CODEWITHSUNDEEP
actionscript-3flash
user2913311
user2913311

Reputation: 63

AS3 accessing variables from timeline from nested MovieClip(s)

EDIT: I figured this problem out on my own, and have included the answer below.

I have a variable in my main timeline called characterDismissed which is a Boolean. I also have a series of nested MovieClips (MovieClips within MovieClips) which look something like: Stage > Container > List > Buttons.

In the Buttons MovieObject at the bottom of the nest I'm trying to output characterDismissed's value just to see if it can see or modify it:

trace("characterDismissed is: " + characterDismissed);

This obviously doesn't work, and I understand why it doesn't work (because characterDismissed is not a variable in the Buttons ActionScript, but rather in the main timeline's ActionScript, so it has no concept of the characterDismissed variable yet.)

How would I go about making this variable accessible to the Buttons MovieClip in AS3? I've tried root.characterDismissed, parent.characterDismissed, this.parent.characterDismissed, even parent.parent.parent.characterDismissed, etc. These always give me some flavor of this error, however:

1119: Access of possibly undefined property characterDismissed through a reference with static type flash.display:DisplayObjectContainer.

I feel like I've been reading suggestions for handling this for days, but nothing is working, and with my understanding of AS3 being limited already, I don't have a proper grasp on the vocabulary to better research it past what I've already searched, or make sense of what typically ends up being a vague response on other forums, or for similar, but not-quite-right questions/answers.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1151

Answers (1)

user2913311
user2913311

Reputation: 63

I ended up figuring out the answer on my own, here's what I came up with:

I made a new ActionScript 3.0 Class file and named it GlobalVars (though, you can name it whatever you like.) and saved it into my project directory alongside my main .FLA file. In GlobalVars I made a test variable named testVar, set it to public, and then static.

My understanding for this is that public means anything can modify it, and static means that this variable will be the same value throughout your entire program. That looks like this:

public static var testVar:Number = 1234;

Then in both my Main project AS3, and the nested object's AS3 I added:

import GlobalVars;

This adds the class I made, and any functions or variables I configured within GlobalVariables to my Main AS3 script on the timeline.

Now, I have can access or change my variables in those AS3 scripts by simply prefixing the variable with the class name, like so:

GlobalVars.testVar += 20; // Add 20 to testVar.

Now, as long as I import GlobalVars into my script, I can access, and modify these variables from anywhere.

Hope this helps anybody else out there who found themselves lacking the vocabulary to properly articulate a search on this subject. I have attempted to include as many keywords in my explanation as possible to help people with similar search queries.

Upvotes: 1

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