Using Director > Writing Scripts with Lingo > Writing Lingo statements > Understanding the order of messages in a movie

 

Understanding the order of messages in a movie

Director follows a definite order when sending messages about events that occur during the course of a movie.

When the movie first starts, events occur in the following order:

1

prepareMovie

2

beginSprite

This event occurs when the playback head enters a sprite span.

3

prepareFrame

Immediately after the prepareFrame event, Director plays sounds, draws sprites, and performs any transitions or palette effects. This event occurs before the enterFrame event. An on prepareFrame handler is a good location for Lingo that you want to run before the frame draws.

4

startMovie

This event occurs in the first frame that plays.

When Director plays a frame, events occur in this order:

1

beginSprite

This event occurs only if new sprites begin in the frame.

2

stepFrame

3

prepareFrame

Immediately after the prepareFrame event, Director plays sounds, draws sprites, and performs any transitions or palette effects. This event occurs before the enterFrame event.

4

enterFrame

After enterFrame and before exitFrame, Director handles any time delays required by the tempo setting, idle events, and keyboard and mouse events.

5

exitFrame

6

endSprite

This event occurs only if the playback head exits a sprite in the frame.

When a movie stops, events occur in this order:

1

endSprite

This event occurs only if sprites currently exist in the movie.

2

stopMovie