as3 child as movieclip - won't accept functions - actionscript-3

Question

this follows on from my last question which I thought was answered but for some reason when I treat a child of my stage (display object) as a movieclip I can't then apply the usual functions that I want to:
var mc1:MovieClip = this.getChildByName("mc1") as MovieClip;
if(mc1) {
mc1.useHandCursor = true;
mc1.buttonMode = true;
mc1.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fillDriveway);
}
Any wisdom would greatly appreciated... and sorry for asking such a similar question as previous...
Thanks in advance.
EDIT: More code from the AS on this project for context:
import flash.display.*
ImageUploader.visible = false;
function showUploader(e:MouseEvent):void {
ImageUploader.visible = true;
ImageUploader.gotoAndPlay(2);
}
pic.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,addNewPoint);
var n:Number = 0;
var joinPointsArray:Array = new Array;
function addNewPoint(e:MouseEvent):void {
n++;
pointNo.text = String(n);
if(n==1){
var nextPoint:MovieClip = new mcstart();
addChild(nextPoint);
nextPoint.name = "mc"+pointNo.text;
nextPoint.x = e.target.mouseX;
nextPoint.y = e.target.mouseY;
}else{
var nextPoint2:MovieClip = new newPoint();
addChild(nextPoint2);
nextPoint2.name = "mc"+pointNo.text;
nextPoint2.x = e.target.mouseX;
nextPoint2.y = e.target.mouseY;
}
var joinPoints:MovieClip = new MovieClip();
this.addChild(joinPoints);
joinPointsArray.push(joinPoints);
joinPoints.graphics.lineStyle(0.5,0xFF0000);
joinPoints.graphics.moveTo(this.getChildByName("mc1").x, this.getChildByName("mc1").y);
for(var i:int=2; i<=n; ++i){
joinPoints.graphics.lineTo(this.getChildByName("mc"+i).x, this.getChildByName("mc"+i).y);
}
}
pic.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, addNewPoint);
function fillDriveway(eventObject:MouseEvent) {
var joinPoints:MovieClip = new MovieClip();
this.addChild(joinPoints);
for(var p:int=0; p<(joinPointsArray.length); ++p) {
joinPointsArray[p].alpha = 0;
}
this.getChildByName("mc1").alpha = 0;
joinPoints.graphics.beginFill(0xFFFFFF, 0.7);
joinPoints.graphics.moveTo(this.getChildByName("mc1").x, this.getChildByName("mc1").y);
for(var m:int=2; m<=n; ++m){
joinPoints.graphics.lineTo(this.getChildByName("mc"+m).x, this.getChildByName("mc"+m).y);
}
joinPoints.name = "driveshape";
filledDrive.text = "filled";
}
function undoit(eventObject:MouseEvent) {
if(n > 0) {
if(filledDrive.text.indexOf("filled") != -1) {
this.removeChild(this.getChildAt(this.numChildren -1));
filledDrive.text = "";
}else{
this.removeChild(this.getChildAt(this.numChildren -1));
this.removeChild(this.getChildAt(this.numChildren -1));
n--;
pointNo.text = String(n);
}
}
}
function maskDrive(eventObject:MouseEvent) {
if(filledDrive.text.indexOf("filled") != -1) {
var finishA:MovieClip = new finishMC();
this.addChild(finishA);
finishA.x = 310;
finishA.y = 100;
finishA.mask = getChildByName("driveshape");
finishA.gotoAndPlay(2);
}
}
//BTN RollOvers
function btn1over(myEvent:MouseEvent) {
btn1.gotoAndPlay(2);
}
function btn1out(myEvent:MouseEvent) {
btn1.gotoAndPlay(11);
}
function btn2over(myEvent:MouseEvent) {
btn2.gotoAndPlay(2);
}
function btn2out(myEvent:MouseEvent) {
btn2.gotoAndPlay(11);
}
function btn3over(myEvent:MouseEvent) {
btn3.gotoAndPlay(2);
}
function btn3out(myEvent:MouseEvent) {
btn3.gotoAndPlay(11);
}
function undoover(myEvent:MouseEvent) {
undo.gotoAndPlay(2);
}
function undoout(myEvent:MouseEvent) {
undo.gotoAndPlay(11);
}
//BTN Calls
btn1HIT.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fillDriveway);
btn1HIT.addEventListener(MouseEvent.ROLL_OVER, btn1over);
btn1HIT.addEventListener(MouseEvent.ROLL_OUT, btn1out);
btn1HIT.buttonMode = true;
btn1HIT.useHandCursor = true;
btn2HIT.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, maskDrive);
btn2HIT.addEventListener(MouseEvent.ROLL_OVER, btn2over);
btn2HIT.addEventListener(MouseEvent.ROLL_OUT, btn2out);
btn2HIT.buttonMode = true;
btn2HIT.useHandCursor = true;
btn3HIT.buttonMode = true;
btn3HIT.useHandCursor = true;
btn3HIT.addEventListener(MouseEvent.ROLL_OVER, btn3over);
btn3HIT.addEventListener(MouseEvent.ROLL_OUT, btn3out);
btn3HIT.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, showUploader);
undoHIT.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, undoit);
undoHIT.addEventListener(MouseEvent.ROLL_OVER, undoover);
undoHIT.addEventListener(MouseEvent.ROLL_OUT, undoout);
undoHIT.buttonMode = true;
undoHIT.useHandCursor = true;
var mc1:MovieClip = this.getChildByName("mc1") as MovieClip;
if(mc1) {
mc1.useHandCursor = true;
mc1.buttonMode = true;
mc1.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fillDriveway);
}

Answer 1

Are you sure the movieclip is placed on stage or actually converted to movieclip?
Try stage.getChildByName(). Where did you place this code? Inside a frame or inside a main document class? To be sure you can check the childs are added on stage and see what their names are.
You can use this code
for ( var i :int = 0; i < this.numChildren; i++ )
{
babe = this.getChildAt( i );
if ( babe is MovieClip) {
trace( babe.name);
}
}
I've also seen this, not sure if it works.
if (stage.contains(mc1)) {
}

Answer 2

Wahoo! Figured it out!
By popping
var mc1:MovieClip = this.getChildByName("mc1") as MovieClip;
at the end of my AS I was referring to the child "mc1" before it existed - it isn't created until the user clicks somewhere on the "pic" movieclip. So the solution was to bung my actions for "mc1" (including declaring it as a MovieClip) into a separate function:
function createstartEndMC():void {
var startEnd:MovieClip = (this.getChildByName("mc1")) as MovieClip;
startEnd.useHandCursor = true;
startEnd.buttonMode = true;
startEnd.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fillDriveway);
}
and then to call this function AFTER "mc1" child is created:
function addNewPoint(e:MouseEvent):void {
n++;
pointNo.text = String(n);
if(n==1){
var nextPoint:MovieClip = new mcstart();
addChild(nextPoint);
nextPoint.name = "mc"+pointNo.text;
nextPoint.x = e.target.mouseX;
nextPoint.y = e.target.mouseY;
createstartEndMC();
}
Finally it works and "mc1" (or "startEnd" as I call it once it's created and made into an MC) finally behaves as a normal timeline MC should!
I'm so happy - thanks for all your guidance!
Cam