I decided to make my pages different swf's instead of scenes to avoid a long loading time in the beginning. However, while navigating through the different swf files, there's few seconds of black background for a while before the elements start to load. Is there a way to fix this problem?

Also wondering if it is possible to have a button link from one movie to a specific scene of another movie.

Thanks for any help.

I'm interested in the answer to your first question, too.

I think I can help with your second question though. You target it much like you would if the mc was in the same movie. But, you have to aim for the right level. So if you have loaded a movie into level 2 (as in loadMovie("movie.swf", 2)), you could use the following:

_root._level2.gotoAndPlay("thisSpotInMyMovie");

If the movie is loaded into a clip than use this format:

_root.clipInstance.gotoAndPlay("thisSpotInMyMovie");

I think this should work. By the way, you're probably better off using frame labels rather than scenes. Scenes can be kind of pesky.

DKnighte

Thanks for the help, however my scripting knowledge is still on the lower side of basic, so I guess I need to read up on tell-targeting, levels, and frame labeling. If you have the time, any further assistance would be appreciated.

Heres the scenario:
I have two movies- one being a "main" movie (on level "0") with 7 scenes with 7 buttons across the top for each scene. I would like one of these buttons to load a second movie on level "1" so it loads on top of the "main" in a specific part of the stage so that I still have access to the buttons in the "main" movie. ( this movie is a small floating box with a series of images that the viewer can scroll through ). Of course now the second movie is floating on top of the "main" movie. I would like access to any of the scenes in the "main" movie but without the second movie still floating on top.

Thanks again

Frame Labeling: Click on a frame. Then go down to the properties. Input a name for the frame in the input box labelled "Frame." You can now use the gotoAndPlay or gotoAndStop to get to send the movie directly to that frame. Such as gotoAndPlay("frameLabel"). Don't forget the quotes. Use this instead of gotoAndPlay(scene, frame) because using scenes are not always reliable, (some strange quirk).

Loading: Decide if you want to load into a movie clip or a level. If you're doing a movie clip, here's what you could do. loadMovie("myMovie.swf","contentHolder") where contentHolder is the instance name of the movie clip you are loading the swf into.

At this point, you will still have access to the buttons on the main timeline. If you want to get rid of the myMovie.swf once you go to another frame in the maintimeline, you could just not have the contentHolder clip on that frame. Or, if you still need to use the clip for another .swf you are loading, then go ahead and load that swf into the contentHolder clip. It will just replace the swf that was in there.

To go to a specific frame in whatever swf is in the contentHolder clip: _root.contentHolder.gotoAndPlay("frameLabel").

Pretty much the same is true if you load it into a level instead of a clip. So loadMovie("myMovie.swf",1). Loading something else on this level will replace the first swf. To just remove when you go to another frame on the main timeline, unloadMovieNum(1).

There. That should be everything I think.

Don't bother reading on tellTarget. It's been replaced by with.

For you first question, it's going to take a second between unloading and loading movies. The only thing you can do to get rid of a black screen is to put something in the main swf that you're loading your other movies into (white screen?). I know it's not much better. Sometimes it makes it look more natural if you have the new movies fade in so that it's not so abrupt.

Hey thanks a million, D...
Really appreciate all the coaching. I'll give it a shot ... wish me luck.

- Dr. K

Thanks One ..

I'll try the fade.

Hey Dr. Katz,

I found something that might help you with the fade. Deep in Flash MX's sample Fla's is a file called loaded_image.fla. It's a picture loader movie in which the pictures fade in and out. Saw someone suggest it on another post and now seeing your last comment, think it might be able to help you as well.

DKnighte