How to make dynamic menus slide in

1

Hello,

I’ve got the action script below to load an xml file with menu info. Everything at this point works, the menu drops down, everything is great. I would like to make it so the menu slides down, instead of just appears. I’m unsure of how to do this because the movie clip that contains the sub menus (subContain) is dynamically created.

Any ideas on how I can accomplish it?

Here is the actionscript:

  
//MENU CONFIG
cfg_XMLFile = "submen.xml"; //XML Filename
cfg_xMove = 125; //Menu Header x-axis move, Typical = width of movie clip
cfg_mcHeight = 25; //Height of Menu Header movie clip
cfg_mcWidth = 125; //Width of Menu Header movie clip
cfg_xStartPos = 75; //x coordinate of first Menu Header Clip
cfg_yStartPos = 15; //y coordinate of first Menu Header Clip
//END CONFIG
//####################################################
//START CODE

//XML Setup
menu = new XML();
menu.ignoreWhite = true;
menu.load(cfg_XMLFile); //Set xml file name in config section
//Function that assembles the menu
function menuCreate(xml, mcH, mcW, xpos, ypos, xMove){
 //###MAIN MENU ITEMS
 items = xml.firstChild.childNodes; //Gets menu headers from xml and puts into array "items"
 for(a = 0; a<= items.length-1; a++){ //loop from 0 to number of items in array "items"
  iattrib = items[a].attributes; //Collect current menu attributes into object
  item = _root.attachMovie( "menuItem", "item"+a, a); //Use movie clip "menuItem" to create menu header
  item.nametxt.text = iattrib.id; //Set dynamic text box "nametxt" of movie clip "menuItem" to menu name
  
  //###SUB MENU ITEMS - CREATION
  subs = xml.firstChild.childNodes[a].childNodes; //Get submenu items for array item #a and send to array "subs"
  subContain = _root.createEmptyMovieClip("subContain"+a, a+1000); //Create movie clip to store all sub menu clips
  
	 for(z = 0; z<= subs.length-1; z++){ //loop from 0 to number of sub menu items for current main menu item
   attribs = subs[z].attributes; //Set attribute items of sub menu to object "attribs"
		 sub =_root.subContain.attachMovie( "menuItem", "sub"+z, z+100); //Use movie clip "menuItem" to create submenu item
		 sub.nametxt.text = attribs.id; //Set dynamic text box "nametxt" of movie clip "menuItem" to menu name
   sub._y = (mcH*z)+mcH; //Set the y position of the submenu item
   sub.itemUrl = attribs.theURL //Set URL of submenu item
   
   sub.onRelease = function(){ //If submenu item is clicked, open the URL
	getURL(this.itemUrl, "_blank"); //Open URL in new window
   }
	   }//CLOSE SUB MENU LOOP
 //###SUB MENU ITEMS - OPERATION
  //NOTE: Remember, subContain# contains all submenu movie clips, think of it as a drawer for multiple items
  //x and y will be the same as the main menu item
 _root["subContain"+a]._visible=false; //Hide submenu movie clip "subContain#"
 _root["subContain"+a]._x = xpos; //Set x coordinate of "subContain#"
 _root["subContain"+a]._y = ypos; //Set y coordinate of "subContain#"
 
 item.num = a;
 _root["item"+a].box.subsL = subs.length;
 _root["item"+a].box.onRollOver = function(){
 this._height = (this.subsL*mcH)+mcH+8;   
   }
  //###MENU OPERATION, MOUSE TRACKING
  _root["item"+a].onMouseMove = function(){ //When the mouse moves, track it
	  
   //Reference variables to the mouse coords
	  mY = _root._ymouse;
	  mX = _root._xmouse;
	  
	  //Local reference to whether the subContain is hit or not
	  this.subHit = _root["subContain"+this.num].hitTest(mX, mY);
	  //SUBMENU APPEAR/DISAPPEAR
	  this.itemHit = this.box.hitTest(mX, mY); //If mouse is over "box" of clip "menuItem", show submenu
	//NOTE: "box" expands to cover header and submenu items as long as mouse is moving over "box" the submenu stays open, else it closes
	  if(this.itemHit == true){
	_root["subContain"+this.num]._visible = true;	
	  }else{ //Mouse not over "box" anymore, hide submenu
		 _root["subContain"+this.num]._visible = false;
		 this.box._height = mcH; //resize "box" back to just cover menu header
	  }
  }//CLOSE MOUSE TRACKING
   
 //Place the menu item
 item._x = xpos; 
 item._y = ypos;
   
	xpos += xMove; //Move xpos over for next menu item (So they aren't on top of each other) 
   }//CLOSE MENU HEADER LOOP
}//CLOSE menuCreate FUNCTION

menu.onLoad = function(){
   menuCreate(this, cfg_mcHeight, cfg_mcWidth, cfg_xStartPos, cfg_yStartPos, cfg_xMove, "menuItem");
}

The project is also attached.

Thank you!