FLASH: ActionScript bugs in IE/Mac and NS/Win!

[Jonathon Wolfe]

Has anyone else noticed problems with inter-level communication between

movies in Flash 4 on Internet Explorer/mac and Netscape/win?

Unfortunately, I think I've found some bugs buried deep in the system.


I'm working on a large site which relies heavily on loading movies into

different levels and then having them communicate (i.e. checking and

setting variables between _level0, _level1, _level2, etc.). In my tests,

the Flash player app on the mac, Netscape on the mac, and Internet

Explorer on windows all work correctly, but IE on the mac and Netscape on

windows both exhibit the same bugs, which seem to be slow and inconsistent

communication between the .swf's on different levels. 


Here are the platforms I've tested so far:

    Windows:

        -IE 5 w/Flash ActiveX Control v 4.0.13  -- works fine

        -Netscape 4.7 w/Flash plugin v4.0 r13 -- doesn't work


    Macintosh:

        -IE 4.5 w/Flash plugin v4.0r14 -- doesn't work

        -Netscape 4.61 w/Flash plugin v4.0 r14 -- works fine

        -Flash Player Application v4.0  -- works fine


Note that both IE and Netscape on the mac use the exact same plugin but

work differently! Btw, all my tests are being done with content on the

machine's hard drive. 


Here is an example of some inter-level communication which is failing for

me in mac IE and windows Netscape but working flawlessly everywhere else.

The idea is for the controller movie to load another movie containing an

image and to tell that second movie where to position itself and to fade

the image in once it's done preloading.


Controller movie (_level1000):

    Frame 4: Load Movie (ImageMovieUrl, 1001)

    Frame 5: nothing

    Frame 6: nothing

    Frame 7: If(_level1001:Status = 2) <<Status=2: preloading is done

               Set Variable: "_level1001:Status" = 3 <<Status=3:fade in

               Set Variable: "_level1001:X" = 464

               Set Variable: "_level1001:Y" = 232

             End If

    Frame 8: Go To and Play(_currentframe - 1)


Image movie (_level1001):

    Frame 1: Set Variable: "Status" = 1

    Frame 2: nothing

    Frame 3: If (Status = 3) <<fade in when set to 3 

               Go to and Play (_currentframe + 1)

             Else

               Set Variable: "Status" = 2 <<says preloading's done

               Set Variable: "X" = 0

               Set Variable: "Y" = 0

               Go to and Play (_currentframe - 1)

             End If

    Frame 4: Set Property ("Pic", X Position) = X 

             Set Property ("Pic", Y Position) = Y <<Pic has a .jpg in it


I know that's convoluted, but you have to do convoluted stuff in Action

Script to make sure things are synchronized. On the problem platforms

mentioned above, it takes the image movie a hell of a long time to fade

in, and when it does, it often appears at its default position (without

the updated x and y positions). on the other platforms, it appears on time

and in the correct spot, always. 


My guess is that the messaging behind the if(_level*:*) and Set Variable:

"_level*:*" instructions isn't working correctly on these platforms and my

movies are looping for a long time before the variables finally are

updated, albeit incorrectly.


Well, thanks for reading this far. If anybody (especially from Macromedia)

can make sense of this inconsistency I'll be very grateful, since this is

a rather show-stopping bug for my site.


Thanks in advance,


Jonathon Wolfe

kolossuspacbell [dot] net

P.S: shouldn't macromedia have an email address to report bugs to and not

just "

Flash_Wishmacromedia [dot] com

" or whatever it's called? Also, there

should be a free phone number to report bugs, since what I need is

definitely not the $125/hour "We'll write a little lingo for you" incident

support that macromedia's web site suggests. Anybody else agree?




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