Drawing API and XML, and dynamic picture loading troubles

1

Hey guys,

The other thread I had going was getting a little convoluted, so I figured I’d start another one to see if I could get better results.

I’ve loaded data from an XML file and put it in an array that contains everything. I’m trying to get the drawing API to draw some shapes dynamically on the stage using this information. They drew fine before when I was using hard-coded test values, but now that it’s dynamic it doesn’t work, and I think that’s because the shapes are trying to draw before they get their values to draw with. Is there any kind of like “on(something)” I can use to ensure everything’s fully loaded before I begin drawing? (The XML file’s already in an “onLoad” function.)

Secondly, I’m trying to adapt the dynamic XML image gallery Kirupa tutorial found HERE to work when a button is pressed, and have the images load into a container created with the drawing API. Does anybody have any tips on how this could be accomplished? For reference, here’s the code I’m using to create the boxes to house the images (each box consists of a nested preloader bar, and the actual container for holding the loaded image):


//main box
_root.createEmptyMovieClip("pictureBox_mc",   tempClip_mc.getNextHighestDepth() + 5);
pictureBox_mc.lineStyle(1, 0x000000);
pictureBox_mc.beginFill(0xFFFFFF, 100);
pictureBox_mc.moveTo(calcX, calcY); 
pictureBox_mc.lineTo(calcX, (calcY + picHeight));
pictureBox_mc.lineTo((calcX + picWidth), (calcY + picHeight));
pictureBox_mc.lineTo((calcX + picWidth), calcY);
pictureBox_mc.lineTo(calcX, calcY); 
pictureBox_mc.endFill();

//loader graphic (a library item):
pictureBox_mc.attachMovie("imageLoader", "imageLoader_mc", pictureBox_mc.getNextHighestDepth());
pictureBox_mc.imageLoader_mc._x = (calcX + (pictureBox_mc._width / 2)) - (pictureBox_mc.imageLoader_mc._width / 2);
pictureBox_mc.imageLoader_mc._y = (calcY + (pictureBox_mc._height / 2)) - (pictureBox_mc.imageLoader_mc._height / 2);

//the actual picture container:
pictureBox_mc.createEmptyMovieClip("pictureHolder_mc", (pictureBox_mc.getNextHighestDepth() + 25));
pictureBox_mc.pictureHolder_mc.beginFill(0xFF0000, 100);
pictureBox_mc.pictureHolder_mc.moveTo(calcX, calcY); pictureBox_mc.pictureHolder_mc.lineTo(calcX, (calcY + picHeight));
pictureBox_mc.pictureHolder_mc.lineTo((calcX + picWidth), (calcY + picHeight));
pictureBox_mc.pictureHolder_mc.lineTo((calcX + picWidth), calcY);
pictureBox_mc.pictureHolder_mc.lineTo(calcX, calcY);
pictureBox_mc.pictureHolder_mc.endFill();

So there’s the stuff being drawn dynamically. I’ve been trying to work in the code from the tutorial but mostly through just substituting the given variables for my own; I think there’s probably something bigger I’m missing.

Anybody have any ideas?

2

Just giving it a bump so theflash gets a chance to look at the FLA…

3

Alright I have the image loading kinda working; it doesn’t preload or anything fancy like that.

But now those other three problems I’ve been working on longer than I had the loading one and couldn’t get…

  1. The first and biggest now is getting the XML to wait until the dynamically drawn movieclips are loaded to put its contents in their; I can’t put the dynamic drawing code in the XML’s initial “onLoad” file like you all must be thinking because the movieclips are only dynamically drawn when a button’s pressed…

  2. Figuring out how to know which of the buttons has been clicked (it’s tough because they’re a dynamic amount of movieclips “attached” to another movieclip, which makes them scroll left and right; I can’t figure a way to have each individual one return a separate value that can be used for an array access variable)… For clarity, how do you get a single index value from clicking on one of an indeterminate amount of movieclips?

  3. That ■■■■ textfield mentioned on the last page still isn’t showing up

  4. And now, for some reason, in my XML file the last project’s enlarged image is tracing as “null” in the ActionScript code’s output window instead of the image file’s name; I’ve thoroughly combed the XML file and it’s fine, as far as I can tell.

Has everybody not been responding because they didn’t know the answer, or what? I really need some help with this stuff; again, I apologize for the desperation but I really do.

Thanks for any help in advance.