Macromedia Flash Tutorial, Part II, Continued

Finishing Up

To get the time from the computer, we'll use three built-in JavaScript Methods: getSeconds, getMinutes and getHours. The seconds and minutes are manipulated in JavaScript to provide a separate tens (0-5) and units (0-9) digit for the seconds and minutes, and the hours are sent to the Hours Movie Clip in 24-hour format (0-23). For the seconds digit we use the following Flash Method in JavaScript to send a command for the correct information to Flash for immediate display.

jc().TGotoLabel('_level0/Clock/1Second', S1);

The function jc() is used to supply the correct object model, which is different for Internet Explorer than for Netscape. We use the Flash Method TGotoLabel(target,label), where target is the same type of Target used in Tell Targets in Flash and label is the Label given to a frame in Flash 3. The _level0 (underline level zero) in the target refers to the main Flash movie on level zero.

Similar to the hierarchy of files and directories, Flash has a hierarchy of timelines. To specify targets at different levels in the hierarchy, add a path to the target name using the same system as file paths or URLs. The main timeline is the top level and Movie clips on it are children of that timeline. Movie Clips inside other Movie Clips are called nested. In our example Movie Clip '1Second' is a child of Movie Clip 'Clock' on the main timeline in the Movie on level zero (hence /Clock/1Second). S1 is the JavaScript variable that shows seconds.

John Croteau (croteau@erols.com), a recognized expert in Flash creation, has been involved in Flash since the release of the beta for Flash 2. His Flash Tech Resource (http://www.FlashCentral.com/Tech/), now a part of Flash Central, is a useful technical information resource for Flash developers.

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