How to control a dynamically loaded SWF

actionscript-3flash

I have a flash piece that loads external SWF files. I need to be able to move the loaded swf file to the next frame in the main timeline.

Here's the code snippet:

var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest(file);
loader.load(request);
var swfTimeline:MovieClip = loader.content as MovieClip;
swfTimeline.nextFrame();

If I run a trace on swfTimeline, I get a null object reference. I think I found a way around that, but now the issue I'm having is that the loaded SWF is ActionScript 2 and AS3 doesn't seem to want to handle the AS2 SWF as a normal movie clip.

Best Answer

You need to add an event listener o the loader first so that you know when the load is complete. So from your code snippet i would suggest something like

var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest(file);
loader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, function(event : Event) : void
{
var swfTimeline:MovieClip = loader.content as MovieClip;
swfTimeline.nextFrame();
});
loader.load(request);

Lots of different ways to organise this code but that should do the trick

Related Solutions

R – Access MovieClips in one file from another SWF file

I recommend using the Event.INIT instead of the Event.COMPLETE. INIT gets trigger after the load is COMPLETE and the all the classes/instances in the loaded swf are initialized and ready to use.

var loader:Loader = new Loader(); 
loader.contentLoaderInfo.addEventListener(Event.INIT, handleInit);
addChild(loader);

function handleInit(e:Event):void{
var as2Movie:AVM1Movie = e.target.content as AVM1Movie;
}

You can access the loaded content through the content property of the Loader class. Not that since you're loading an as2 movie into an as3 movie, some restrictions apply:

"AVM1Movie is a simple class that represents AVM1 movie clips, which use ActionScript 1.0 or 2.0. (AVM1 is the ActionScript virtual machine used to run ActionScript 1.0 and 2.0. AVM2 is the ActionScript virtual machine used to run ActionScript 3.0.) When a Flash Player 8, or older, SWF file is loaded by a Loader object, an AVM1Movie object is created. The AVM1Movie object can use methods and properties inherited from the DisplayObject class (such as x, y, width, and so on). However, no interoperability (such as calling methods or using parameters) between the AVM1Movie object and AVM2 objects is allowed.

There are several restrictions on an AVM1 SWF file loaded by an AVM2 SWF file:

The loaded AVM1Movie object operates as a psuedo-root object for the AVM1 SWF file and all AVM1 SWF files loaded by it (as if the ActionScript 1.0 lockroot property were set to true). The AVM1 movie is always the top of any ActionScript 1.0 or 2.0 code execution in any children. The _root property for loaded children is always this AVM1 SWF file, unless the lockroot property is set in a loaded AVM1 SWF file. The AVM1 content cannot load files into levels. For example, it cannot load files by calling loadMovieNum("url", levelNum). The AVM1 SWF file that is loaded by an AVM2 SWF file cannot load another SWF file into this. That is, it cannot load another SWF file over itself. However, child Sprite objects, MovieClip objects, or other AVM1 SWF files loaded by this SWF file can load into this."From as3 docs.

For more info see the AMV1Movie Reference.

If you want to call as2 movies from as3 you will need to use Local Connection to establish communcation between the 2 swfs.

Grant Skinner wrote a handy thing called SWF Bridge for this kind of situation(easy as2 to as3 communication). It's worth a try.

Goodluck!

R – How to control main timeline from external swf

From the error message it seems that you are trying to cast a loader into a movie clip. Use the loader.content property instead.

var mc:MovieClip = loader.content as MovieClip;
//do whatever you want with mc

Best Answer

Related Solutions

R – Access MovieClips in one file from another SWF file

R – How to control main timeline from external swf

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