Preloading External SWFs

[viritribula]

Can anyone tell me a simple way to preload an external swf without putting a preloader in the actual external file? My situation is that I want to preload at least a portion of an external file (video in swf format) before begining anything in my main movie. I am loading the swf into an empty movie clip container, but how do I check the bytes loaded for the external file and not the container clip?

[gparis]

you actually check the bytes loaded for the container clip. To test the preload, show Streaming in test mode will not work. It has to be tested on a server.

Now let's assume your container is set on the main timeline. And that its instance name is container. You will then target it as _level0.container.

So here's a 2 frames loop that will preload the content of _level0.container

code:

---

gotoAndPlay("loading");

loadedbytes = _level0.container.getBytesLoaded()/1024;

totalbytes = _level0.container.getBytesTotal()/1024;

percent = Math.round(loadedbytes/(totalbytes)*100);

po = "Loading: "+Number(percent)+"%";

if (loadedbytes == 0 && totalbytes == 0) {

po = "Waiting for reply";

gotoAndPlay("loading");

} else if (loadedbytes>1 && percent>99) {

_level0.container.gotoAndStop("startFrame");

gotoAndPlay("end");

} else {

gotoAndPlay("loading");

}

---

so you have an empty frame with label 'loading' then another with that code in it.
This part:
_level0.container.gotoAndStop("startFrame");
means when the external swf is loaded (percent>99) it will send it to play its content. Apparently on a labeled frame. If you want the main timeline to do the same just add: _level0.gotoAndPlay("label");

Now you can change that line (percent>99) to whatever percentage where you want your clip to play.

hope this helps
gparis

[viritribula]

Thanks!

This works. I just modified it a little. I am going to try using a percentage preloader along with this (targeting the container clip). Thanks again!

[gparis]

you're welcome. to see the percentage use a dynamic field with variable name 'po' (percentage output)
gparis