More Tell Target blindness 1

[Wyrm2012]

Tell Target Can't Find target

Ok,

I have a simple clip where some horizontal lines slide in from the left and slot into some bullet points. This clip is slightly different for each main menu item. Now theoretically the clip should just start when the frame is entered. This works fine for the first three menu items but the last two never work. Although occasionaly they will work. I have added a play() action to the first frame of the clip to be safe but still nothing. It shouldn't even need the play() action! I can't see any differences between the ones that work and the ones that don't.

I will post a link to the page but be warned it is aimed at corporate clients and you will need a decent connection. If it helps I can post the .fla as well.

They all work except for Text:Club and Text:Web.

http://www.avocacom.net/services.htm

Thanks to all who can help.

Hmm, I just realised they work if you look at them first time but not if you look at other menu items first. Crazy.

This is just one symbol being used in several instances so I tried using Tell Targets to get it to play. When I tested the movie though Flash said it couldn't find the two instances in question! They are named of course and I targeted them using the little target icon. They shouldn't even show up at all if they really weren't there.

Live forever or die trying.

 

[unwanted]

I'm on a 56k dial-up... Don't know if it's decent enough for you, but I do get your site up pretty quickly.
What is your question about? Are you just refering to the moving lines mcs on rollover of each individual button? If so, they all seem to be working fine for me! There are more important problems when you start pressing them.
On a second click, all buttons but Text:Club, will take you to the next item... Text:Web even takes you back to your original intro text! Have you worked this with scenes?

So that you know, did check this with a PC on IE5.5.

;-)ldnewbie

 

[Wyrm2012]

No those moving lines are vertical, I was talking about the horizontal lines that slide from the left edge into the orange bullet points.

No scenes just keyframes and stop() actions. I see your point of clicking the same button twice. Now why is that? I'm guessing I may have just overlooked setting up the goto actions for each keyframe (at least I hope!).

But have a look at those lines. Sometimes they work and sometimes not, particularly Text:Club and Text:Web.

I have the posted the .FLA if you want to take a look...

MenuFINAL.fla

Live forever or die trying.

 

[Wyrm2012]

sorry about that madness around the url...wrong forum codes damnit! (and no edit abilty?) Live forever or die trying.

 

[unwanted]

Ok! Got ya this time!
Will try to have a look at your .fla!

;-)ldnewbie

 

[Wyrm2012]

Thanks oldnewbie! Live forever or die trying.

 

[unwanted]

Wyrm,
Had a look... And sorry to report this might be "brillant coding" and completely over my head... Or you should have a serious look at all of it.
Your two last buttons, for instance, have different actionscripts than the others... Text:voting leads to frame 17 of the main timeline where there's an empty tellTarget...
In general very confusing scripting! At least for me!

;-)ldnewbie

 

[Wyrm2012]

Sorry, I guess to someone else it is very confusing. Basically those buttons are differnt because I have been messing around with it and no matter what I try it wont work. Also each button has several keyframes along the timeline (with different actions on each).

The only code I should need is gotoAndStop on each main menu item (Text:Radio, Text:Games, etc). Surely the horizontal lines should play themselves but as sometimes they dont I tried adding the Tell Target actions to each keyframe telling the clip to play.

I have reposted the file with the errors left in so you can see the madness for yourself. Live forever or die trying.

 

[unwanted]

IMHO, simplicity is the key here! You should start from scratch! This can easily be a one frame main movie, rather than a complicated 20 frames one!
Each button can call the pertinent mc and that lines mc as well.
Keep what you have now... Start a new 1 frame movie and try to build only one menu button at first. When you have it down with one button, work the other buttons' scripting accordingly!

;-)ldnewbie

 

[Wyrm2012]

I respect your infinite Flash wisdom Oldnewbie but to be honest I think you are getting the wrong end of the stick here. Personally I don't see how it can be any simpler. Each page is on a different keyframe with a stop action. Simple gotoAndPlay actions send the playhead to different 'pages'. I don't have a problem with this. I just want to know why Flash can't find the Instance of the movie clip when I use the Tell Target action - even though I can select the Instance using the Target Path icon. Live forever or die trying.

 

[coldfused]

try switching to the "with" command and see what happens..

might be worth a shot!!

carlsatterwhite@endangeredgraphics.com

 

[unwanted]

Once again... In My Humble Opinion, If Flash lists the targets in the target selector... Must be something else wrong somewhere in your code! To get at it, with your messed up code, is the problem. Patches on patches, I've found, never lead to good results.
If your code is so great, why does a second click on most buttons, lead me somewhere else?
If I have a few minutes, I'll try to build some small template to further explain what I mean!
Meanwhile has anybody else looked at this .fla, and come up with a easy answer?

...And Carl, I think using with is a long shot!

;-)ldnewbie

 

[Wyrm2012]

Look don't get me wrong, I don't consider myself to be a brilliant coder and I have never pretended to be. I am better on the creative/artistic side. I haven't been using Flash that long and I know I have a lot to learn still, especially regarding actionscript. I also know that using the main timeline for navigation is not the best way. But it's done, it mostly works and I don't know if I have time to change it. I was just wondering if it was a Flash bug that was causing the blindness. I guess it's probably just the structure that is confusing Flash.

So if I understand correctly I should put each 'page' in its own movie-clip and then call it somehow from the relevant button? Should I use loadMovie or tint it to the background color or what?

(sorry if I've been messing everyones heads up!)

Thanks again. Live forever or die trying.

 

[Wyrm2012]

As for why clicking the same button twice takes you somewhere random...I don't know. You tell me?! I thought as there is hardly any code and what there is is simple that I would avoid such things. When freedom is outlawed only outlaws will be free.

 

[TulsaJeff]

personally...I would make a separate movie clip for each page and put each movie clip on a different frame. Say you have 10 pages of info... that would be the first 10 frames on the main timeline...to advance to another page...just call the frame number or name the frames in the frame panel and call the name.

don't forget to put stop() actions on each frame so it will sit and wait for you to manually advance to a new one. Ya' Gotta Love It!

 

[Wyrm2012]

Thanks for the advice Tulsa...I think Old has given up on this one...

What you suggest is basically how I have it setup at the moment, the difference being that each 'page' is several movie clip symbols and some text assembled on each keyframe. Is it wise to 'nest' symbols? I mean can I select a bunch of symbols and turn them into another symbol?Actually I know I can. Well I guess I'll do that.

Thanks again When freedom is outlawed only outlaws will be free.

 

[oldnewbie]

I haven't really given up!
As a matter of fact, I looked at it today, and tried my own added mc on the buttons, and it works fine.
Guess you duplicated your bulletlines mc, or changed or modified the tweening after you had named them, or vice versa... Or did some other manipulation, that is trowing things off.
For the sake of testing, just desing another simple mc, drag it on stage (on frame 19 for example), give it an instance name, and use that instance name when refering to it in your button's actionscript. It should work as it does for me proving you have something else messed up somewhere in your mcs.

As for going elsewhere on a second click, you have to add a conditional statement on your button's action, so that it stays on that frame rather than going to the next one, which it's doing.
In a one frame movie it has nowhere to go. In your case there are 20 frames to play with. A second click on your last frame's button will thus lead you to frame 1 and so forth!

ldnewbie

 

[Wyrm2012]

Thanks Old,

I'll try implementing your suggestions when I get the chance. When freedom is outlawed only outlaws will be free.

 

[Wyrm2012]

Look, forget the problems with the site structure(I mean the buttons taking you somewher else when you click them twice). That was easy to fix. But even when using the Flash 5 syntax...Flash still says the movieclips aren't there. I've tried putting them on their own layer but it still doesn't find them. I used variations of one symbol in about 10 different instances but the last two on the timeline Flash can't see! Should I just delete them and make a seperate symbol (despite increasing file-size?).

This is my last question on this matter so if anyone get help get it over with I think we'd all be grateful. When freedom is outlawed only outlaws will be free.

 

[oldnewbie]

Your suggestion of making a new symbol might be an easy solution and IMHO, won't increase size that much.
You could also allways try to make two new instances of that original mc, and see if that would work.
But in the future, try to be not as "messy"... You'll avoid problems of this sort.

Good luck!

ldnewbie