Actionscript 3, addChild from library then access it's children by instance names
So I successfully added a movie clip from the library using addChild(), but now I want to access some movieclips that were in that dynamically added movieclip.
I've used standard dot notation and also getChildByName passing it the instance names.
What am I missing here?
---- EDITED ----
I tried the suggestion of looping through and can access them by index, but seems like not as intuitive of a way to do this... below are the two examples of what I had previously tried and they all come back as "1119: Access of possibly undefined property nameText through a reference with static type flash.display:DisplayObject." or "1061: Call to a possibly undefined method getChildByName through a reference with static type flash.display:DisplayObject."
example of dot notation:
// build circlular display
function buildCircle() {
trace("buildCircle()");
if (viewByState == "assignment") {
var competencyContainer:MovieClip = new MovieClip();
competencyContainer.name = "competencyContainer";
this.addChild(competencyContainer);
var angleSegment:Number = 360 / competenciesArray.length;
var angleSum:Number = 360 - angleSegment / 2;
for (var i:Number = 0; i < competenciesArray.length; i++) {
var competencyInstance:competencyCircle = new competencyCircle();
competencyInstance.name = "competency" + i;
competencyContainer.addChild(competencyInstance);
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).x = circleCenter.x - (Math.sin(angleSum * (Math.PI / 180)) * (circleSize / 2));
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).y = circleCenter.y - (Math.sin((90 - angleSum) * (Math.PI / 180)) * (circleSize / 2));
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).nameText.wordWrap = true;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).nameText.embedFonts = true;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).nameText.htmlText = "COMPETENCY:<br />" + competenciesArray[i].name;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).nameText.setTextFormat(tfTitle, 0, competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).nameText.text.length - competenciesArray[i].name.length);
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).nameText.setTextFormat(tfName, competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).nameText.text.length - competenciesArray[i].name.length, competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).nameText.text.length);
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).nameText.autoSize = TextFieldAutoSize.CENTER;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).nameText.y = -(competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).nameText.height / 2);
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).filters = [circleDefaultDropShadow];
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).selectedIndicator.visible = false;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).hit.buttonMode = true;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).hit.mouseEnabled = true;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).hit.tabEnabled = true;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).hit.mouseChildren = true;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).hit.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER, function(e:MouseEvent) {
e.target.parent.filters = [circleHoverDropShadow];
});
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).hit.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT, function(e:MouseEvent) {
e.target.parent.filters = [circleDefaultDropShadow];
});
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).hit.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, function(e:MouseEvent) {
e.target.parent.filters = [circleDefaultDropShadow];
e.target.parent.selectedIndicator.visible = true;
});
angleSum -= angleSegment;
trace("end");
trace(i);
trace("\n\n\n");
}
} else if (viewByState == "competency") {
} else {
}
}
buildCircle();
and example using .getChildByName():
// build circlular display
function buildCircle() {
trace("buildCircle()");
if (viewByState == "assignment") {
var competencyContainer:MovieClip = new MovieClip();
competencyContainer.name = "competencyContainer";
this.addChild(competencyContainer);
var angleSegment:Number = 360 / competenciesArray.length;
var angleSum:Number = 360 - angleSegment / 2;
for (var i:Number = 0; i < competenciesArray.length; i++) {
var competencyInstance:competencyCircle = new competencyCircle();
competencyInstance.name = "competency" + i;
competencyContainer.addChild(competencyInstance);
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).x = circleCenter.x - (Math.sin(angleSum * (Math.PI / 180)) * (circleSize / 2));
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).y = circleCenter.y - (Math.sin((90 - angleSum) * (Math.PI / 180)) * (circleSize / 2));
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("nameText").wordWrap = true;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("nameText").embedFonts = true;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("nameText").htmlText = "COMPETENCY:<br />" + competenciesArray[i].name;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("nameText").setTextFormat(tfTitle, 0, competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("nameText").text.length - competenciesArray[i].name.length);
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("nameText").setTextFormat(tfName, competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("nameText").text.length - competenciesArray[i].name.length, competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("nameText").text.length);
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("nameText").autoSize = TextFieldAutoSize.CENTER;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("nameText").y = -(competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("nameText").height / 2);
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).filters = [circleDefaultDropShadow];
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("selectedIndicator").visible = false;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("hit").buttonMode = true;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("hit").mouseEnabled = true;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("hit").tabEnabled = true;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("hit").mouseChildren = true;
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("hit").addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER, function(e:MouseEvent) {
e.target.parent.filters = [circleHoverDropShadow];
});
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("hit").addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT, function(e:MouseEvent) {
e.target.parent.filters = [circleDefaultDropShadow];
});
competencyContainer.getChildByName("competency" + i).getChildByName("hit").addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, function(e:MouseEvent) {
e.target.parent.filters = [circleDefaultDropShadow];
e.target.parent.getChildByName("selectedIndicator").visible = true;
});
angleSum -= angleSegment;
trace("end");
trace(i);
trace("\n\n\n");
}
} else if (viewByState == "competency") {
} else {
}
}
buildCircle();
Answer
What about using this when create the clips:
...
competencyInstance.name = "competency" + i;
competencyContainer.addChild (competencyInstance);
// this is the additional line, cecessary for accesing later by name
competencyContainer["clipFichaEjemplo2"] = competencyInstance;
...
And this to access them later:
...
var M:MovieClip = clipMapa["competency" + i];
...
it worked for me in a similar flash project where i have the problem using addChild dynamically.
ihih: I hope it helps :)