Creating Libraries; Setting Cast Member Properties Using Lingo - MACROMEDIA DIRECTOR MX-USING DIRECTOR MX Use Manual

Creating libraries

A library is a special type of unlinked external cast that appears in the Library palette. When you
drag a cast member from an external cast library to the Stage or Score, Director automatically
copies the cast member to one of the movie's internal casts. Libraries are useful for storing any
type of commonly used cast members, especially behaviors. A library cannot be linked to a movie.
See "Attaching behaviors" on page 357.
When you create a library, as explained in the following procedure, it appears in the Library List
pop-up menu in the Library palette.
To create a library:
Create an external cast file, following the procedure under "Creating new casts" on page 128.
1
Do not select Use in Current Movie.
With the Cast window for the external cast active, select File > Save, and place the external cast
2
in the Libs folder in the Director application folder.

Setting cast member properties using Lingo

Lingo lets you control and edit cast members by setting their properties. Some properties are
available for every type of cast member, and other properties are available only for specific cast
member types. See entries for individual properties in the Lingo Dictionary.
To specify the cast member's content:
•
Set the
media
To specify the cast member's name:
•
Set the cast member property. .
name
To set the contents of the cast member's comments field:
•
Set the
comments
you find useful, and access it at runtime by getting the
To specify the cast member's purge priority:
•
Set the
purgePriority
To specify the content of the script that is attached to the cast member:
•
Set the
scriptText
To specify the file that is assigned to a linked cast member:
•
Set the
fileName
For additional cast member properties that Lingo can test and set, see the Lingo Dictionary
sections that discuss the specific cast member type.
154 Chapter 4
cast member property.
cast member property. You can store any text information in this field that
cast member property.
cast member property.
cast member property.
property.
comments