# setMask Shenanigans (In External Movie)

**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/setmask-shenanigans-in-external-movie/229605
**Category:** flash
**Created:** [June 18, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/setmask-shenanigans-in-external-movie/229605 "2007-06-18T22:26:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![bumblepuppy](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/bumblepuppy/32/1225_2.png) [@bumblepuppy](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/bumblepuppy)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/setmask-shenanigans-in-external-movie/229605/1 "2007-06-18T22:26:38Z")

</div>

Well hi there oh handsome Kirupa forum peeps!

I’ve recently been having fun with “setMask” in an external movieClip. Basically I have a “preloader.swf” file which loads the main content (“content.swf”), which uses “setMask” to mask a target movie clip (“maskee”) with a mask movie clip (“masker”).

I’ve locked the root of the “content.swf” file as follows:

this.\_lockroot = true;

Then I apply the mask

maskee.setMask(“masker”);

The problem I have is that this all works fine and dandy when launching the “content.swf” on it’s own, but as soon as I it’s loaded by “preloader.swf” it fails to work. Is this a bug or am I just missing something very obvious…?

I’ve included example files for all you lovely guys and gals to play with…

Happy carrots!