RE: FLASH: inconsistency in loading variables

[Charles Day]

The problem is the browser remembers what was in the text file instead of

reloading it.  If I load test.txt, yes, I can change the values from

test.txt throughout the movie, but if i call test.txt again, flash or the

browser won't actually reload test.txt, just uses from memory what was in

there, regardless if test.txt has new values and a new time stamp on it.

This works fine if test.txt doesn't change, but is a problem for dynamic

sites wanting to use changing values based on outside variables and user

interaction.  The really frustrating thing is that it DOES reload test.txt

along with new values when you're not going through a webserver.    


 


  


-----Original Message-----

From: Phil Ward [

phil-wcrescent-graphics [dot] co [dot] uk (mailto:phil-wcrescent-graphics [dot] co [dot] uk)

]

Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2000 8:04 PM

To:

flasherchinwag [dot] com

Subject: Re: FLASH: inconsistency in loading variables



Have you got an actionscript which checks to make sure the variables are

loaded before the movie proceeds? otherwise the text variables won't be

loaded in time for the call on the data. This could explain why it works

fine locally and not remote as your HD can load the text quicker than the

server.


 I had a similar problem and used the method below...if anyone can see

errors in the code below please feel free to revise as I am writing this

from memory.


Try this..


Frame 1

Load Variables

("yourtextfile.txt","/yourEmptymcInstanceName", vars=POST)


There is also your empty mc


Frame 2

Label loading

If "/yourEmptymcInstanceName:yourlastTextFieldName ne "")

      Go to and Stop ("done")

End If


Frame 3

Go to and Play ("loading")


Frame 4 or whatever is the first frame in your main content

Label done


HTH


Regards


Phil Ward

Crescent Graphics

phil-wcrescent-graphics [dot] co [dot] uk

www.crescent-graphics.co.uk

New Media <> Internet <> Visuals


----- Original Message -----

From: Anders Ramsay <

andersmediafarm [dot] com

>

To: <

flasherchinwag [dot] com

>

Sent: Monday, May 15, 2000 3:50 PM

Subject: FLASH: inconsistency in loading variables



> There have been a range of mailings re. issues surrounding loading

> variables from an external source on this list, but I didn't see

> anything that could solve  the problem I currently am the having:

>

> BACKGROUND

> I am using a flash movie for global site navigation.  The site

> divides into 12 major sections, and the global navigation menu should

> reflect which section the user is in by highlighting that part of the

> menu.  Since I only want to use one movie for all 12 sections (since

> the browser will cache it after the first time it is loaded), I am

> using an external variable to set the state of the movie depending on

> which page it is loaded into.

>

>

> THE PROBLEM

> While this works flawlessly when I test it locally, it works only

> about 70% of the time when I test it over the web.

>

>

> HOW I AM LOADING THE EXTERNAL VARIABLE

> I have a text file in the same directory as the given html file.  In

> the second frame of the movie, I use the Load Movie action set to

> 'Load variables into location' with target set to a movie clip I use

> for variables and subroutines (this movie clip resides on all frames

> in the top level movie).  Then, two frames later, I tell the top

> level movie to go to the frame label of the variable in that

> directory, e.g.  if the file says 'default=home' my script would say

> 'go to location(default)'

>

> the text file itself contains *only* (no invisible characters):

> 'default=someVariable'

>

>

> OPTIONS I HAVE TRIED

> 1. Using FS Command - while ridiculously complicated in the Flash

> environment, I would've gone with this, except for that FS Command

> does not work in IE for the Mac - if this is incorrect, please let me

> know.

>

> 2. Setting the variable directly in the SRC tag for the player, eg:

> SRC="myMovie.fla?default=someVariable"  - but I have exactly the same

> problems with this approach.

>

> 3. Loading a movie containing my variable that is unique for each

> page, then loading the navigation movie into that movie  - this seems

> to work ok, except that certain browsers, after having cached the

> movie, did not properly display them in that only the initial movie

> would load but the global navigation movie did not (about 50% of the

> time).

>

>

> SEE IT

> go to www.mixedgreens.com and click on 'Mixed Greens' - the flash

> movie in question are the row of dots at the top (not the 'Site Map'

> - which seems to work fine)

>

> (NOTE: Because of this problem, I have built a failsafe into the

> movie - if it does not find a text file, it simply displays the

> navigation with *all* sections set to default.)

>

> Any ideas in how to solve this problem would be greatly appreciated.

>

> Thnx.

>

>

> --

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> :: a n d e r s @ m e d i a f a r m . c o m

>

>

>

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