Preloading SWF's for 'later' use (flash5)

programming flash
1

While the main movie is already visible and usable, I want to load some additional SWF’s (not to large though, like 20-50kb) underwater… so not visible and they won’t be appearing to people unless they click a certain button. It is not certain that people will actually go to view them, but I want to make sure that some parts are immediately visible (so already loaded), in cache so to speak.

How do I do this correctly?

Thanks :slight_smile:

2

imagine like this…

some chapters that are not immediately visible, you go to them and then they are there (like they would be part of the main movie, but they are not - external) already loaded into the placeholder MC

3

Load them into place holders off the boundaries of the stage and bring them to the stage when needed

4

so it wouldn’t work if I would preload them to a placeholder MC already at the place (like in a MC on frame 67 for example)?

5

Well, it would if the MC exists(it needs to and it won’t if you are in frame 40 for instance) when you invoke it but then it would be visible so you either have to make it invisible strait away or have the loading movie stoped in a blank frame.

If I were you I would make the main movie in a single frame and bring assets in and out the stage

Hope it helps

SHO

6

ah okay, so MC’s that are in a SWF, but not in the frame that you are currently on, Flash considers it as non-existent? (at least, you cannot refer to it)?

didn’t know that. :blush:

So recapping if I understood you correctly…

I should put some empty placeholder MC’s outside the Stage…
like a library.

and then each time when I call for a preloaded external SWF, it will take it from there (like move MC to position X)?

or just make them invisible, already in place???

and would loadMovieNum (“name.swf”, 1); loadMovieNum (“name2.swf”, 2); etc be the best way, and can I then simply load a movie by refering to the right level?

7

It’s better to use placeholders as if you load anything on a level
it’s gonna display it ‘above’ your current level (assuming you’re in level 0).

I think it’s better to have a MC, lets say in _x=-2000 where you load your movie and when need it bring to the stage (i.e. _x= 200)

Yet another better way to do it is to loadMovieNum in an another level a swf which only has elements (symbols) in the library with linkage names and when you need any of them use the myMC.attachMovie command. In short: load a library in a level
and attach elements of that library to placeholders when needed.

Hope it helps

SHO

8

I am not quite sure if I understood the last part (an another level a swf which only has elements (symbols) in the library with linkage names and when you need any of them use the myMC.attachMovie command. In short: load a library in a level
and attach elements of that library to placeholders when needed.)… I feel so dum :frowning:

would i have to change the existing SWF’s for that, since they contain of a GIF placed on frame1…

9

How would this idea be?

Instead of per section (main timeline is devided into 4 sections now (with stop()) the same containerMC in which a SWF is loaded (and therefore the previous one is replaced), I could also put a containerMC on frame 1 (no stops for that one anymore) and then put the 4 containerMC’s (4 different ones obviously) above eachothers… and then load from the start all 4 SWF’s into the right containerMC. Then if I want to view the right SWF I simply set the other 3 to frame 1 (I give all 4 an empty frame1 + stop() - content starts on frame2) and the right one to Frame2…

or would puting one containerMC outside the scene, in which I load and unload the SWF’s, and therefore puting them in cache, be better???

10

Hi,

Sorry for the late response, I’ve been out.

Well.

The first case will work and , it looks to me, you are confident with it.

The second option is good aswell and you could load the needed
movies when the user is doing something else (i.e. reading the presentation)

I’ll try to explain the option I mentioned in my last answer:

Load in (let’s say) _level1 a swf file containing all 4 movies but only in the library (so the timeline is empty) making sure they’ve got their linkage identifier (from the library window select a symbol and choose linkage). Then create an empty ‘holder’ (MC)
and attach to it the movies from the library as needed.
(myHolder.attachMovie(“myMovieIdentifier”, “myMovie”, 0).

Hope it helps

SHO

11

no prob, I appreciate your help a lot!

I didn’t even know you could load things in a library :slight_smile:

so do I understand it correctly that you load a SWF, but don’t indicate where you want it to be loaded, and so it goes in the library???

Searching on Macromedia.com will give me tutorials about this subject??

Hmmm, i’ll try that.

edit: hmmm, can’t seem to find documentation about the use of libraries on Macromedia.com. I must be using the wrong keywords to search :frowning: Can you give me some info about where to find tuts on using libraries?

thanks!

12

Hi,

I’m sorry I don’t have much time to explain it but I’m posting an example for you to have a look (holder.swf loads cir.swf)

Bye

SHO