FLASH: Pan/Mask effect

[Marc Hoffman, Poison Dart Frog Media]

I'm trying to code this in Actionscript but probably need a working example 

to learn it. This is based on another Flasher's question earlier today, but 

is an attempt at a solution that's in a different direction.


Effect: drag a window around the stage, have a background image show 

through only where the window is.

Problem: a dragged movie clip cannot act as a mask for a lower layer 

(otherwise this would be a piece of cake!).

Possible solution (but one which I don't know exactly how to code):

	- Put the background image in a lower layer of a movie clip. Make it a 

movie clip itself, so it has an instance name and can be moved around using 

SetProperty of _x and _y;

	- Above that background (also in the movie clip) put a mask that lets the 

background show through.

	- Make this whole structure (movie clip) draggable by putting an invisible 

button over the mask area;

	- Make the main timeline a 2-frame loop. Use ActionScript in the first 

frame of the main timeline to constantly monitor the (dragged) position of 

the movie clip and to move the nested movie clip (the background image) in 

the reverse direction of the drag, so that as you drag the parent clip to 

the left, let's say, the nested background movie clip shifts to the right 

and, therefore, the masked part is the left part of the background.


If anyone understands this (does it sound like I'm from Mars?) and 

understands the code, could you help out?


thanks,




Marc Hoffman


Poison Dart Frog Media

http://www.dartfrogmedia.com



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