Re: FLASH: Question on dynamic navagation

[Randy Kato]

Alan,


Off the top of my head (warning: it's Monday morning), you could try

something

like putting a script into each frame that creates and sets variables so

that

when they go to a particular frame, that 'location' gets stored. You'd

need to

create your variable names dynamically with an expression that would set

the

newVariableName to newVariableName + 1 (make these newVariableNames

numeric -

they'll represent an ordered history list) and then set the value to the

frame

number. Also set a variable to track the current position in the history

list,

say "n" that increases each time they visit another page, n = n + 1. In

fact,

you should just get the newVariableNames from n.


Eventually you'll have a list of variables like this:


1 = (frame#)24

2 = 14

3 = 98

etc.



In the Back button you can script it to read variable n, which in turn

tells it

where in the history list it is, which will provide the location/frame

number to

go to. Also tell n to set itself to n - 1. The reason for n is that it

will

allow you to go back and forward (which would set n = n + 1).


This should allow you to track the entire session history like a browser

does.


That's the main idea, then there are a few things to consider like a

script that

will check to see if a value exists for n - 1 (or n + 1) so that if they

don't

exist, the Back or Forward buttons can be greyed out/made inactive.

Also, say

you have a history list that's up to 20 and your user clicks Back 5

times and

winds up at location 15 in the list. Then they navigate directly to

frame #33.

Now history item 16 is reset to a value of 33 but this still doesn't

wipe out

the values for 17-20, so it wouldn't work exactly like a browser. A fix

for this

could be scripted too.


Hope this makes sense. You should launch this in a browser with no

button bar so

the user doesn't get confused. Otherwise you could simply make your

Flash nav in

one frame that loads individual pages into another frame and then the

browser

would do all the history tracking work for you.


HTH,

Randy

ifxjps [dot] net

 wrote:


> Hello,

>

> I'm creating an interface in Flash that contains no animated elements. It's

> just a series of static images on a few hundred frames, with one image per

> frame and navigation buttons that link to the various frames (picture a 100

> page website with Flash interface as the browser). What I want to be able to

> do is setup a back and forth button that takes the viewer to the previous

> screen they were looking at. The trouble is that the screens are non-linear

> and there are several point of entry depending on what link button they hit.

> A perfect example of what I'm talking about would is how a browser works,

> there are the various hyperlinks on the pages... but there is also the back

> and forth button that is on the browser. I want to be able to setup that

> "back and forth button". I know how to setup a "return to previous page"

> using JavaScript in an HTML page... but I don't know what method to set that

> function within Flash. I suppose it would have something to do with defining

> a variable.. but beyond that, I don't have a clue. I have each movie frame

> defined with a label so I'm wondering if that might be the key to allowing

> the user to access the previously viewed frame with an arrow button. If

> anyone has any idea what I just said... and knows of something that could

> point me towards a solution, I'd greatly appreciate it.

>

> Thanks in advance!

>

> Alan


--

'''''' ' '  '  '   '    '     '      '        '

Randy Kato - Web Master

Braincraft


627 Broadway, Suite 504, NYC 10012

T 212.539.1680   F 212.539.1741

http://www.braincraft.com

...... . .  .  .   .    .     .      .        .


flasher is generously supported by...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     flashforward2000 and the Flash(tm) Film Festival

 July 24-26, 2000, NEW YORK CITY, Hammerstein Ballroom

                  www.flashforward2000.com

   Produced by United Digital Artists and lynda.com

 Sponsored by Macromedia, Adobe Systems, Fusion, Inc, AtomFilms,

           shockwave.com and Electric Rain.

 1.877.4.FLASH.4  or (1.805.640.6679 outside the US and Canada)

 Register before June 30 and save $200!!-- www.flashforward2000.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email

helpchinwag [dot] com