flash actionscript: Hello.
I have a movie clip that is instantiated a lot of times on one frame.
This movie clip has 3 frames (much like a button with 3 states).
There is a button on the frame that when it is clicked should change the state
of a particular instance of that movie clip.
So lets say that mc_instance1 is displaying its frame1.
on (release)
{
mc_instance1.nextFrame();
}
doesn't want to work.

any inputs?
thanks

Hello,

I'm assuming you have a stop(); at every frame to keep it in its state. I'm
not too sure about the method nextFrame, so I would use something more like
this:

on(release){
if(mc_instance1._currentFrame <= 2){
mc_instance1._currentFrame += 1;
}else{
mc_instance1._currentFrame = 1;
}
}
Hope that helps. Good luck!

Ugh, I'm writing this for the second time (although I'm probably shortening it
up), so I hope it's worth it!

I need to correct a couple things from my own code. Add _root or a _levelN
reference to the the start of every movieclip name. Here is an example where
you can use a function to save yourself from copying the code to several movie
clips.

Timeline:

// the function needs the chosen mc and its current frame
function mc_advance(mci, mci_cf){
// just reusing the previous code using variables
// note: don't need _root because it will be included
if(mci_cf <= 2){
mci_cf += 1;
}else{
mci_cf = 1;
}

Button (it's easier if the mc is its own button. use 'this' instead of the
entire instance name):

on(release){
// the currentframe property is all lowercase
// I forget if you need the quotes or not
mc_advance("_root.mc_instance1", _root.mc_instance1._currentframe);
}

using the mc as the button, the above line becomes:
mc_advance(this, this._currentframe);

Hope I've helped. Sorry for the code typos and other mistakes!

Ps. About the first line of the last message:

Banana is quite right that the problem is a _root reference. But your original
use of nextFrame() was correct and much more tidy than defining functions and
so on. Taking your original example with an instance of mc_instance1, all you
need to do is write this:

on (release) {
_root.mc_instance1.nextFrame();
}

That's it!

Alternatively you could make your actionscript tidier still by putting all the
script in the main timeline. If we say your button instance is called
bt_instance1, the example would go as follows:

bt_instance1.onRelease = function () {
mc_instance1.nextFrame();
};

But, the choice is yours.

Hope this helps and apologies if I've misunderstood you or Have A B.

::Nephthys

In Reply to Nepthys101

It probably would suit you more to use the nextFrame() method. I don't seem to
think in the 'conventional' manner, so I disagree with people often.

nextFrame() may be exactly what you're looking for, but here is a question
from me: will the frame cycle back to the start when it gets to the last one?

Concerning the use of functions, I like to keep any code I write adaptable to
any objects I create. I am still working on my programming skills, but I like
to think I make progress every day.

As a final query, I haven't seen any way to declare the same release function
for many objects at once. I like to be efficient and spend as little time
coding as possible. It would be nice if, for example, I knew of a way to give
all buttons in a certain folder of my library the same function for on(release)
that references their name.

This code doesn't seem to work either , so I assume the problem is in a
different place. So I take the following steps:
I create a movie clip that contains a circle. Inside the movie clip I create 3
frames for the circle with different colors.
I instantiate the movie clip once and call the instance: mc_instance1.
Except for the movie clip on the scene there is also a button. When I click
the button I want the circle to change color.
Yes I have a stop() function to keep it in state.

Thanks

I guess the coding side still offers enough opportunity for personal
expression! I didn't mean to criticise your approach - I myself still have
plenty to learn :) ... Indeed, I do also agree with you in general about the
use of functions.

It's just I felt there was a problem with using only _currentFrame alone to
instruct the movie clip because I'm sure it's a read-only property. Which would
mean as far as Flash is concerned mc_instance1._currentFrame += 1; is
meaningless and wouldn't do anything. On the other hand, nextFrame() is an
action - an actual instruction to the playhead.

But you're right that is doesn't account for coming to the end of the movie
clip. My code would need to incorporate your conditional, so it should probably
look something more like this:

bt_instance1.onRelease = function () {
if(mc_instance1._currentFrame==x){
mc_instance1.gotoAndStop(1);
} else {
mc_instance1.nextFrame();
}
}

Where x is the last frame number in the movieclip. This would all be contained
in the timeline again.

As for your final query, I'd like to know the answer to that too! I don't know
offhand of an efficient way to do it.