Ted Patrick > { Events & Community } > Adobe Systems

I have been working with SwapDepths a lot lately and thought I should post some interesting findings about depth.
*MCD == MovieClipDatatype

1. SwapDepths accepts both a target and an integer. This is available in F5 and F6 Players.

_level0.createEmptyMovieClip('ted',0)
ted.swapDepths(34)
trace(ted.getDepth()) //output:34


2. IDE placed MCDs are positioned on negative depths (in F5 MCD's skipped every other depth)

// place a MCD on stage
// instance name = 'ted'
trace(ted.getDepth()) //output:"-16383"

// why 16383? 16383 == 2^14

3. Negative Depths are protected from the RemoveMovieClip. Change the depth to positive and it works.

// place a MCD on stage
// instance name = 'ted'
ted.removeMovieClip() // fails
ted.swapDepths(0)
ted.removeMovieClip() // gone!

4. In F5 Player, TextFields were placed on negative depths in the gaps between MCD depths. (Not true with F6, as TextField is more component oriented) I think this was done as a class oriented system where depth provided a Textfield certain methods and properties and allowed binding to a variable. Although this is just theory in regard to the F5 Player. Only MM knows...

5. SwapDepths work with _level#'s also but have some strange effects

// turn _level0 into _level16383 >>> NO MORE LEVEL0 ????? Tell me it ain't so! ;)
_level0.swapDepths(0)

// SwapDepth only works if _levels are occupied by a loaded MCD
_level30.swapDepths(_level2)

// You can swapDepths with _level0 content so long as the other _level is loaded
_level0.swapDepths(_level30)

6. For loops operate according to MCD depth (highest to lowest depth). Swap depths and the order will change.

_level0.createEmptyMovieClip('t1',0)
_level0.createEmptyMovieClip('t2',1)
_level0.createEmptyMovieClip('t3',2)

for (var prop in _level0){
if(typeof(_level0[prop]) == 'movieclip'){
trace(prop)
}
}
//output:t3
//output:t2
//output:t1

t1.swapDepths(t3)

for (var prop in _level0){
if(typeof(_level0[prop]) == 'movieclip'){
trace(prop)
}
}
//output:t1
//output:t2
//output:t3


Cheers!

ted ;)