Random Array Order for Sound Object

[mrblifil]

Here's the code I have currently which calls any one of three sounds from the library:

mySongs = new Array("BGMusic1", "BGMusic2", "BGMusic3");
thisSong = mySongs[Math.ceil(Math.random()*mySongs.length-1)];
myLoop = new Sound(soundclip_mc);
myLoop.attachSound(thisSong);
myLoopVolume = 75;
myLoop.setVolume(myLoopVolume);
myLoop.stop;
myLoop.start(0,999);

This works fine. Every time the user reloads the page, there's a 66.66% chance that the song will be different. The problem is that currently the same tune plays over and over, leaving the other two out completely, unless the user decides to reload, which I don't actually want to have happen anyway. Any thoughts as to how to modify the code so that other two songs will play in succession, and then loop.

[anonymous]

myLoop.start(0,999);

Don't loop it, to start with... Use...

myLoop.start(0,1);

And add an onSoundComplete function to your myLoop, so that you attach the next song in the array based on the present index (0,1,2) +1, setting it back to 0, if it's bigger than 2.

Or simply randomize the array at the start of the movie, and have your attached sound cycle through it in that randomised order.

http://www.adobe.com/support/flash/a...ionary664.html

[mrblifil]

I'll play around with that and let you know how I do. Thanks.

[anonymous]

Ÿou're welcome.

[mrblifil]

Originally Posted by anonymous

Or simply randomize the array at the start of the movie, and have your attached sound cycle through it in that randomised order.

http://www.adobe.com/support/flash/a...ionary664.html

This is where I get a bit lost. The array is randomizing at the start of the movie. Based on how my variables are currently named, how do I introduce the concept of adding one to the array value and then going back to zero if the total is greater than 2?

[J. Grady Broyles]

OK. This is a cool thing. A solution I got from a friend.

Here's the summary: You start with an array. Push things into it. Make another empty array tempArray or whatever, Then you generate a random integer 'r' in the range of 0 to the last index of original array. You use array.splice() to take the array index 'r' and push it onto the tempArray.
splice returns an array and actually removes the element from the original array. so you loop until the original array is empty. That's it. You can assign the variable name of of the original to point to the temp array.

Here's the code for creating an array of a deck of cards, each with a value of 0 through 51. And then shuffle it.
var array:Array = new Array(52);
for ( var i:Number = 0; i < 5; i++ )

this.array.push( i );

so now you have an ordered array containing the numbers 0 - 51.

I suggest a shuffle() function. You could call it randomize or whatever. if you have it return an Array, you can just assign the function results right into a variable.

here's my shuffle - pay close attention to array.splice();

public function shuffle():Array
{

var temp_array:Array = new Array(0); // holder for shuffled cards

while ( array.length > 0 )

temp_array.push( array.splice( Math.floor( Math.random() * array.length ), 1 )[0] );

array = temp_array; // optionally copy the reference

return array;

}

OK I know that that single line of code is confusing to look at, but it's an abbreviated way to do several things at once. array.splice() returns an array containing the elements from index n through x indexes.
the signature:

from the AS2 Docs:
splice(startIndex:Number, [deleteCount:Number], [value:Object]) : Array

so, what I'm doing is pushing on to the new array, index 0 of the array returned from splicing a random index with a count of 1. I know how screwy that sounds.
you could do it like this - expanded:

var tempArray:Array = new Array();
while ( array.length > 0 )
{

var randomIndex:Number = Math.floor( Math.random() * array.length ), 1 );

var splicedArray:Array = array.splice( randomIndex, 1);

var item:Number = splicedArray[0];

tempArray.push( item );

}