Flash preloader for 2 swf files

March 7th, 2004, 3:17 am

I can't seem to figure out how to let 2 .swf files communicate their byte progress together. ... There really isn't any other way I could lay the site out to combine it into 1 swf file. I tried letting both load an external .as file with the general preloading getbytes script but it didn't seem to work.

If I could get one to preload and let it communicate with the other file to "gotoandplay" after that file loaded, that'd be great. please help! I've been at this for a bit, haha It'd be a waste to post how many things I've tried tonite alone for this

//moving this to the Flash board

March 7th, 2004, 9:52 am

try this thread, it may be what you need -

http://www.ozzu.com/ftopic21181.html&hi ... ltiple+swf

March 7th, 2004, 10:09 am

hmm, thanx for giving me that, but doesnt the "loadmovienum" load a swf file on top of the current one? You see the multiple swf files I want to talk to each other are separated and even in different framing.

I was wondering maybe a simple javascript or php would preload these and let them play when all "objects" have been loaded on the site, that would be sweet, but how do I treat .swf files as objects and not images?

March 7th, 2004, 10:22 am

well, doing it that way is kinda backwards thinking. You should let the
flash movie handle it's own loading and preloading. It's less headache a
lot more efficient for the visitor.

I hadn't read through that post completely so I'm sorry that wasn't what
you need.

What you're going to want to do is load the swf's into an empty container
and load them that way. This tutorial is the closest thing I could find
for what you need:

http://www.kirupa.com/developer/mx2004/transitions.htm

it says mx2004, but the source for MX is there as well. Also, it's the
concepts here that I thought would help you, not the actual tutorial. But
the tutorial is excellent and probably something you can use anyway.

March 7th, 2004, 10:35 am

I absolutely agree to let the Flash loading handle itself, I was thinking to have other scripts handle it as a last resort lol.

I think that tutorial could help and I'll let you know what happens, thanx! (I have to work out right now, nerd life is a b**** on the body)

March 8th, 2004, 10:40 am

did 10 miles yesterday, woo.

I looked more deeply into the tutorial and again it has a movie container for the next .swf file to load on top of it. hehe... not what I need.

I'll see what I can do myself to the layout to make it into one file because this is becoming a large hassle.

March 8th, 2004, 11:02 am

let me simplify - you have a few swf's to load, but you don't
need them loaded into a container. You want them to load
together, but play seperately, but also not on top of each other.

correct?

March 8th, 2004, 11:05 am

yes, adding in that the .swf files are in different locations in the .php.

I figure why can't both of them read of the same .as file, the preloader, why can't the script add in both bytes? Makes sense to me...

March 8th, 2004, 11:07 am

so you have 2 sef's on the same page, seperated?

March 8th, 2004, 11:09 am

swfs, yeh

March 8th, 2004, 11:17 am

ok, i understand now. And now I can't figure out why you want to do
this...Having swf's on the same page can't be done the way you want.

I would just make each swf preload itself. Is it that important to have
them load at the same time? or preload together? You can take the
preloader script on this link and put it on each movie and it will load
when it's complete.

here is the best preloader out there IMO, from one of our fellow
moderators --

http://www.kirupa.com/developer/mx/perc ... loader.htm

March 8th, 2004, 11:21 am

Yeh they both preload fine.

The top .swf file is the header that has a music clip to run throughout the entire site. The one underneath is just a splash animation, when ended loads a .php file to replace it in that frame.

I'd LIKE to have the one on bottom play after the top one finished loading... is all.. nit picky right? Why can't both of the files load the same external .as script-that script combining their byte progress together? It seems plausible.

March 8th, 2004, 11:27 am

as far as I know, it can't be done. Maybe it can, but I also don't think it
can be done easily. Action script can't be loaded externally anyway.

If you have them in frames, why not load the bottom from from the end
of the header animation? Load a blank page or placeholder image in
the bottom frame, then when the header movie is complete put this on
the last frame:

Code: [ Download ] [ Select ]

stop();
getURL("nextpage.html", "frameName");
}

1. stop();
2. getURL("nextpage.html", "frameName");
3. }

You'll have to be sure to name the frame sections to load it properly.

March 8th, 2004, 11:32 am

yeh ive loaded external actionscript.

just include# script.as in the first frame of the swf.

I think you're misunderstanding me or I'm confused. The swf files are in different frames of the .php page, not frames of a flash file, lol. This is so confusing to discuss. Do you have aim?

March 8th, 2004, 11:39 am

no, i'm sorry I don't give out my IM address.

you have 1 php page, 2 swf's on that page, and you want an
external AS file to preload both movies, but you don't want the
2nd movie to play until the header movie is complete.

correct?

there has to be a better way for you to do this...