I have a .swf that I'd like to create a preloader for. In the end, I want a single file which combines both the preloader and the content .swf.
Every tutorial I can find on Flash preloaders offers one of two options:
Using a URLRequest in the preloader wrapper to load an external content .swf. This will not work because I do not want two .swfs.
A "single-swf" solution like this one which works for assets which you have created in the Flash IDE. I assumed I would easily be able to go this route, but I'm having trouble. I cannot use the Flash IDE to import my content .swf. I can use an embed tag like so:
[Embed(source="content.swf")]
private var MyContent:Class;
But it seems like this embedded content is exported on the first frame, so my preloader only appears after the content .swf is loaded. I'm guessing it's something along these lines. Any thoughts?
But it seems like this embedded content is exported on the first frame
You are absolutely correct, all Ebmed do embedding in the first frame by default but mxmlc provides solution by creating two frames swf with preloader in the first frame via the metatag:
[Frame(factoryClass="Preloader")]
You can find step by step guide here http://www.bit-101.com/blog/?p=946.
Related
I develop a project in FlashBuilder. The graphics and UI elements i create in the Flash IDE and give them Export Classnames. then I put the SWC in the library paths of the FlashBuilder project and create the UI elements by instanciation.
Now I want to add a Preloader for the application. I follow this article, which works:
http://pixelpaton.com/?p=4642
My question is now: I also need some graphics for the preloader. But how do I ensure that the graphics for the preloader will be loaded first, such that the preloader class can start as soon as possible?
The compiler will figure out the dependencies for your preloader class, and load them first.
For example:
public function Preloader()
{
addChild(new UIElementFromFlash());
}
Flash Builder will know UIElementFromFlash needs to be loaded before Preloader. It will also load Preloader before your main class and its dependencies as long as you have the Frame metadata tag from the article.
I'd suggest to make 2 swf files if it's possible. Make a loader.swf which loads your application swf and displays the progress and your loading animation/graphics.
See an example here: http://www.republicofcode.com/tutorials/flash/as3preloader/
Then you'll have to add URLLoader class and load your application.swf.
Try looking here: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/FlashPlatform/reference/actionscript/3/flash/net/URLLoader.html
Like Gio suggested, having two SWF files is the best practice.
However, one other solution is to use the -frame two argument of the Flex compiler. All your definitions (code and assets) will be added to the second frame of the movie, allowing your main class to listen for the loading progress of the application and display animations.
Be careful to not reference anything from the main application in your first frame, to prevent adding more weight to it.
More detail on this technique here:
http://www.andymoore.ca/2009/08/flexsdk-3-3-how-to-make-a-flash-preloader-in-as3/
I have a lot of graphics and sounds in my library that are exported for Actionscript in Frame 1. I believe that because of the exported graphics, my preloader will not work. All I get is a white frame while the movie loads.
How can you preload graphics that are exported for Actionscript?
When you export for Actionscript in Frame 1, everything that is exported must be loaded before any content is visible. I usually uncheck this button, and then everything is exported to the first frame where it's referenced. For more details on this approach, check out http://www.developria.com/2010/04/combining-the-timeline-with-oo.html . Howwever, if you're like most developers, you probably reference everything from your main document Class, so this may not do you much good. It does offer the possibility that you can avoid a preloader altogether, though, because loading is spread across different frames.
If your movie is structured like normal, check out http://www.8bitrocket.com/2008/4/22/Tutorial-Preloading-Actionscript-3-AS3-Games-in-Flash-CS3/ .
It is not applicable on every case, but maybe you can preloader in separate file, which loads your main swf.
You can see detailed how to in this tutorial: http://www.gotoandlearn.com/play.php?id=85
I am trying to download a heavy swf dynamically to my site using URLLoader class. I'd like to know if it is possible to use a symbol inside the swf as a separate object?
The code used right now uses the embed statement as follows:
[Embed(source="/Fight.swf", symbol="Kungfu")]
public class Kungfu extends MovieClip
{ ... }
Embedding the swf increases the initial load time of my site and I want to make it dynamic. How can I access the Kungfu symbol from Fight.swf after it is downloaded using the URLLoader class?
You need to get the class definition from the loaded SWF. Few months ago I summarized the process here. The example used bitmaps, but you can use movie clips as well.
... Why not use SwfLoader? It's Flex native. If you're not in Flex, why not use a Loader?
Either way, I don't think that URLLoader is what you really want here.
I am Working on a cs5 as3 project and in that project i have writen all code in the frame1 of main timeline (there is no package/class in the code)
The code in the main timeline is very complex in which i am loading external images and xml's and many more things .
i have not written any code in the action layer.
Now i want to add Preloader .
how can i add Preloader in this situation ?
here is a snapshot of the timeline :
Move everything to the second frame, and add your preloader code/content on the first frame
http://www.google.ca/search?q=preloader+code+as3
The real issue here is the number and size of external assets you're loading, it may have been worth considering loading some of these assets separately. In this way, your preloader would have been more accurate. However complex your code is , the loading of the assets is the main element to delay the start of your application.
With your current configuration , if you'd encapsulate the loading of some of the assets (as you may not need all of them right from the start) , you would have been able to directly create a preloader within the code as is , without a DocumentClass, simply by loading assets as your first function and calling an init() method after the loading is complete.
I've got to (quickly!) add an intro to an existing flash masthead on a site that I've inherited. I don't have access to the source .fla's, so I approached the problem by putting the intro in a wrapper swf and loading the current masthead and adding it to the display list on Event.INIT. So far, so good. (Incidentally, the swfs are built for flash player 9 and use AS3.)
The problem I'm having is that although the intro plays fine and loads / displays the beginning of the masthead swf, which is a loading animation, the masthead itself never actually plays. Essentially, my question is: what would cause an actionscript 3-based swf to behave differently when it's the child of another swf as opposed to at the top level of the embedded swf?
Potentially important details: Embedding is being handled with swfobject, and no flashvars are being passed in. There are two params, which are base: "/flash/" and wmode: "opaque". All the swfs and flash data live in /flash/. The flash elements (minus the intro I built) were constructed using the Inky flash framework, with which I'm not familiar.
UPDATE: I've reconsidered my approach to the problem and gotten it working by using ExternalInterface; I'm having the intro swf call a js function when it finishes playing, which swaps out the intro swf and replaces it with the current masthead (the approach is outlined here). I'd still like to know why I was witnessing the behavior I was seeing earlier, though, so any ideas and suggestions would be welcome.
There could be a couple of potential problems with your flash files.
If your swf was compiled in AS2, it could be referencing _root which would be messed up when it is loaded into another swf. In AS2, you can get around it by using _lockroot. In AS3, this is not longer a problem because _lockroot is inheritted.
If your movie was a timeline based movie, you can try to invoke the play() function.
If your intro loads external assets, you will want to make sure your paths are set correctly for all your external assets. Try to put the swf file of your container and the intro in to the same directory. Or troubleshoot by using the Safari Activity window to see if you have any "404 not found".
Another thing is inconsistent flash version. You could run into problem if you load a Flash version 9 with a Flash version 10.
Hope these pointers help.