I have a simple preloader on my site. For some reason, it won't display until it's at about 70%. Does anyone know why? Here's the code:

stop();
total = this.getBytesTotal();
this.onEnterFrame = function() {
loaded = this.getBytesLoaded();
percentage = Math.round((loaded/total)*100);
progressBar._xscale = percentage;
progressBar._alpha = 100;
percentageRead = "Loading "+percentage+"%";
if (total == loaded) {
delete this.onEnterFrame;
gotoAndPlay("intro");
}
};

[Laveklint]

my guess is that you have this code in the firstframe of your movie and the movie may be xKB..
so before you will see the progress of you preloader you have to load a certain amount before it starts displaying you preloader.. make sense to you?

My advice is to have a movie which job is to load you content.

Setup up a new movie and make the preloader in that to load in you other movie.

code in your "loaderMovie":

//////////////// Create a "container" to hold your movie
var container = this.createEmptyMovieClip("container", this.getNextHighestDepth());
//////////////// MOVIECLIPLOADER
var mcl = new MovieClipLoader();
loadList = new Object();
mcl.addListener(loadList);
loadList.onLoadStart = function(targetMC) {
   // setup your starting properties
   container._alpha = 0;
};
loadList.onLoadProgress = function(targetMC, lBytes, tBytes) {
   var percentage = Math.round((lBytes/tBytes)*100);
   progressBar._xscale = percentage;
};
loadList.onLoadInit = function(targetMC) {
   // what happens when it´s loaded
   container._alpha = 100;
};
mcl.loadClip("yourMovie.swf","container"); 

let me know how it works out

[Laveklint]

opps forgot.
set up your x & y for the container

container._x = 0; // or other _x value
container._y = 0; // or other _y value 
 

[mrpinc]

The reason for this is because Flash must load the first frame (which your preloader) is on before it can display anything. If you go to your publish settings and actionscript options and change the settings 'Export classes to frame:' to 2. As well make sure any linkages you have set up are NOT checked to 'export to first frame' This is real important for any components you are using since otherwise they will not appear. www.gotoandlearn.com talks about all this in the tutorial on advanced preloaders.

[edub70]

Thanks for the help folks. I did what mrpinc suggested and now the preloader is appearing much sooner. Actually, it appears when it's at about 20 percent. It's still not appearing earlier because I have dynamic text that displays the percentage amount. That dynamic text has a font I'm embedding, which if I don't embed, the preloader appears instantly, but in the wrong font. I suppose there's no way around that?

[Laveklint]

yes there is a way around it.. if do you as I posted.
Setup a "mainLoadMovie" and load in your "contentMovie"

[Nutrox]

An article in my Ultrablog covers this issue: Problemo Preloaders - Part One

The code is AS3 but the rules apply to any Flash movie.

[edub70]

Hey Gregaz! Thanks for the help. You're right. The preloader shows right away. But I guess with every AS success there is in turn, a failure:

1. the preloader won't go away once it's complete. Should I load the main.swf on the second frame of the preloader movie or something else?

2. I designed the main.swf to have some keyframe animations at the start. However, when the loader is complete and the main.swf is loaded into the container, the animation at the beginning has already completed and it appears as it does after those keyframes. I take it this means the main.swf is actually being loaded before you see it, then running through the animations while the preloader loads, and then being displayed after the animations are complete. Make sense?

3. I have some dynamic text that displays the percentage, as well as a loader bar. The dynamic text now won't display a space character inbetween the word "loading" and the percentage. I've tried "percentageRead = "Loading"+" "+percentage;" and "percentageRead = "Loading "+percentage;" and neither seem to work. I don't know if that has anything to do with this code. Might be a font issue on my end.

Thanks for any help. This is great learning!

[Laveklint]

I´m in a hurry so this will be fast...
about the space between your % and loading.. set it up like this:
"percentageRead = " + percentage;
where "percentageRead" is the text displayed infront of the percatage.. you have to have:
("string = " + other value)
Ill take a look at the other thing later.. have to run..

[framesakaflames]

Hello there,

I'm also new to actionscript and i have had the same problem with the preloader in a very big/complex website I'm developing that has many scenes and timeline use.
I used the container exemplified here and it works [almost] perfectly.
The only problem is that when it reaches approximately 80% of preloading, it already starts playing the timeline of the MC I'm about to load/display.
This completely ruins the beginning of the website's first scene...

Any ideas how prevent the loaded MC from playing before the preloader actually loads/disappears, I'll be immensely grateful...

Thanx!