# Can I tellTarget the main timeline?

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/can-i-telltarget-the-main-timeline/4497>\
**Category:** flash\
**Created:** [August 12, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/can-i-telltarget-the-main-timeline/4497 "2002-08-12T05:49:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Afro\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@Afro\_Ninja](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Afro_Ninja)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/can-i-telltarget-the-main-timeline/4497/1 "2002-08-12T05:49:50Z")

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Ok, I’m making a game, and it is essential that I place a certain button inside of a movie clip. However, the button in the movie clip must move the main timeline. I currently have the code as:

on (release) {  
gotoAndStop (“plank1”);}

with “plank1” being the frame in the main timeline that needs to be advanced to. But when tested, the button does nothing. Is there a way I can do

on (release) {  
tellTarget (" ")  
{gotoAndStop (“plank1”);}}

with something indicating the main timeline?

Please help!!  
(I’m using flash 5, if that needs to be known)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 6:42am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/can-i-telltarget-the-main-timeline/4497/2 "2002-08-12T06:42:39Z")

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just make it

```auto
on(release) {
_root.gotoAndStop("plank1");
}

```

\_root - main timeline  
btw don’t use telltarget… use \_root.MC.mc2. instead… much easier

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 6:52am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/can-i-telltarget-the-main-timeline/4497/3 "2002-08-12T06:52:23Z")

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thank you!!!  
and btw, I need to put \_root. in front of all my variable names (aside from declaring them) and movie clip names or else they don’t work. Is that normal?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 6:54am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/can-i-telltarget-the-main-timeline/4497/4 "2002-08-12T06:54:40Z")

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‘\_root’ before an action or variable only means that flash refers to your main timeline instead of the movie clip or whatever.