Z-ordering

February 26, 1998
by Alex Zavatone

Try moving, clicking on and closing the windows to see how they function. Clicking on the folder icons will reopen a closed window. After you move the windows around, look at the textfield to see the properties of the object updating realtime.

NOTE: one problem that prevents this from immediately working in Shockwave is that the stage rect does not start at 0,0. The top and left of the stage's rect are measured from the top left of the screen.

Since there is a fair bit of code here, all the code is explained in the second castlib of the sample downloadable movie. And if you like UI prototyping, tune in next week when I pull together all three UI pieces into one article with draggable groups of rollover buttons exist with z-ordering windows. More buzzwords as soon as I get congressional approval.

While you're waiting you might want to try the code yourself with this handy demo movie (HQX or ZIP).

A Director user since 1987, Alex (Zav) Zavatone has worked on the engineering teams for both Director and Shockwave, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Recent investigations find him developing foundation classes for Director with asynchronous process management and other life threatening activities. In its early days, he had something to do with this Internet thing known as "DOUG". A noted ne'erdowell, slacker and laggard, Mr. Zavatone is nonetheless is trusted by children, small animals and the elderly. In his spare time, Mr. Zavatone rehabilitates lame desert trout.