create a preloader that pops up when user goes to new scene

[NitaNita]

I'm not exactly a newbie anymore when it comes to using Flash but I am self-taught so most likely I still don't know a lot of things.
Anyway, I have a question. Is there a way I can create a preloader that plays only when the user goes to a new scene that has to load. I am creating a site and it's all in one movie. At first I had it so that the preloader loaded the entire movie first. But I felt that took too long for slower connections. So I'm wondering is it possible to have a preloader that shows up when someone goes to a part of the movie that hasn't been loaded yet? I hope you understand what I'm trying to ask.
Oh yeah, and I'm using Flash MX.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[billwatson]

not possible

scenes are a fiction that dont exist in the published movie

you can only load it all at once

 

[NitaNita]

well thanks for your response. but can someone look at this site and tell me what/how they have it so that each link seems to have its own preloader.

http://druhill.net

This is pretty much the only site I could find that shows what I mean. I'm not sure but maybe each link is a separate .swf file. I'm just trying to figure this out. Help!

 

[billwatson]

the usual way to do these things is to load in swf's as and when the user requests them. these of course can have a preloader if needed.

 

[oldnewbie]

Have a look at these... It may help you understand what the instructor was saying...

http://www.kirupa.com/developer/mx/full_site.htm

Or...

http://www.kirupa.com/developer/mx/preloader_transition.htm

As for the instructor's first remark, that's true. Once initiated a preloader can't really be stopped from downloading the entire movie, unless you close the browser, or leave the site. But you can to some extent (depending on your content), start the movie playing when only one or a few scenes have preloaded, while the preloader continues it's work in the background, thus apparently reducing the preloading time.



Regards,

 

[firegambler]

Tutorial on how to load movies, using clipholders and levels (just read it, then you'll know what I am talking about):

http://www.webwasp.co.uk/tutorials/kw01-load/loadmovie.htm

You will need this knowledge if you want to have different "sites" (i.e. films) with a preloader each.

regards

 

[firegambler]

Hmmm... Seems as if we have been dealing with a thread simultaneously another time, Oldnewbie!

regards

 

[NitaNita]

Thanks for all of your help. I did it and it worked with the exception of one problem. My navigation was covered up by the movie that loaded. And when I changed it so that the movie loaded into Level 1, my navigation covers up everything. Is there any way to make the background of the navigation transparent so that the movie underneath can show?

 

[oldnewbie]

Some confusion! On what level is your navigation on?

Note that if you don't have any solid added background on any of the movies, then they all should be in fact transparent, outside of their own solid elements of course.

Regards,

 

[NitaNita]

I would guess the navigation is on zero. As I said before, there's probably a lot of things I don't know. Anyway, I uploaded the .fla file. Maybe if you look at that you could tell me what I'm doing wrong.

http://www.geocities.com/darkchild710/INDEX.fla

I'm so lost...
The backgrounds on the individual movies all have various lightning backgrounds. The background of the navigation is black.

 

[oldnewbie]

Can you post a link to some of your "to be loaded" movies?

Regards,

 

[NitaNita]

Sure. I just finished uploading them. The links to each movie is:

http://www.geocities.com/darkchild710/index.swf

(this is the movie from the .fla file I posted earlier)

http://www.geocities.com/darkchild710/main_content.swf

http://www.geocities.com/darkchild710/audio.swf

http://www.geocities.com/darkchild710/links.swf

http://www.geocities.com/darkchild710/pictures.swf

http://www.geocities.com/darkchild710/aboutus.swf

Thanks for helping me out so far.

 

[firegambler]

Hmmm... I get a "no permission to display this site"-message when following your link...

regards

 

[oldnewbie]

Copy & paste the url in your browser's address box.

Regards,

 

[NitaNita]

Is anyone going to help me out? I really need help.

 

[oldnewbie]

You can start by putting your "navigation" layer over your "actions" layer that also holds your "contents" container clip. Next correct your script to this...

_root.contents.loadMovie("main_content.swf"

That will get you going, but you won't be out of the woods!
You'll have to correct most of your scripts that all use loadMovieNum, or correct your design in a manner that loading menu items would appear over your main and menu clips (they would be invisible covered by the current selection), and would have to be unloaded, so that the main and menu clips re-become available.

Regards,

 

[NitaNita]

Oh my gosh!! Thank you!! It all works now!