Flash :: SetDrag Questions

XML Quiz - Randomizing Questions & Level Of Difficulty Questions
Hi Folks,
I've been tasked to do a quiz in XML with a few caveats and I need some help.

The quiz needs to pull randomized questions from the XML file and also I need to have this sort from 3 levels of difficulty. For example, a user would possibly get fed 3 easy 3 medium or 4 hard questions.

My XML is set up as follows:
<QUIZ>
<QUESTION TEXT="Harry Markowitz won the Nobel Prize in Economics for a paper on portfolio diversification that he wrote while..." ANSWER="2">
<CHOICE>A. on the faculty at Columbia</CHOICE>
<CHOICE>B. a grad student at Chicago</CHOICE>
<CHOICE>C. a janitor at MIT</CHOICE>
<CHOICE>D. a patent clerk in Hamburg</CHOICE>
</QUESTION>
</QUIZ>

These questions are being stored in an array called questionsArray. So I guess all I need to do is call these from the array @ random, but the level thing is really kickin' my butt. Im just kind of lost on this one and I was hoping for some insight all the way around on this. For some reason XML in Flash scares me. It always ends up being nightmare. Someone please wake me up from the nightmare:-

Thanks,
Michael

Few Questions Projector Questions
I'm making a projector file for use on a CD, and have a few questions--

I'd like to make an exit button that closes the projector-Possible? If so, basic way to do it?

I'd also like to run a bat file on exit (if the whole exit/close thing is possible that is), and know that the fscommand exec has to be used, but can you have an "do this and then close the projector" sort of command on a button?

Last thing-Right now it says Flash Projector at the top of the window-Can this be changed with some autoscript, and if so, how?

I've gone through the tuts (or most of them) and can't find answers to this stuff, so any help would be appreciated--

3 Sound Questions; 2 Other Questions
1.Okay, say you're using an event sound, and you want it to fade out after it reaches a certain point or if you press a button. How do you do it?
The thing that I'm going for is using an event sound that plays as you read text. You can press a button to continue reading the text. I also want the song to loop a couple times, just incase it takes the reader a while to read it all. Then, when you press the last button, the music fades out. How do you do that? I would just make the music cut off, but that would be too choppy.

2. How do you cut out a part of the song? For example: You want the long intro cut out, and the main chorus to play.

(note I have a Mac)
3. I have heard you can convert wav files to MP3 files by using a CD ripper. I used a CD ripper, but it wouldn't import the .wav file. I found other files, but they're either for Window users or shareware. Does anybody have a link to a Mac CD ripper that can convert them that's freeware, or do I just have to pay?

(non-sound questions)
4. I go to a website where they allow you to submit flash cartoons you have made in .SWF format. However, there is no download sign. How do I download it? I have been told how, but it was by a Windows user, and he told me of different options. How do I download it?

5. I'm just curious, but is it possible to import another person's .swf file? I'm just wondering, because one guy said "The sound effects I used were ripped from someone else's flash file".

Thanx for your time.

Questions Question Questions :)
I just have tons of questions :P ... learning is a good acivaty... ok to the question i have... How could one make a gradient move... i want it to follow a object that passes by... i want to do it in code... i have been assumeing that a heavily coded flash site is smaller than a site with more tweens... is that right? i can work in flash but i'm foggy on the details of the program... i have many more questions and need answers...

What is wanted:
I want to create shapes, such as triangles and squares, that are actually made up of small (maybe 5X5 pixel) squares which will make up a "pseudo" gradient mesh (to save on processor load). The end result is to create shapes that simulate light reflecting off a 3D shape and have that light source respond to the mouse cursor.

So imagine a red triangle with the light source being the mouse (or an mc), as the mouse moves, the small squares of different lightness move to simulate the reflection.

Perhaps there is an easier scripted way to do this, that kooky subQuark suggested this wording!

Any help would be appreciated.

thanks ... laters Jimmysomebob

More Questions
Thanks for the latest reply I guess what I really need is the actual code, I kind of understand what needs to happen but have no clue how to actually write the code and where to put it. So I wondered if there is anyone willing to let to write it??? but maybe explain it too, anyway asking for a lot thanks in advance!

2 Questions, Please Help Cgi/php
Hi, I have two questions, one is pretty dumb to the non-beginner... Actually they are probably both dumb, but hey!

Question 1:

I found out the correct path for my cgi/php scripts from my server, but I am not sure what to do now. I use Dreamweaver and when I connect to the server, and look at my site files, they are all under http://www.crossfire.f2s.com folder, and there is no path that says this: /web/sites/047/crossfire/www.crossfire.f2s.com which is the correct path for my scripts, so what do I do to get them where they need to be?

Question 2:

Every time I have questions about why my formmail.cgi hasn't worked in the past, they ask what kind of error message I am getting etc. What are they talking about? Where would I be able to even SEE the error message in the first place? Is there a program I need???

PLEASE HELP! Thanks

Katie

Just A Few Questions
how do you....

make a button or movie that you can drag around with the mouse? i've been trying this:

[using a button called "dragger", with OnMouseEvent
On (Press)
Start Drag(dragger)
End On
On (Release,Roll Out,Release Outside)
Stop(Drag)
End On

ok, i have the target identified, but using "Constrain to rectangle" or "Lock mouse to center" doesn't seem to be doing anything. Right now i just have one frame with this button, the sole purpose being just to try to get this to work. what should i do? i am confused about the Left Top Right Bottom parameters. The button just sits there, unresponsive

Also,

i made another action script in another movie that i was using to loop a set of frames 4 times.

i began in the first frame of this "set" by initiializing a new expression variable, setting it to zero. in the next frames i have a whole bunch of tweens (i am trying to loop clouds moving by in the sky) and at the end i have this:

Set Variable: number=number+1 [number is my variable that i already initialized]

If(number<4)
Go to and Play(204)
End If
If (number>4)
Go to and Play(270)
End If

I tried doing an else instead, I even tried changing the numbers. And yes, i made sure every single thing was set to "Expression"

Please help me! I'd very much appreciate any input.

Just Some Questions, Need To Know
Okay, I used a LOT of quick basic in my day, and in it, the language has a sleep command, a pause if you will. I was wondering, does ActionScript have this command? Example

For X = 1 to 1000
print X
sleep 1
next x

this is a basic for loop for printing the numbers 1 to 1000, but after every number, it pauses for "1", i think it is a second. So, does actionscript have something like this...?

Another question is i cant seem to get onClipEvent(Load) to work... I ahve a movie clip w/ 23 frames. It is a bar, like a loading type thing, but not. i have

onClipEvent (load) {
for (I; I<=10000; I++) {
if (I*Speed >= GetTo) {
Turn = "Yes";
}
Life_Bar.gotoAndStop(math.round((I*Speed/GetTo)*23));
}
}
// this is on the movieclip names Life_bar.

on the frame I initialize the variables

Speed = 25;
GetTo = 1000;
Turn = no;

I really need help on this one, the freakin' bar thing, i cannot get to work and i am goin crazy..... AHHHHH!

Two Questions
hey and thanks in advance...

my questions are 1: Whats the best format for music if you are going to put it into flash, this is for file size and quality...

and 2: i have a html page which a smallish .swf mov in it now is there a way that within the preloader in the .swf to include images loadind on the html page? I don't want it to go past the loading page until all is loaded including any images on the html page...

ok thanks again

D

TWO QUESTIONS...
Ok, first...can someone go to the link below and tell me what I am doing wrong with this scrolling text? I am looking for the simplest way to make the text scroll in a defined area, any help would be greatly appreciated. I have tried several different methods and can't seem to get it to work. This is harder because I am still so new to actionscript.

Go here: http://www.geocities.com/pookie525

Second, I have been trying to create a popup window from a flash button like a javascript one. Therefore when the flash button is clicked, a new window will open at a defined size. I have also tried a few different ways for this one and still can't get it to work.

I believe it starts:
on(release);
getURL("javascript:open.window...

I am not sure how to write this exactly for Flash?

Thank you advance...flash is currently not my friend. :-)

2 Questions....
1st question: Does anyone know if geocities supports CGI scripts? and if so...what i need to get (and what to do with it once I get it)to have a form for my site to work. If not....where can I go to publish my site to test my form out?

2nd question: Can anyone step-by-step me (very much needed baby talk)on how to call on a movie clip from your library when clicking on a button in your main stage/timeline. I would like to know both ways actually...calling on an external .swf AND how to call on a movie clip that in in your library! Thanks -whispers-

I Have Many Questions...
Hi everybody.

I'm working in a website which is done entire in flash. And I´m having some problems.

First:

I have a swf file on a _level0, which is the main movie. When the user clikcs on a button, a second movie is loaded, on level 1. How I have a mouse trail, I have put the mouse trail into a external movie, which is loaded at the begining of the main movie, in a level 2. With this, I get that the mouse pass over the movie in level 1. This trick works OK in the most of the movies.
But I have my first problem when a movie that has a volume slider is loaded in level 1. When the slider is dragged, I loose the mouse trail. The movieclip that replaces the mouse stops in the position slider.

Second:

The slider volume movie is a file that has exported a mp3 file sound. It has too a play button, that works fine in the swf. But if I load the swf movie in the main movie, the play button doesn´t work. I think it´s a problem with the attachSound and LoadMovie actions. I don´t know why the sound movie doesn´t work when it´s loaded into another movie.

Third:

The weight of the sound file is 400KB and I need to put a preloader. But the attachSound action doesn´t works fine with the conventional preloaders. I don´t know how to do a preloader which "preloads" a external file.

I know there are many questions for a only thread. Lot of thanks to anybody who can help me. Excuse me if my english is not good.

2 Questions?
please please help me?

question 1..
how do you target a loaded external movieclip?

question 2..
how do you target the main timeline from the loaded external movieclip?

all help greatly appreciated..

Two Questions :)
I am having trouble with the way my site launches. I have it set up to launch a new window automatically, in the middle of the screen and at a certain % of the monitor size. That part works fine. The trouble is that it does not size the swf with the window, so on large monitors it looks funky.

Here is the url. http://www.home.earthlink.net/~tammit1971

Thanks for the help.

Two Questions Here
I got two questions:

1. Is it possible to make any type of game u want with flash 5. I mean, if u were good, could u make a game like Need 4 Speed, or James Bond GoldenEye?

2. How can i make it something, like a text, or button, so when they click on it, he can mail me?

Not two hard of a question. Im thinking for question one, yes it is possible if your good. And for question to. When u make a text. Put in the URL mailto:and your e-mail address, or if its a button. its probley in the acion scripts somewere.

And i dont know if im aloud to post this. I didnt see nothin in the disclaimer. But if anyone needs a new web host with ftp, or Mirc server. Mail me at jacqui@jetnet.ab.ca It also helps me out, cause if i get 5 people to sign up with these people. My on-line flash game gets put on the net. There a really good company, unlimited bandwidth, supports php, sql, and a bunch of other stuff.

Is It Possible? (2 Questions)
1. is it possible that when somebody runs a swf file it will be played on full window? i mean f-u-l-l
the title "player" and the menus of the player will not be shown?

2. i want to place a button that when it will be pressed the player will be closed. it is possible??

thanks.

Questions
Does anyone know of any sites that have a tour of thier site done in Flash? I'm trying to get some ideas for what should be done with a Flash tour I'm designing for work.

Also, do any of you use Swish? I downloaded it and it seems to be a great tool for slapping together quick Flash movies. I'm interested to hear what people think about it.

Thanks,
JMS88

Thanks And More Questions
Thanks to Leo for the big help in the other problem, but now I have a brand new one...

Im working on different levels (Basicly a main movie on the level0 and the sections of my site on level1) but I cant tell the f###### movie to go in a specific scene... Lemme try to explain

If I am in LEVEL1 i want to tell the movie in level0 to go to a scene. I tried _level0.gotoAndPlay("Scene 1", 1); BUT I DOES NOT WORK!!!

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEASEEEEEEE HELPPP

Various Questions
1) how do you make links?

2) this is rather complicated to type out...

ok. i want to make a menu. i have like.. 10 pictures i hope to make into links. what i want, is for these 10 pictures to be scrolling from right to left across the screen. so... how do i do that? ... the links are just a small panel at the bottom of my page. i want to make a box in this panel, so that when my mouse goes into the panel, the box will follow my mouse. then when i place my mouse -- the box -- over a picture (link), words will appear on the picture, words will appear ouTside the panel of pictures, the moving pictures will stop going from right to left and just sort of however a little around the box and then stop there after a while.

nOw... how in the wORld do i do all this?

3) how do i make my website loop...-- i think that's the term for keeping it staying there... not like.. when you're frames run out your site goes black... but just keeps 'being there' however long the guy wants to be there... -- but at the same time keep playing my music which started from my iNtro and carried on into my site?

4) how do i make like... shooting stars? where these little stars travel and they leave some 'dust trail' behind...

5) what i also want to do is... when someone clicks on a link, a little box already on the page would grow into a big box, where my text would go into. is it possible to make a link that... isn't reAlly a link, but makes the site do something?

6) my site has is going to have tons and tons and tons of information. and therefore tons and tons and tons of links and tons and tons and tons of information. my site is going to be VERY VERY VERY big and proabbly take about ... a day to load on a slow computer. how can i save disk space without compromising my site? or is it usual that sites are this big and that not all in the entire file size has to be transmitted to some other guy's computer?

7) how do i make stuff have appear ot have split second vibrations?

thank you VERY VERY VERY much to whoever answers my questions... you'll go down in the credits section if possible... please help me with non-actionscript stuff... i'm totally lost with that and don't understand it the least bit.... unlesss it's the only solution to my many problems...

thanks lots!

Just Some Questions :)
Hey everyone just wanted to know a few things since I can't seem to solve my own problems here

1. How do I make a "object" that I made IN FLASH mereg down so it is unaffected by other layers. (what Im trying to fo is have a cpmputer which is stationary and have music notes come out from the speaker and fade away)

2. How do you fade objects in and out with flash? I know it can be down in Swish but I want to use what you big boys use too

3. Are there any easy effects that can be used in Flash, I haven't found any. I've only really seen Text Effects and fade ins, slide outs and so on in swish......

Thank-you very much for answering, take care

HI NEW HERE....have A Few Questions
hi,

nice forums u hv got here, i just wanted to tell any people who want lessons on Flash,action scripting etc should go and sign up to http://forums.twisteddestiny.com as they have teaching lessons on the forums on flash. These lessons will start on Sunday 19th feb

thanks

ragingcat

2 Questions
How do you change the mouse into what ever you want?

AND

How Do You Make Loading Screens?

TWO, TWO, TWO Questions In One
Hello,
I was wondering if I could get some help with figuring out how to put a hyperlink into the dynamic selectable text of a scrolling text box. And my other question is how do I get an external .swf file to load where I want it to instead of at the upper left corner which I assume is the default? Thanks!!!

2 Questions
May I ask a few questions straightaway ?

1)Action Script being an ECMA standatd for Java Script,
can you use it , may be the same way you use Java Script,
such that you can (a) modify movies and (b) do the same scripting that Java Script does .

2) Do you have flash on the Unixes like Linux ?
I gather that you have 'em only on M$ Windoze and Mac

Regards,
linuxhelpin@yahoo.co.uk

2 Questions
Howdy, I have 2 seperate questions..
1..I have a client whom I am doing a small ad for bingo. He wants the numbers to randomly change 2 times. I do not know how to do this with actionscript, can anyone help?

2. I have another client who wants me to design a slideshow, which is no problem, but he wants to be able to update the images himself. How is this done?

Thanx in advance, my schedule is real tight.

Few More Questions...
when i make an animation of an explosion do i have to make each fragment and move them with frames or is there an easier way?

and once i make the explosion how would i make a button that leads to the action of the object exploding?

thanks a bunch for the last post replies...

-largefry89

Some Questions
1. Im kinda confused on what XML has to do with flash? what does it do what is it used for?

Two Questions..
I have two questions:

I) Is it possible to import txt into scene from external txt file by using only action scripts ( without php knowledge). I need it for easy uploading news on site. But I want to make tables with topics. Each topic "calling" his part of that external txt file. For example: First row has a topic SPORT and it "call" first line form txt file, second row importing second line, etc.

II) How to make PAUSE button, which will stop hole movie ( not only timeline from scene, also stop movie clips which are on scene 1 for example)???

That’s all for now,
Thanks

2 Questions
How do you make a form and then send it with a button without bringing up the users default e-mail client?

Also, I'd like to put a cd-rom together using flash. How could I take away the menu when a user right-clicks on the page? I know about the "Showmenu = False", but that leaves a line that says Flash Player. I would like to totally take away that menu.

If anyone can help me out, and/or point me to a link which contains this type of info, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks

I Have About 10 Questions
Ok, here are the questions:

1) Other than the "Getting Started" part of Flash in the tutorials, where should I begin after that?

2) What do I do if I have no clue what type of flash I have. I have Windows XP and the lastest IE browser, and I can play all games @ coffeebreakarcade.com can you tell me what I have??

3) What do you all think is the most difficult part of flash and why?

4) How long did it take you to get used to using flash?

2 Questions
HI,

2 questions, first is

I have a input text box, that the user types some text into, and theres a "Search" button next to it, but I also want it to be, so the user can just press return, when they have finished typing the word in the input text box, and that produces the same result as does clicking on the "Search" button, is it possible to do this? I've used the onclipevent, and key.getCode();, but that doesn't seem to work, and anyway, if someone types say "the" in the imput box, the focus is still in the input box, so is it possible if the next character inputted is the "enter" key for that to run my search code??

2nd question.

I have a pop up window, which is created from flash, using actionscript when the user clicks on a button, but for some reason there's a small white border on the left edge inside the pop up window which i can't seem to get rid of, any idea's?

thanks

phil.

2 Questions
Hi, pretty new to flash, and the forum said this was the place for dumb questions, so here goes! I have two questions. I am using flash 5 to create a little movie. My two questions are:

1. I have a character who blinks in the first scene. I used shape tweening, but I don't like the results (the pupil distorts and fills up the eye when the eye closes, and I lose my white fill color in the eye). Any suggestions? How have you done this? Would shape hints help? A mask instead? Frame by frame? Looking for suggestions and tips.

2. The next is shifting scenes. Here is how I wanted to do it- the character in the first scene (see above)is "thinking," and a thought bubble appears. In the thought bubble the second scene fades in, and then the thought bubble expands to fill up the whole screen then it will fade out in reverse (back to the first scene character, then the bubble and second scene will fade out). Follow that? I understand the basics of actionscripting, but I am not sure how to implement this- can anyone help?

I don't have any 3rd party programs since I'm still learning the ins and outs of flash, btw, but I'm looking at a few.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me- especially the second question has been frustrating, and I'm afraid I'm going to go batty by the time I've figured it out by myself. I hope I've made it clear enough- this site has been a fantastic school for this newbie. Keep it up.

2 Questions
i cant import image with transparent background in flash (makes it white) even when im using the import via png files...how can i make transparent background image ?

2nd : Can i use mask layers in buttons ?

thanks

Schulman

Many Questions...
Hi, I want to make a completely new site.
I have a great idea but I have to ask many things that I don't know how they work.
1. If I want the site to open in a window you can't see. Actually fullscreen but then not full, if you know whta I mean.
2. How can I make buttons then that like in windows can close and one that can minimize/maximize.
3. I want a sort of timer that runs really really fast with hours, minutes and seconds. But the timer is purely for show. The time hasn't got to be correct . Maybe it could be the time that the user is already on the site or something like that.
4. And last I want a menu that consist of little circles and each circle represents an item of the site. So the user has to drag a tiny button on the circles and when he releases it ,it has to open the selected item. I think I know how that works with OnPress (startdrag) or something like that.
Could someone please please please help me????

2 Questions
Hi,

When i click on the right button of the mouse in any film of flash it apears a lot of options. So how can i close all the options in Flash MX ?

I have another question. How can i make perfect letters ?
It always have some kind of shadow(something like that).

Best Regards

Rui Bárcia

Several Questions, Please Help
Question 1.
I want to be able to have a text field that has a scroll bar on the right side of the movie. However, I want the text to be centered to the left of the center and on the right I want images to swap in and out as the person reads the text. I don't want the scroll bar to be in the middle of the page.
Also is there a way of changing the colour of the scrollbar and the arrow?

Question 2.

This may be a really stupid question, but how do you make a projector movie when played come up on the middle of the screen and have a black background, or a full projector. I don't want the desktop to show behind.

Question 3.

When I put text from another file into a text field and I want to scroll the field what type of text field should it be. Will the font change from system to system. I am using helvetica which should be O.K. I think

Thanks for all the help in the passed this is such a great resource for help. Thanks again.

Patti

A Few Questions
Here is what I want to do and maybe someone out there has as solution.

I am basically trying to import video from my camera of my daughter and putting it into a movie broken up into different sections. Each section would have a little bit of video footage.

I have all the buttons worked out, what I need to know is how to get the movie clip to load within the actual flash movie and have it stop when the movie is finished (i don't want to loop it.)

I want to know what the best output from my video camera to the computer should be and how to load the video.

Any help would be appreciated. =)

Two Questions
well my first question is is there anyway to upload new fonts to swish? If so how do i go about doing this? And two why is my button to make my movie play showing up? I made a simple one scene movie to use as a sig. and i added a play button that way it wouldn't just play it automatically so if someone wanted to view it they would have to hit play, but when I viewed it the play button wasn't there. Help me.

Two Questions
I have 3 buttons on my movie. The way I have it set up now is when the button is clicked it plays the next frame. when you click button 2 it plays the next, So you have to click the buttons in order to, set the frame up for the next button.
What action do you use to make a button play a certain frame anywhere through the movie. Ya know what I mean.

Two More Questions
So I will start off by thanking mave rave and a few others on helping me with my last post.

I want to make my flash movie full screen (no border) when entered, I have used the action before but I can't remember it or can find it, also it seems like when I make my pages they look all nice on the stage but when I get them on-line (when viewed by others) the movie is BIG! and doesn't look good so, (How do you tell the movie to stay at one size window and not a maximized window, the normal size flash window). If you want to view the site http://www.geocities.com/pcride2000/polish1 When the movie starts the Premier Polish Is in its own window within a bigger window and when you maximize the window it makes all of the lettering all BIG! and It doesn't look good.
Any help would be awsome as I am acelerating with flash very fast! And going to make a carear out of it.
PCRIDE

Two Questions
I would like to know how to make the dimentions of my document and final published movie to be variable, so for instance it will take up 80% of the screen, but be no smaller than 640x480 pixels. If thats not possible how can I make my movie take up a full screen? Also, how do you get a button within a movie clip to play a scene that is back in the heirarchy of movie clips? IE i have a few buttons within a movie clip that I would like to be my main menu, and I specify them to play a certain scene, but they won't play the scenes because they are embedded in a movie. Thanks!

I Have Two Questions...
Ok my first question is how do you make a flash generator like on http://flashbuttons.com and second what are the best
actionscript/games/preloading/animation tutorials?

2 Questions
1. what is the use of "fscommand()"?
2. how to call a swf opened in another window but not a web browser?

thx

Ray

I Have A Questions
ok.. I'm using Flash 5

This is the easiest way I can explain it. Say the mouse pointer is a gun, you click somewhere and a 'bullet hole' appears and stays. How would I do this?

I Know, I Know.... No, I Don't Know. I Have 2 Questions.....
Two things:
I have a bunch of Flash movies that I am trying to seemlessly put together. Some are different sizes though, and I don't want to have to put each on in a new html file and wait for it to load. But, when I add the the "loadmovie" line on my link in my fla, and test it IN flash MX, it chages the size and navigates beautifully. So I need to know how to string them all together and to be able to postition it on an html page. Am I rambling or do you understand?

2 Questions...
I'm looking for some tutorials for 2 different things...

1. Are there any tutorials for photo effects in Flash (ex: pics fading in and out, movement effets such as a blur or zoom in effect, things like that...)

2. Are there some good tutorials for setting up a gallery page?

I saw a gallery page that, using JavaScripting, when the person moved the mouse over a thumbnail, the pic just popped up in a nother area of the screen.

If any one knows of some helpful tutorials or just has some ideas let me know, Thanks

2 Questions...
Hey good people of flash kit....I have 2 questions, help on any of them would be much apreciated.

First off, I am creating an intro/teaser to a web site that comes up as a pop-up window and plays for 30 seconds. After the intro plays I want the window to close. Is there any way to do this via actionscript, or javascript? If so, could you please give me a simple run down...i know flash fairly well, but am an idiot when it comes to programming.

Secondly, I am trying to figure out how to make the browser window shake using the tutorial from this site however I don't know what to do with the code on this page: http://www.flashkit.com/tutorials/Sp...-7/more3.shtml

Any assistance would be much appreciated....

thanks and good day.
7c