# Duplicate an empty MC?

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [January 30, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349 "2003-01-30T01:07:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![milestrap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@milestrap](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/milestrap)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349/1 "2003-01-30T01:07:28Z")

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Can this be done… ?  
when could you?

thanks for a solution.

M

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**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:** [January 30, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349/2 "2003-01-30T03:32:43Z")

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Of course it can be done, it is just like duplicating any other movie clip 😉

But keep in mind your clip will be empty so it won’t do you much good unless you plan on doing something with those clips.

Try this…

```php
_root.createEmptyMovieClip("container", -1);
for (i=0; i<10; i++) {
	_root.container.duplicateMovieClip("container"+i, i);
	mc = _root["container"+i];
	trace(mc);
}

```

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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:** [January 30, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349/3 "2003-01-30T04:00:39Z")

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the problem comes into the drawing within an empty movieclip and copying that (in case thats what you meant). I did an example of a kind of workaround for that… but I think it was at were-here so its lost forever ☹

the basic idea, though, was to save the drawing actions within a function and have that function run when you you duplicate a clip. Actually I think I overrided the duplicate prototype and just included in it a check for a ‘creator’ function which was what was associated with a drawn movieclip… if that function existed, it drew the object in the empty clip duplicate so you had a match.

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**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:** [January 30, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349/4 "2003-01-30T20:12:45Z")

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Thanks for the help!!

Actually I would like to populate them with .swf files from an array…

how would I write that;

clipsArray = new Array ();

clipsArray[0] = ???

traced name = example.swf; ???

And then where would it go…

🙂

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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:** [January 30, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349/5 "2003-01-30T20:48:21Z")

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Ermm, I am not sure but that might be CPU intensive.

Untested, but try this…

```php
loadArray = ["clip1.swf", "clip2.swf", "clip3.swf", "clip4.swf"];
_root.createEmptyMovieClip("container", -1);
for (i=0; i<5; i++) {
	_root.container.duplicateMovieClip("container"+i, i);
	mc = _root["container"+i];
	mc.loadMovie(_root.loadArray*);
	mc._x = 25*i;
	mc._y = 35*i;
	trace(mc+": "+mc._x+", "+mc._y);
}

```

It duplicates the container, then uses loadMovie on the new clip and pulls which .swf file out of the array according to what “i” equals.

then it positions it on the x coordinates every 25 pixels for each clip and 35 pixels for each clip on the y coordinates.

The trace actions lets you see the x,y coordinates of each clip so you see what I mean by 25 pixels x and 35 pixels y

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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:** [January 30, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349/6 "2003-01-30T21:05:32Z")

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I have a question… why duplicate empty movieclips when you can just create another one? This will keep the confusion down a little since you are using one method consistently (createEmpty) instead of two (createEmpty and duplicate)

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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:** [January 30, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349/7 "2003-01-30T21:08:36Z")

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Makes sense.

So you mean like this…?

```php
loadArray = ["clip1.swf", "clip2.swf", "clip3.swf", "clip4.swf"];
for (i=0; i<5; i++) {
	_root.createEmptyMovieClip("container"+i, i);
	mc = _root["container"+i];
	mc.loadMovie(_root.loadArray*);
	mc._x = 25*i;
	mc._y = 35*i;
	trace(mc+": "+mc._x+", "+mc._y);
}

```

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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:** [January 30, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349/8 "2003-01-30T21:45:09Z")

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yep, pretty much… but I dont know if there was a specific reason for wanting to duplicate or not? milestrap?

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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:** [January 30, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349/9 "2003-01-30T22:29:05Z")

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Well the reason for Duplicating… is to keep byte size to a minimum.

and then of coarse loading seperate .swf later into those empty clips…

hhmm give me some time to put this to use…

thanks you kids rock…🙂

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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:** [January 30, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349/10 "2003-01-30T22:30:39Z")

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Well its an empty movie clip, I am pretty sure it won’t effect file size :-\

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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:** [January 30, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349/11 "2003-01-30T22:35:28Z")

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Keep in mind I am talking about if you are using Flash MX and create empty movie clips dynamically.

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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:** [January 30, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349/12 "2003-01-30T22:35:40Z")

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yup…

before I would load these .swf files into a holder\_mc inside duplicated mc already on stage… but then you had no control over the .swf you just loaded. the \_parent clip took presidence. ofcourse you couldn’t remove it cause your .swf would dissapear as well. And I couldn’t find work around. So this is why this question came up.

I’ll need more help…don’t go to far! :cowboy:

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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:** [January 30, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/duplicate-an-empty-mc/12349/13 "2003-01-30T22:37:05Z")

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Refer to previous post 😉 (we posted at the same time)

I have to go now, but I am always around. This is my favorite hangout.