flash (macromedia): I wonder if there is an alternative for the scrollpane component that comes
with Flash MX 2004? I want to avoid using the components 'cause they make my
flashmovie act strange, removeMovieClip() stops to work for example.
Is there another way to create a scrollpane? I just need a textfield that can
scroll.

Cheers,
//Erik

But I can't use the UI components, 'cause then the removeMovieClip() function
stops to work and I can't remove movieclips from my flashfile. I've tried a lot
of things like don't export in first frame for the components but the only
solution is to not use the UI components.

Is there an alternative for a scrollbar?

nsrgreg's suggestion sounds like MX rather than MX 2004. If all you want to do
is scroll text, you can use the Text Area component as an alternative to the
scrollpane - it is stil a component, however. If you want to avoid using
components, the alternative is to make your own or else buy a third party
scrollpane for $5 or so. If you use the MX 2004 components, you will not get
around having to export in the first frame. I am curious about the
interference you say the scrollpane causes. I have never had the scrollpane
cause problems with the functionality of any other part of a movie. How do you
know that the scrollpane is the culprit? What movie clip are you trying to
remove? Is the clip you are trying to remove within the scrollpane?

The problem is when I put a component in a MovieClip then I can't remove
MovieClips using target.removeMovieClip()
With an easier example than the project I'm working on, lets say I got a MC
named 'test' that is exported for actionscript and in first frame. Then in the
first frame of my file I put this code:
attachMovie("test", "test1", getNextHighestDepth());
test1.removeMovieClip();
stop();

It works great, but if I add a component to the stage the removeMovieClip
function doesnt work anymore. The problem still exists if I remove the
component so it's only in the library. But if I uncheck the export in first
frame square then the code works. But if it's unchecked I can't attach the
component later on in the code so it's for no use.

I just don't understand why the components affect the removeMovieClip
function. Is it a bug? I'm using Flash MX 2004 v7.2

What happens if you try:

this.attachMovie("test", "test1", getNextHighestDepth());
test1.removeMovieClip();
stop();


--
Jim Fee
Viking Electronic Services
jfee (at) vikinges (dot) com


[quoted text, click to view]

Okay I can repeat exactly the problem. I only just recently upgraded from 7 to
7.2 but, regardless, it is the same as what you are running I think. I agree
it is a strange problem. I cannot remove a movie clip created with
getNextHighestDepth but I can remove a movie clip created at a specific depth.
I don't understand why the component interferes with this but it does. I have
tried about a half dozen different path alternatives and am still trying others
so have not given up but this is what I have so far: I scrubbed the scrollpane
from the FLA and brought in a scrollpane from a 7.0x movie and they are quite
different (7.0 and 7.2). The 7.2 scrollpane, in addition to its instance name,
creates two additional clips ('registered' and 'focusManager'). What I found
strange was that the 7.0 scrollpane actually created TWO movieclips named
'focusManager'. I deleted those extra clips in both versions to see what effect
it would have but the behavior remained the same (i.e. cannot remove clip).
The other thing I tried was to load the component separately to a new level via
loadMovieNum and this did allow me to remove a movie clip created in the
original movie via getNextHighestDepth. Not being able to use
getNextHighestDepth would cause me some serious problems so, if I had to, I
would load the components in their own level and just talk back and forth
between (among) the levels. Or I would get Flash to fix the problem - whichever
comes first. The other option is just don't use the components and either make
your own or buy a third party one. I have seen one somewhere for $5.00. Oh,
and I think Jim Fee is right. It is better to use 'this' although it does not
solve the problem.

Back to my movie: It is simple and just creates two MC buttons using
getNextHighestDepth. If I do not include the component and, on the rollover,
trace(this.getDepth());, I get 0 and 1. That makes sense. If I then drag an
empty scrollpane onto the stage and repeat the exercise, the two MC button
depths become 1048576 and 1048577. Now, in the help file under 'managing movie
clip depths', it says the valid range for depths is -16384 to 1048575 so by
adding the scrollpane (or any UI AS2 component), it has just pushed my movie
clip over the top of the valid range which may be why I can't delete it. Now
this is interesting. When I first use swapDepths to change the depth of my
dynamically created MC to something within the valid range (I used
swapDepths(1000), I was able to delete it handily enough. So maybe this is a
simple workaround. Pick a depth you won't use for anything else and swap to
that depth and then delete the MC. It still seems to be a bug in the
component. Wait? A bug in an MM component????

Also, just for what it is worth: In my UI components now under V7.2, (I have
not checked every single one) the data grid and color picker each create two
focusManager's while all the other components create only one. The enhanced
data grid only creates one focusManager. I am not sure if that is just because
V7.2 replaced all but those two components or what. Just for the fun of it I
pulled in a combobox from an older 7.0 movie and that older version of the
combobox does create two focus managers which might explain some (but not all)
of the problems I have had with the combobox. If you are upgrading movies from
7.0 to 7.2, even though the components have the same look, it might be a good
idea to scrub your FLA's of the old version and import the newer components.
Even with the upgraded components, it looks like every single one will shove
your dynamically created movie clips right out of the allowable range of depth.
It is funny that they still work - you just can't delete them.

This is my last one and I quit. If I do this: Load the components in frame 1
this.createEmptyMovieClip('tempclip',1048575);//overwrite what is at this depth
removeMovieClip(tempclip');
this.createEmptyMovieClip('tempclip',1048574);//overwrite what is at this depth
removeMovieClip(tempclip');
this.createEmptyMovieClip('whatever',this.getNextHighestDepth());
whatever.onRollOver = function() { trace(this.getdepth()); } This will trace a
depth of '0' so deleting those to top depths seems to wrestle depth control
back to reality. I have not tested the scrollpane to see what problems that
will cause it but I am willing to bet it won't cause any. The scrollpane is
grabbing those top two spots for its own reasons but it is not grabbing
anything between -1 and those top two depths. I don't think that is anything
specific to the scrollpane. It is just an inconvenience created somewhere in a
class file by an inconsiderate MM programmer.

Just out of curiosity I did: trace(this.getInstanceAtDepth(1048575)._name);
//returned 'reserved' trace(this.getInstanceAtDepth(1048574)._name); //returned
'focusManager' What I suggested before eliminates 'reserved' forever but the
focusManager will reinvent itself but at a new depth of -1081343 (unless it was
always there - I have not checked that yet). The fact that the older components
created two focus managers makes me suspicious.

Okay here is what I suggest. Find two low depths that you will never use and
use swapDepths to swap the depths of 'reserved' and 'focusManager' to those low
depths. That will leave two undefined MC's at 1048575 and 1048574. I am not
sure the best way to delete them since they are undefined but creating MC's at
those depths and then removing will do the trick as I mentioned before. Then
your getNextHighestDepth will have some room to work with. I tried to see what
would happen if I placed the component in a MC (nest it) hoping the two clips
would take on their depths within the contaxt of the MC but they always show up
in _root. so that does not seem a good option (it would be a pain in the neck
too). I have deleted the focusManager before. The components seem to still work
but that did create problems with the halo scheme (appearance only).

Thanks for all the information you've given me. I did the same test as you did
with the same results.
Then I tried this code with a scrollpane added to the library and exported in
the first frame:
removeMovieClip("reserved");
removeMovieClip("focusManager");
trace(this.getInstanceAtDepth(1048575)._name);
trace(this.getInstanceAtDepth(1048574)._name);

It returns undefined for both the "reserved" and the "focusManager" MC but it
doesn't restore the depth to 0, it still starts at 1048576, when I attach new
MC:s, weird. So I'll go for the code you wrote, it restores the depth to 0 and
solve my problem. I'm very thankful, 'cause this problem has been bothering me
for so long and I for example had to create my own components for my forms.

I wonder if Macromedia are aware of the problem 'cause I haven't seen a thread
about this problem on the forum.

I tried the same with the same result. It seems you cannot just remove those
clips - you have to replace them and remove the replacement. The problem seems
to exist with the 7.0 components as well so this is not new to V7.2. Anyway,
good luck.