out of my league with this one - xml and flash 1

[whoknows361]

hello. I need some help.
goal: to have all data load from xml file into main mc "contentMain" and create individual mc's from the duplicated "item mc".
Basicaly, if you had a store, it would look like this:
|item, item, item,|
|item, item, item,|
|item, item, item,|
|item, item, item|

I am using code I adopted from kirupa's slideshow tutorial, however, I believe what I am trying to do, is outside of my current skills.
I want each xml node to present on the screen with the data for image, description, price to load into the "item" mc, which is duplicated for each node.
I can't figure out where I need to go from here and am getting nothing when I test it. Please tell me where I went wrong & what to do.

Any help would be appreciated. And please comment your code or provide some type of explanation as I want to learn from this & don't want to waste your time again.

Here is the fla, xml & jpg files:

http://www.prettyventures.com/problem.zip

Thanks in advance.
Jonathan

 

[kennethkawamoto]

This needs a bit of tidying up:
[ul]
[li]Spelling mistakes - "contentmain" and "contentMain" are not the same at all[/li]
[li]You can't refer to the non existent object: "contentMain.t"+k - this should be contentMain["item"+k][/li]
[/ul]
There are few other things you need to change in order to accomplish your intension, but above are the crucial points and should let you get going.

Kenneth Kawamoto

http://www.materiaprima.co.uk

 

[whoknows361]

Kenneth - and all.
Thanks for the input, & I have updated as you indicated. However, I have spent about 10 hours on this & still can't continue to fix the problem. the images load with their correct roll-over,roll-out functions, however, they do not load into the mc "item" as they are supposed to.

In face, the mc "item" only loads once, & the rest of the images simply load behind (they are spaced correctly & display correct roll over events,), but they do not load into multiple presentations of the "item" mc.

I am close on this & have tried multiple work-arounds, but fear that I am missing something basic, or am not understanding the flow of the code. Here is the updated example I have:

http://www.prettyventures.com/problem.zip

Please, I would really appreciate your follow-up advice on this. Thanks

Jonathan

 

[kennethkawamoto]

This is not right:

partone = "contentMain.";
parttwo = "item" + k;
partthree = ".picture";
partfour = partone+parttwo+partthree;
image_mcl.loadClip(image[k], partfour);

Because you cannot load JPEGs into Strings!

You can do:

partone = "contentMain.";
parttwo = "item"+k;
partthree = ".picture";
partfour = partone+parttwo+partthree;
image_mcl.loadClip(image[k], eval(partfour));

But why not simply do:

image_mcl.loadClip(image[k], contentMain[itemname].picture);

After that you have to change the inside of "tlistener.onLoadInit = function(target_mc) {}" function, because "target_mc" refers to the MovieClip "itemX.picture" but you are treating it as MovieClip "itemX" in your code. Try "target_mc._parent" as this referes to "itemX".

Kenneth Kawamoto

http://www.materiaprima.co.uk

 

[whoknows361]

kenneth, thanks so much for your input - after you indicated the path of "target_mc", I was able to understand what was going on & fixed much of my dilema.
I have been able to complete most of this task, but still have 2 areas of concern that could use your assistance.

If you check:

http://www.prettyventures.com/problem.zip

you will see my updated file & see that I am almost there!
but:
1) how do I get my individual "item" mc's to show my preloader. I have a preloader mc already ready to be used, but am not sure what the code would be, & where to put the code so that my preloader mc shows the load status of each "item" mc as they load.

2) I have included a custom scrollbar, however, when the movie is tested none of the buttons (up & down) work & the scrollFace itself does not even showup. I know that the scrollbar code is solid as I have used many times on other projects, but for some reason, it is not working with this. The scrollbar code is on frame 2. ?!

I would greatly appreciate your help on this & thank you for your previous posts as I am really getting to understand the nature of arrays.

Thanks so much for your help thus far.

Jonathan.

 

[kennethkawamoto]

The beauty of MovieClipLoader class is it's very easy to monitor loading progress.

Add the following to your code:

tlistener.onLoadProgress = function(targetMC, loadedBytes, totalBytes) {
		trace(targetMC+": "+loadedBytes+"bytes of "+totalBytes+"bytes are loaded");
	};

You'll see the loading activities in Output. Your JPEGs are too small to see much of them though as they loads instantly.


Kenneth Kawamoto

http://www.materiaprima.co.uk

 

[whoknows361]

Hey Kenneth,
Thanks for your previous post. I have been able to identify the problem & fix it & have everything that I need for this project except one thing: a usable scrollbar.
I have used a custom scrollbar code from kirupa, which I have used many times, but does not work with this.

I have tried to use the scrollPane component but this does not work (and I would rather not ie. the filesize).
also, I am using FlashMX2004, so no scrollbar component.

It seems that there are problems initating a scrollBar for a movieclip whose size changes dynamically dependant on the number of items in the xml file.

Please see:

http://www.prettyventures.com/problem.zip

as you will see my updates & fixes (ie. the loader component). Please help me identify a way to use a scrollbar, where should it be implemented (frame#), what code might work for this situation.

This is the last item I need to understand for both the completion of the project, and my own development of like projects in the future.

Thanks so much for you previous help.

Jonathan

 

[kennethkawamoto]

This is bare minimal code to get you started:

function scrollBar() {
	this["scrollDirection"] = 0;
	this.attachMovie("upbutton", "upbutton", 1, {_x:560, _y:15});
	this.attachMovie("downbutton", "downbutton", 2, {_x:560, _y:370});
	upbutton.onPress = function() {
		this._parent.scrollDirection = 1;
	};
	downbutton.onPress = function() {
		this._parent.scrollDirection = -1;
	};
	upbutton.onRelease = downbutton.onRelease=function () {
		this._parent.scrollDirection = 0;
	};
	this.onEnterFrame = function() {
		contentMain._y += scrollDirection;
	};
}

Call this function from XML onLoad(success).

Kenneth Kawamoto

http://www.materiaprima.co.uk

 

[whoknows361]

Kenneth, thanks so much for your help - i decided to give it a go and try to code my own scrollbar application.
It worked out quite well, however, I have one last question. I have gotten the up & down arrows to work. The scrollFace to work, but simply am missing the scrollface on drag data. I am not sure how to make the scrollFace reach the bottom at the same time content Main does. I will post my code & would appreciate any assistance. I know exactly where the code help I need should be placed & have commented as such. Here is the code: Any help would be appreciated by anyone:

//following is scrollBar code - change all "_root." to the path of this .swf if .swf is dynamically loaded//
scrollBar = function () {
initialy = _root.contentMain._y;
bottomy = -300; //this # needs to be hard-coded, dependent on the final y value of contentMain you want when you press the downbutton//
increment = 5; //number of units that content Main moves on either up or down arrow press//
units = (Math.abs(initialy - bottomy)) / increment; //used for further calculation;


_root.attachMovie("upbutton", "upbutton", 2004);
this.upbutton._x = 570;
this.upbutton._y = 55;

_root.attachMovie("downbutton", "downbutton", 2005);
this.downbutton._x = 570;
this.downbutton._y = 340;

_root.attachMovie("scrollTrack", "scrollTrack", 2002);
yvalue = this.upbutton._y + this.upbutton._height; //for getting y & height values
this.scrollTrack._width = this.upbutton._width - 4; //creating width - 4 smaller than buttons//
this.scrollTrack._x = this.upbutton._x + 2; //creating x location - centered on up button/
this.scrollTrack._y = yvalue; //creating y value = up button y + up button height.
this.scrollTrack._height = this.downbutton._y - yvalue; //the space between up & down buttons//

_root.attachMovie("scrollFace", "scrollFace", 2003);
this.scrollFace._x = this.scrollTrack._x + 1;
this.scrollFace._y = this.scrollTrack._y;
sfunits = this.scrollTrack._height - this.scrollFace._height;

//this variable is listed here becuase they hadn't been substantiated yet//
sfincrement = sfunits / units; //number of units that scrollFace moves on either up or down arrow press//

// up button code//
this.upbutton.onPress = function (){
this.onEnterFrame = function() {
if (_root.contentMain._y > initialy) {
donothing;}
else if (_root.contentMain._y < initialy) {
this._parent.contentMain._y = this._parent.contentMain._y + increment;
if(this._parent.scrollFace._y < this._parent.scrollTrack._y) {
donothing;}
else if(this._parent.scrollFace._y > this._parent.scrollTrack._y) {
this._parent.scrollFace._y = this._parent.scrollFace._y - sfincrement;
}}}}

this.upbutton.onRelease = function() { //so stops scrolling
delete this.onEnterFrame;}

this.upbutton.onDragOut = function() { //so stops scrolling
delete this.onEnterFrame;}

//down button code//
this.downbutton.onPress = function() {
this.onEnterFrame = function() {
if (_root.contentMain._y < bottomy) {
donothing; }
else if (_root.contentMain._y > bottomy) {
this._parent.contentMain._y = this._parent.contentMain._y - increment;
if(this._parent.scrollFace._y > this._parent.downbutton._y - this._parent.scrollFace._height) {
donothing;}
else if(this._parent.scrollFace._y < this._parent.downbutton._y - this._parent.scrollFace._height) {
this._parent.scrollFace._y = this._parent.scrollFace._y + sfincrement;
}}}}

this.downbutton.onRelease = function() { //so stops scrolling
delete this.onEnterFrame;}

this.downbutton.onDragOut = function() { //so stops scrolling
delete this.onEnterFrame;}

//scrollFace Drag Code//
this.scrollFace.onPress = function() {
var currPos:Number = this._y;
var top = this._parent.scrollTrack._y
var bottom = this._parent.downbutton._y - this._parent.scrollFace._height
startDrag(this, false, this._x, top, this._x, bottom);
this.onMouseMove = function() {
sfy = scrollFace._y;
cmy = contentMain._y;
//what code should be here so that I can drag the scrollFace to the bottom and
//contentMain will be at the bottom, etc.//
}
}

this.scrollFace.onMouseUp = function() {
stopDrag();
delete this.onMouseMove;
};
}
scrollBar();

Also, you can download at

http://www.prettyventures.com/problem.zip

scrollbar code is on frame 2 in actions layer.

Thank so much for all previous help on this forum.
Jonathan

 

[whoknows361]

Again, thanks kenneth for all of your assistance. I will help others regarding what I have learned - from what I have learned from your assistance.'

Jonathan

 

[kennethkawamoto]

this.onMouseMove = function() {
			//what code should be here so that I can drag the scrollFace to the bottom and
			//contentMain will be at the bottom, etc.//
			sfy = scrollFace._y;
			[b]contentMain._y = initialy+(sfy-yvalue)*(bottomy-initialy)/sfunits;
			updateAfterEvent();[/b]
		};

Kenneth Kawamoto

http://www.materiaprima.co.uk

 

[whoknows361]

thats it! works like a charm. Thanks again Kenneth for your help on this project.