Re: Masking question and what to do about Buttons

[John Croteau]

Jim Curry wrote:


> If I place a mask on the bottom layer of a file will this prevent the

> buttons from being active on files several levels below it?  Will this

> solve my Lobby navigation problem and make it so I don't have to create

> a frame without buttons?

NO


I just solved my last problem implementing the new solutions below last

night. It is now working at FlashCentral (I have 2 more sites I am

redesigning now).

All 3 versions have been used at FC.


1) A mask is used to visually shield the lower levels. Buttons remain

active. AT FC when this was implemented the Main Menu buttons would

remain active and the last selected button would display instead of

'Holiday Flash'. An inconvience but not a major problem. Note the

buttons were not visible so you had to search on the left and click

them. On other projects this was and is intolerable.


2) Actions of buttons are not stopped even when not visible. They are

only prevented by buttons above them. So one solution to screen the

buttons with a non-functional button. The disadvantage is the cursor

will still react to the button, but clicking it will preform no action.


3) Unload the Movie and Load the Movie again. Place the buttons in a

Movie of its own, and only unload and load the button movie level. The

disadvantage is the Movie will play from the beginning and will not

neccessarily go to the frame you wish.


4) Use TellTarget to change the frame of a lower movie to frame where

the buttons are non-functional.


At present the FC Holiday Ring uses Method four to change the Flash

Central Main Menu (on the Left) to a frame where its buttons are dead

when going to the Individual Holiday Pages, a Mask is used to hide it.

Also, the Main Holiday Page is unloaded as in Method 3. When returning

from the Holiday Ring the Holiday Page is reloaded, the Mask is removed

and the frame of the Main Menu is reset to 'Holiday Flash'.


I will cover the details of TellTarget in another post.

The details are all in scattered places, I will post a comprehensive

instruction set. I can finally control any Movie loaded by Load Movie or

MovieClip no matter where it is (without guessing or experimenting).


-----------                               -----------------------

John Croteau

croteauerols [dot] com (mailto:croteauerols [dot] com)

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