MovieClip object

The methods for the MovieClip object provide the same functionality as actions that target movie clips. There are also additional methods that do not have equivalent actions in the Actions toolbox in the Actions panel.

You do not need to use a constructor method to call the methods of the MovieClip object; instead, you reference movie clip instances by name, using the following syntax:

my_mc.play();
my_mc.gotoAndPlay(3);

Method summary for the MovieClip object

Method Description
MovieClip.attachAudio() Captures and plays local audio from the microphone hardware.
MovieClip.attachMovie() Attaches a movie in the library.
MovieClip.createEmptyMovieClip() Creates an empty movie clip.
MovieClip.createTextField() Creates an empty text field.
MovieClip.duplicateMovieClip() Duplicates the specified movie clip.
MovieClip.getBounds() Returns the minimum and maximum x and y coordinates of a movie in a specified coordinate space.
MovieClip.getBytesLoaded() Returns the number of bytes loaded for the specified movie clip.
MovieClip.getBytesTotal() Returns the size of the movie clip in bytes.
MovieClip.getDepth() Returns the depth of a movie clip.
MovieClip.getSWFVersion()  
MovieClip.getURL() Retrieves a document from a URL.
MovieClip.globalToLocal() Converts the point object from Stage coordinates to the local coordinates of the specified movie clip.
MovieClip.gotoAndPlay() Sends the playhead to a specific frame in the movie clip and plays the movie.
MovieClip.gotoAndStop() Sends the playhead to a specific frame in the movie clip and stops the movie.
MovieClip.hitTest() Returns true if bounding box of the specified movie clip intersects the bounding box of the target movie clip.
MovieClip.loadMovie() Loads the specified movie into the movie clip.
MovieClip.loadVariables() Loads variables from a URL or other location into the movie clip.
MovieClip.localToGlobal() Converts a Point object from the local coordinates of the movie clip to the global Stage coordinates.
MovieClip.nextFrame() Sends the playhead to the next frame of the movie clip.
MovieClip.play() Plays the specified movie clip.
MovieClip.prevFrame() Sends the playhead to the previous frame of the movie clip.
MovieClip.removeMovieClip() Removes the movie clip from the Timeline if it was created with duplicateMovieClip(), MovieClip.duplicateMovieClip(), or MovieClip.attachMovie().
MovieClip.setMask() Specifies a movie clip as a mask for another movie clip.
MovieClip.startDrag() Specifies a movie clip as draggable and begins dragging the movie clip.
MovieClip.stop() Stops the currently playing movie.
MovieClip.stopDrag() Stops the dragging of any movie clip that is being dragged.
MovieClip.swapDepths() Swaps the depth level of two movies.
MovieClip.unloadMovie() Removes a movie that was loaded with the loadMovie action.

Drawing method summary for the MovieClip object

Method Description
MovieClip.beginFill() Begins drawing a fill on the Stage.
MovieClip.beginGradientFill() Begins drawing a gradient fill on the Stage.
MovieClip.clear() Removes all the drawing commands associated with a movie clip instance.
MovieClip.curveTo() Draws a curve using the latest line style.
MovieClip.endFill() Ends the fill specified by beginFill or beginGradientFill.
MovieClip.lineStyle() Defines the stroke of lines created with the lineTo and curveTo methods.
MovieClip.lineTo() Draws a line using the current line style.
MovieClip.moveTo() Moves the current drawing position to specified coordinates.

Property summary for the MovieClip object

Property Description
MovieClip._alpha The transparency value of a movie clip instance.
MovieClip._currentframe The frame number in which the playhead is currently located.
MovieClip._droptarget The absolute path in slash syntax notation of the movie clip instance on which a draggable movie clip was dropped.
MovieClip.enabled Indicates whether a button movie clip is enabled.
MovieClip.focusEnabled Enables a movie clip to receive focus.
MovieClip._focusrect Indicates whether a focused movie clip has a yellow rectangle around it.
MovieClip._framesloaded The number of frames that have been loaded from a streaming movie.
MovieClip._height The height of a movie clip instance, in pixels.
MovieClip.hitArea Designates another movie clip to serve as the hit area for a button movie clip.
MovieClip._highquality Sets the rendering quality of a movie.
MovieClip.menu  
MovieClip._name The instance name of a movie clip instance.
MovieClip._parent A reference to the movie clip that encloses the movie clip.
MovieClip._rotation The degree of rotation of a movie clip instance.
MovieClip._soundbuftime The number of seconds before a sound starts to stream.
MovieClip.tabChildren Indicates whether the children of a movie clip are included in automatic tab ordering.
MovieClip.tabEnabled Indicates whether a movie clip is included in tab ordering.
MovieClip.tabIndex Indicates the tab order of an object.
MovieClip._target The target path of a movie clip instance.
MovieClip._totalframes The total number of frames in a movie clip instance.
MovieClip.trackAsMenu Indicates whether other buttons can receive mouse release events.
MovieClip._url The URL of the SWF file from which a movie clip was downloaded.
MovieClip.useHandCursor Determines whether the hand is displayed when a user rolls over a button movie clip.
MovieClip._visible A Boolean value that determines whether a movie clip instance is hidden or visible.
MovieClip._width The width of a movie clip instance, in pixels.
MovieClip._x The x coordinate of a movie clip instance
MovieClip._xmouse The x coordinate of the pointer within a movie clip instance.
MovieClip._xscale The value specifying the percentage for horizontally scaling a movie clip.
MovieClip._y The y coordinate of a movie clip instance.
MovieClip._ymouse The y coordinate of the pointer within a movie clip instance.
MovieClip._yscale The value specifying the percentage for vertically scaling a movie clip.

Event handler summary for the MovieClip object

Event handler Description
MovieClip.onData Invoked when all the data is loaded into a movie clip.
MovieClip.onDragOut Invoked while the pointer is outside the button; the mouse button is pressed inside, and then rolls outside the button area.
MovieClip.onDragOver Invoked while the pointer is over the button; the mouse button has been pressed then rolled outside the button, and then rolled back over the button.
MovieClip.onEnterFrame Invoked continually at the frame rate of the movie. The actions associated with the enterFrame clip event are processed before any frame actions that are attached to the affected frames.
MovieClip.onKeyDown Invoked when a key is pressed. Use the Key.getCode and Key.getAscii() methods to retrieve information about the last key pressed.
MovieClip.onKeyUp Invoked when a key is released.
MovieClip.onKillFocus Invoked when focus is removed from a button.
MovieClip.onLoad Invoked when the movie clip is instantiated and appears in the Timeline.
MovieClip.onMouseDown Invoked when the left mouse button is pressed.
MovieClip.onMouseMove Invoked every time the mouse is moved.
MovieClip.onMouseUp Invoked when the left mouse button is released.
MovieClip.onPress Invoked when the mouse is pressed while the pointer is over a button.
MovieClip.onRelease Invoked when the mouse is released while the pointer is over a button.
MovieClip.onReleaseOutside Invoked when the mouse is released while the pointer is outside the button after the button is pressed while the pointer is inside the button.
MovieClip.onRollOut Invoked when the pointer rolls outside of a button area.
MovieClip.onRollOver Invoked when the mouse pointer rolls over a button.
MovieClip.onSetFocus Invoked when a button has input focus and a key is released.
MovieClip.onUnload Invokes in the first frame after the movie clip is removed from the Timeline. The actions associated with the Unload movie clip event are processed before any actions are attached to the affected frame.