SWF Menu

[jfharper]

I am creating my first Flash project and was wondering if someone could offer some advice. I would like to create a menu screen that has some text and buttons. Each button when pressed would launch a different animation in an area of the menu screen. I am using mx 2004. There is an example I have seen where the person built the menu as one swf, then had separate swfs for the other animations...as the user was watching the first swf, the other swfs were downloading, getting ready to play. I would like the menu to autorun the first swf if no user interaction is detected, and download the others while it is playing. After the first animation swf is done, I would like the next one to play, until all have played once, then the menu screen waits until user input or close. Any suggestions would be great, as I am new to this.
JH

[Vman]

Can you be a little more specific on what exactly you don't know how to do? Is it everything or just some things. Do you know about preloaders? Do you know how to use loadMovie()? Do you know how to add AS to a frame? Have you created any of the .swfs that you want to load yet? Are all of the external swfs occupying the same space as the first one? Are they in different positions on the stage? Do they have visible preloaders?

It may be better to create some of your content first then work out the details.

[jfharper]

Can you be a little more specific on what exactly you don't know how to do?
- Let's just say I am a newbie...I have a general understanding of things, but have not created anything yet.
Is it everything or just some things.
- I would say not everything.
Do you know about preloaders?
- NO
Do you know how to use loadMovie()?
- Yes, but the movie loops when loaded, perhaps I am not using this right.
Do you know how to add AS to a frame?
- Yes.
- Have you created any of the .swfs that you want to load yet?
- No, all I've created is a test movie of a box moving over 10 frames.
Are all of the external swfs occupying the same space as the first one?
- Yes.
Are they in different positions on the stage?
- No.
Do they have visible preloaders?
- No...not sure what that is.

So lets start easy, and then I can probably take it from there...I have and understand the menu that loads first, this has some text explaining the each movie, and three buttons (text will change based on what button/movie user clicks)...then I want the first movie to load into a specific area on the menu...I want it to play only once, then I want the next movie (including the corresponding text) to play, and so on until all three movies are done. If the user clicks movie 2 to play first, so be it, then without interaction, movie 3 would play...here is an example of exactly what I want to do, but with my own content...http://web.ncifcrf.gov/rtp/GEL/RTQPCR/ look to the left and click on PCR Animation...that's it. Thanks for your help
JH

[cobo]

hi mate...

Do you know about preloaders?
- NO do a search at the tutorial section of this site

Do you know how to use loadMovie()?
- Yes, but the movie loops when loaded, perhaps I am not using this right.
put a stop(); at the end of your movie to prevent looping...

cobo

[Vman]

Hey, I checked out that link. Each one of those buttons just starts the same movie over from the beginning. I don't get it?

[jfharper]

Hmmm...they didn't for me? Check again, it may seem like the same movie, but the content is different for each button movie. Look at the title up in the upper left corner, this should match each button name when pressed.

Cobo,
I want the movie when finished playing to play the next movie in sequence, not just stop and stay stopped...I tried adding this and the movie stopped but I didn't know what to do next to load the next movie...it was stuck.
JH

[Vman]

OK, I see what you're trying to do. I'm a little busy at work right now, but I'll take a look at lunch time and see if I can shed a little light on your dilema. :)

[Vman]

OK, here's a really simple example of how to do it. I just have 2 movies looping for now. When you play the Example2.swf, movie 1 plays immediately. When it gets to the end, it plays movie 2. At any time during movie 1 you hit the second button, movie 2 will play and vice versa. Hope this is what you were looking for. When you create your movie for the last button, make sure you put stop() in the last frame. Otherwise it will keep looping. If you want it to go back to the very beginning, put:

getURL("0.swf", "_level1");

[jfharper]

vman,

Thanks a bunch...this looks exactly what I was looking for. I've looked at fla file and will need some time to go thru and understand everything, but this is just what I wanted, a quick example of what I needed to do to make this work...thanks again.
JH

[Vman]

Glad to hear it. You'll be surprised at how incredibly simple it is. You can get the same effect using loadMovie(). If you have any questions, ask away. :)