# Movie clips? **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [May 14, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/movie-clips/20898 "2003-05-14T15:08:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JustSara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@JustSara](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/JustSara)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/movie-clips/20898/1 "2003-05-14T15:08:43Z")
In my swf I have 4 circles follow each other across the screen. I did this by putting each circle on its own layer and then synching the different layers. Well, I’d like to use that same animation again but I don’t want to go through that whole process again. That was a pain in my… neck. How can I turn the circles following each other into its own mini-movie so that I can just import the whole thing into certain parts of the timeline? Ok… my file didn’t upload. You can view the swf at [www.soacorp.com/flash.htm](http://www.soacorp.com/flash.htm) It takes a bit to load and I haven’t learned how to do the loading bar yet. 🙂 Sara H. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/movie-clips/20898/2 "2003-05-14T15:22:27Z")
Are the circles on the main timeline or did you create a movieclip and have the animation there? ---
**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:** [May 14, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/movie-clips/20898/3 "2003-05-14T15:26:39Z")
The circles are on the main timeline. I don’t know how to make a movie clip! I meant to bring in my Flash book today but I left it at home… along with my lunch and all my money. 🙂 ---
**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:** [May 14, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/movie-clips/20898/4 "2003-05-14T15:38:23Z")
Ok, what you can do is this, first you will need to copy the animation off the main timeline, to do this, highlight all the frames that involve the circle animation, in all layers. Once that is all highlighted, right click and goto copy frames. Now, create a new movie, press ctrl + F8, or insert New Symbol. In the dialog box, select movie clip, and choose a name for your movie. Press Ok. Flash will bring you into the movie clips timeline, now you can right click on the first frame and paste frames. It should create the layers and place the animation into the movie clip. You might need to do some editing to it, but not as much as you would to recreate it all. If you need anyhelp with this, upload you fla file, and I will place the animation in a movie clip for you. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/movie-clips/20898/5 "2003-05-14T15:46:49Z")
Hey it worked! Those were great instructions. Could you please tell me how to get the movie clip to quit playing after a certain number of frames though? My clip keeps endlessly repeating… Sara ---
**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:** [May 14, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/movie-clips/20898/6 "2003-05-14T15:56:34Z")
Never mind… I figured out I have to put the stop action inside the actual movie clip and not on the main timeline. D’oh! Thanks for all your help. 🙂