flash with XML database 8

[wikfx]

Hi I am trying to do a client list for someone and they want soething like this:

http://www.newezra.com/flash/

you have to go to the portfolio section of that page to see it. anyway is that done with an xml backend? I am trying to do it with xml so that it would be very easy to update can anyone help?

WiKfx

W i K

 

[hypephil]

Thanks, that would be really helpfull.

Phil.

 

[pixl8r]

Sample

Hope it helps.

Wow JT that almost looked like you knew what you were doing!

 

[nouveaubot]

This goes to wikfx or pixl8r. First and foremost thanks for existing.

I pretty much built the XML databases and scrollers and everything works great. I built alot of it for my band website. However, when I tried to show them my progress. I found if they didn't have Flash Player 7 the scrollers did not appear. I tried publishing as a earlier Flash Player file but no good. Is there a way around having to redirect vistors to download Player 7?

thanks,

jack

 

[pixl8r]

Unfortunately.... no. The version 2 components (scrollpane, xmlconnector, dataset etc..) require the version 7 flash plugin.

There are some graceful ways you can use a "sniffer" to automatically redirect the user if they don't have the correct viewer (or show them an alternative page). This has become a bit harder with the advent of SP2. I would start by searching this forum for "detect flash". It comes up a lot.

Hope that helps.

 

[nouveaubot]

That's what I thought. Thanks for the help.

jack

 

[stalker81]

Hi!
This is my firs time, asking for help, here. I've run thru this topic, and found it very usefull, but i'm stucked a bit. Im trying to add scroll to my xml duplicated movieclips, and i just couldn't manage...I've posted my work here -

http://www.2rdesign.com/help/model.zip

If anyone could take a look at it, it would be great! Thanks a lot!

 

[pixl8r]

You are not adding the clips to an area that is scrollable. Try using the scrollpane component as discussed in this thread.

Hope it helps.

Wow JT that almost looked like you knew what you were doing!

 

[stalker81]

I tried this - i created an mc and try to load into that the duplicated mc-s. So that the only mc-to scroll is the one i load the others into. I tried this:

_root.blank.attachMovie("targetClip", "site"+i, getNextHighestDepth(), _root.data_ds.currentItem);

But it just doesn't work. Only shows one duplicated piece, that shows no info Could you give me some other tip?
p.s.-Id like to avoid using the scrollplane, coz i need to customize the whole stuff.
thx

 

[pixl8r]

If you want it to scroll you have to put them all in the same container. That can be a blank clip or a scrollpane (up to you) but that is the only way you will get it to scroll. The code should be something like this.

_root.blank.attachMovie("targetClip","site"+i,_root.blank.getNextHighestDepth(),_root.data_ds.currentItem);

I should point out that a scrollpane can be reskinned (like all components) so it can be customized).

Hope it helps.

Wow JT that almost looked like you knew what you were doing!

 

[stalker81]

Thanks, but i'm still stucked. I already tried what you suggested, but it just doesn't seem to work. Could you help me out with some .fla on how to use the scrollplane for this matter? It would help me a lot!

 

[pixl8r]

There are already links .fla examples on how to use the scrollpane component for this in this thread.

 

[stalker81]

Hmm...almost working! I used the .fla you posted on jan12. - I haven't realised that it is there, before.
The only problem left is that the duplicated mc-s don't show the data coming from the xml doc. But they show the pictures. Might be a problem with the xmlconnector. But when I copy the xml connector from the old porject where it worked, it shows nothing at all...where did i go wrong? -

http://www.2rdesign.com/help/step2.zip

 

[pixl8r]

The schemas in both your xml connector and your dataset are wrong. Fix that and it should work fine.

 

[stalker81]

I did it finally...Only one question remains:
You said that the scroll plane can be reskinned. How can it be done? I was looking for solutions all over, but found nothing. Can you give me some tips?
Thx for all the help anyway!

 

[pixl8r]

Look in the Help system for the component dictionary. Select the scrollpane component and the topic is "Customizing the scrollpane component".

 

[wikfx]

ok pixl8r here is a question: I am working with this xml thing now I would like to do one more thing that would make my news thingy perfect. I would like to make the "this["site"+i]._y+(i*148);" in the following code to be dynaimic according to the previous record

this["site"+i]._y = this["site"+i]._y+(i*148);

so if I want to put alot of text in that record I can and the records will move down accordingly.

is there any way I can get this done? I tried to do it like this but it didnt really work:

this["site"+i]._y = this["site"+i]._y+(i*(this.data_ds.currentItem.n_short.length / 40*12));

where n_short is the xml node that holds my text, 40 is the amount of characters per line and 12 is aprox how high each line is. anyway any help would be great
W i K

W i K

 

[stalker81]

Sorry W i K i can't help you But I've got a question! How did you manage to get rid of that green frame around the Scrollpane? The one that apears when you click over the scroll buttons. I managed to reskin the whole stuf, but I can't remove that thing... THX

 

[pixl8r]

If you want it to be based on the previous record I would think you would want to do it a bit diffrently. For example set a variable on each pass through the dataset something like:

//assuming that 148 is still needed as minimum distance between clips.
prevRecordVal = 148+((this.data_ds.currentItem.n_short.length/40)*12);

Then an if statement for the line placement.

if(prevRecordVal >= 0) {
    this["site"+i]._y = this["site"+i]._y+(i*(prevRecordVal));
}else{
    this["site"+i]._y = this["site"+i]._y+(i*148);
}

It's a theory Wik, I haven't actually tested it... but I think that will work. I'm sure it will need some tweeking If not maybe you can post a fla or some sample xml so I can try it.

Hope it helps!

Wow JT that almost looked like you knew what you were doing!

 

[wikfx]

Hi again yet another problem has come up I now realized I cannot set the size according to the amount of text using .lenght because if my user uses a line break it only calculates it as 4 chars so I decided to calculate the height of my autosized text box like this

trace("this is the dynamic height" + this["site"+i].newsbox._height)

where newsbox is the instance name of my autosize text field but when I run it it just tells me the size of the field as if it didnt have text in it I need to measure it after the text is loaded do you have any ideas?

thanks a MILLION
WiK

W i K

 

[wikfx]

STALKER you can remove the green from the scroll pane by skinning it, try something like this in you first frame of the movie

_global.style.setStyle("themeColor", "0x0099ff");

that will change that green to a light blue you just gotta play with the 0x0099ff to get the color you want

Hope this helps

WiK

W i K