of the buttons being on the background frame no problem.

I don't fully understand "Layers" here yet but I'm working on it ... don't tell me, I'll ask if I get stumped.

Thanks for the info ...

[Egg Bramhill]

Just a quicky:

levels, not layers.

[Scotty]

Just think as levels in SwishMax like layers (kinda) layer(0) is primary and you can load other swish objects into levels youspecify.
Jim

[Egg Bramhill]

That's exactly what this is doing Jim. The target frame for URL = _levelx so it's better if you talk about levels rather than frames or layers or you'll get XXPro users mixed up with Pro's Frames & Levels.

[Egg Bramhill]

And HERE'S another one. It just demonstrates the independant starting time of each swf.

EXPLANATION. The base swf is loaded into level 0. If you click on the 4 red buttons as quick as you can it loads 4 quadrents of a kalidascope, which if you've clicked quick enough (and you're not on a dial-up connection) runs pretty much as a kalidescope should do.

However if you reclick on any of the red buttons again it reloads the swf from the start and this way you can completely mess up the kalidascope effect.

This swf file has no practical purpose, it's just to demonstrate the independance of the five swf files all loaded into one swf.

I suggest reducing your browser window on this swf, it can become fairly cpu hungry.

[Intbel]

I managed it, thanks for the info.

A few things yiu didn't tell but this is good, makes the grey matter work a little.

Here's a fun result:

http://www.intbel.com/tg/test/swftest.html

I have used twice as many files to get the same result - tell me, to what do you link the "Hide" buttons please?

[Egg Bramhill]

Yea! you've got it Raymond. That's fun isn't it and in the long run easier to edit an individual file.

I link the hide buttons to a file called "blank.swf" which only has the border the same size as the root (level 0) swf, otherwise it's empty.