External preloader code required

1

I have created a Flash CS3 (Actionscript 2.0) movie that contains two scrollpane components used to view two movie clips. In order for them to work correctly I had to check the “Export in first frame” check box in the movie clips properties dialogue boxes. This makes a regular preloader pointless, as it is only visible momentarily AFTER the two movie clips are loaded into the first frame. This is made all the worse because the two movie clips are the largest elements in the whole swf file.

So I’m told that and external preloader may solve my problem, but I’m unable to find a suitable tutorial or example. The main movie, called [FONT=“Courier New”]claudette1.swf[/FONT], is a very simple movie consisting of just 5 frames. What I would like to know is what do I have to do to make an external preloader that plays [FONT=“Courier New”]claudette1.swf[/FONT] after frame 2 of that movie has loaded? Please help.

2

No, you don’t need a ‘wrapper’ swf if you do this:

  • when creating your ‘linkage’ for any movieclip, button, sound, etc., DO NOT select the ‘export in first frame’ option
  • create a new movieclip in your main movie called ‘assets’, and put it on a separate layer, on frame two, or any frame after your preloader
  • throw any movieclip you need ‘linkage’ for into this ‘assets’ movie
  • put this code in an actionscript layer of your main movie, on the same frame as your assets movie:

assets._visible = false;

Problem solved! :slight_smile:

3

Also, what’s the size of the .swf we’re talking about…?
I think that nowadays, even people who are on narrowband/dial-up (do they still exist?) are used to waiting for a 300kB jpeg to load.
And: I just built a preloader for a 1.2 MB swf, but I’ve only seen it for a fraction of a second on any of the connections I use here in .nl