[wzychee]

okay, I am a newb and I am having a huge problem so I figured what better place to start posting here.

So I've got a movie clip that contains 80 frames. I can make it stop by using the stop(); at last frame in the clip and be all dandy. I can make it stop by using

if (spike._currentframe == spike._totalframes) {
spike.stop();
}

I've found a number of ways to make the clip stop playing, but as soon as I insert a blank keyframe, layer, or scene anywhere aside from within the movie clip, the thing just starts blinking on and off.

I've tried for hours to rectify the situation, but no matter what I've done, I can't add anything else to the project without the movie clip going haywire.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[webbs_world]

Hey, I also have had the same problem many times. The only way I am able to make a semi decent film is to use layers.

[wzychee]

yeah, I wasn't really able to find a way to get it going with layers either, but for now, I've found that using _parent.nextframe(); and using stop(); on the main timeline will work.

It's restricting, but I'll eventually learn the ins and outs of it, I suppose.

[Pauline M]

Hi wzychee,

I wonder if that blinking thing has something to do with where your movie clip "lives" on the main timeline? Also the fact that you can use a stop action on the main timeline to make it work sounds like a hint. It makes me think that your movie clip doesn't exist on the main timeline for a frame or two - like where you inserted a blank keyframe? - and that's the blink moment.

Your movie clip will only play as long as the player is on a frame of the main timeline where the movie clip is actually there. When you stop the main timeline, the player is probably stopped at a frame where the movie clip is still "alive", so it plays (following it's own timeline).

If the player comes to a frame where your movie clip doesn't exist anymore, it's dead and gone as far as the player knows, so the player can't display it.

Does that make any sense? Do you have a screenshot of your timeline maybe?