Flash: How to do multi-pages Flash application?

Question

Hi,

We need to create a flash application, where there would be a "menu page".
When you click a link here, it will take you to another page with a completely different layout and functions.

Now I am new to Flash and wondering how this is normally done.

If it is HTML, you would create 2 HTML pages that link to each other.
Do you create two separate Flash application? Or is there a better way?

I'm probably going to use FlexBuilder to do the coding, creating .as file - if that has anything to do with this.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Normally you split all your pages in different swf files and load/unload them as needed. If your going to use ActionScript 3, see the documentation of the Loader class.

Usually what I do is create one main document with a content container like a Sprite, and all the loading methods, the main content menu, the progress bar, etc. All the loaded pages are added inside this content container, and all the "content links" call the main document load methods.

Answer 2

There are many ways to go about making pages such as that. The easiest way would be to make all the pages you want in MovieClips in the Flash IDE and animate them in when a user clicks on a button.

It would look something like this:

myButton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, onClickHandler);

function onClickHandler(e:MouseEvent):void { //animate stuff }

Flex should take care of your imports.

Also, you may consider using Tweener for your animations, and if you really get into it take a look at swfAddress.