# External swf into another external swf?
**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/external-swf-into-another-external-swf/114956
**Category:** Uncategorized
**Created:** [July 3, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/external-swf-into-another-external-swf/114956 "2004-07-03T20:57:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Circles](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Circles)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/external-swf-into-another-external-swf/114956/1 "2004-07-03T20:57:20Z")
I have a main swf file that has a container inside of it.
It works great having different swf files load into the container
Is there a way for me to load another swf inside the one that just loaded?
For example if i have 3 movie clips :MC\_1, MC\_2, MC\_3
load MC\_2 into MC\_1. then have MC\_3 load into MC\_2?
when i tried doing this the second one being loaded shows up blank (MC\_3)
thanks in advance if someone can help me with this
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/external-swf-into-another-external-swf/114956/2 "2004-07-03T22:07:05Z")
If you want to target MC\_3 as your empty movieClip that is in MC\_2; from the timeline of MC\_2, I would use:
```auto
MC_3.loadMovie("yourmovie.swf");
```
If you need to target it from somewhere else like the main stage, you must target everything in order for Flash to find it:
```auto
_root.MC_1.MC_2.MC_3.loadMovie("yourmovie.swf");
```
In the tools of your actions panel, there is a little crosshair target thing. If you push that when you are trying to target something, this will open up a pop up window showing you all your available targets.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/external-swf-into-another-external-swf/114956/3 "2004-07-03T23:09:52Z")
thanks…i think i get the idea…
but im still pretty rookie at flash…so can you recommend any tuturials that would help me in this area?
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/external-swf-into-another-external-swf/114956/4 "2004-07-03T23:54:10Z")
I’m guessing you’ve gone through the kirupa loading external stuff tut. That’s the first step, understanding the loading - which I think you understand already. Then it’s experimentation (or at least that’s what it was for me).
I found this doing a search. Search for ‘targeting nested movieClips’. You’ll find some stuff:
```auto
- Targeting or referencing movieclips and variables is usually the hardest thing to come to grips with when using Flash. Because Flash supports nested timelines or really, nested movieclips, and each movieclip can contain their own set of variables, to correctly access specific movieclips and variables you need to be able to specifically target them. This is done through dot-syntax.
```
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2004, 2:47am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/external-swf-into-another-external-swf/114956/5 "2004-07-04T02:47:02Z")
ya …thats what ive been doing…thanks for your help