Comments on: Using JSFL to auto-name instances of newly created MovieClips

By: UglyComputer

UglyComputer — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:25:59 +0000

thanks for the post — Danny's comment just saved me hours and hours in importing AI files.
bril.

By: Andres Pelaez Lujan

Andres Pelaez Lujan — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:55:33 +0000

Thank you man.

By: Using JSFL to create auto-buttons in Flash | flash developer | steven sacks

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:24:58 +0000

[...] upon the previous post, one of the other things I do quite often is create MovieClip buttons using a little-known trick in [...]

By: Steven Sacks

Steven Sacks — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:03:35 +0000

You have to iterate through the selection to get each MovieClip individually, or you're going to turn the selection into a symbol (it's exactly the same behavior as pressing F8, because Flash uses JSFL when you do).

By: Guillermo

Guillermo — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:04:44 +0000

ok so your piece of code is really helpful because it does the job, but what if you have 5 different movie clips and u want to give them instance names that are the same as what their are name as movie clips? u get it?

5 movie clips distributed each in a layer…
then give each movie clip an instance name

any ideas?

right now what your code does is give an instance name prompt it to the user but i have 5 movie clips and it only prompted me once?.. =/

thanks

By: Steven Sacks

Steven Sacks — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:00:16 +0000

That would take more time than it would for me to name it myself. One keyboard shortcut FTW!

By: Danny

Danny — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 07:02:36 +0000

You could always create your movie clips the "old fashioned" way and then create a JSFL script that names the instance(s) the same as the movie clip name(s) in the library:

if (fl.getDocumentDOM().selection.length > 0)
{

for(i in fl.getDocumentDOM().selection){
path = fl.getDocumentDOM().selection[i].libraryItem.name;
mc_name = path.substr(path.lastIndexOf("/")+1);
fl.trace('clip = '+mc_name);
fl.getDocumentDOM().selection[i].name = mc_name;

}

By: Chad

Chad — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:49:09 +0000

I had the same problem but tackled it a slightly different way. I created an AutoHotKey script to pop up an input window to enter the name. It doesn't auto-populate the name, but it is more efficient than jumping to the properties panel. Check out the info here:
http://www.ultrashock.com/forums/flash-professional/jsfl-external-variable-clipboard-text-90632.html

By: Steven Sacks

Steven Sacks — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 11:29:59 +0000

I never set the registration point of a MovieClip to anything other than top left except in very specific edge cases. But, I'm glad you find the script helpful and your addition, too!

By: jkozniewski

jkozniewski — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 10:52:08 +0000

I've shared your pain till today
so thanks for this little yet useful script. I've missed one feature though – setting of reg point other than "top left" so I've extended your jsfl

Now you can set reg point by just typing mcName*# into prompt where # is 1-9.
Note that numbers are 'mapped' in a way that links numpad key layout directly with location of reg point. So for ex. 7 == "top left" and 5 == "center".

You can download extended version here -> http://jkozniewski.com/tools/Convert%20to%20Symbol%20Ext.jsfl