Project Freezes on Mac

Question

Thanks to everyone who posted an answer about making files invisible. I appreciate the help. I have one more challenge. I have created a project that calls for .mov files (among other things) to run within it. Everything works great on PCs, but on MACs, there is a specific sequence of 3 buttons that end users can push that makes the program freeze, leaving the following .mov file on the screen and none of the buttons working.
The problem starts when people call up an .mov file using a certain button on the screen, and then press 2 other buttons in a specific sequence. The first of these buttons just takes the user to another activity and the second of these 2 buttons calls up a different .mov file.  Once the second .mov file is called, the program will play the video and then freeze.  It does not matter which .mov files are called up (several choices), the problem is the same. Any other sequence of buttons following viewing the original .mov file causes no problems. I cannot find the lingo error causing this, and the program runs perfectly on PCs. If you are interested in looking at a puzzling challenge, would you let me know and I will send you the .dir and related files?  I feel like I am staring at a simple solution and just can't see it.

Answer 1

Hi Sandra,
Not on a Mac today so can’t test the steps and see the problem directly. However, will offer some suggestions.
It sounds like the video is just staying on screen rather than actually crashing your application. Can you test this by the change I mentioned before. Instead of making the video sprite invisible, can you move it off stage as I suggested as follows
Replace
  set the movieRate of sprite 44 to 0
with
  sprite(44).locH = sprite(44).locH + 8000
or verbose syntax if you prefer
  the locH of sprite 44 = (the locH of sprite 44) + 800
Next, Sean’s suggestion is a good one. Where idd you add the statement he suggested? I would suggest you add the following to your frame behaviors in the frame following on from a video
on enterFrame
the stageColor = the stageColor
end
Other things to improve your code. A behavior like:
on exitFrame
  go to the frame
    if the movieRate of sprite 44 = 0 then
    set the memberNum of sprite 46 to the number of member "play_up"
  else
    set the memberNum of sprite 46 to the number of member "pause_up"
  end if
end
could be improved in a number of ways.
1. If you are including code that is making adjustments to sprites, have that before the ‘go to the frame’ line.
2. memberNum is dated Lingo instead just use ‘member’:
sprite(46).member = member(“play_up”)
or verbose
the member of sprite 46 = member("play_up")
3. I’m not sure why the change of members is in the frame behaviour. It could be linked to any button that takes you out of the video sequence. So, you may have a behaviour as follows:
-- pause video and change buttons
on mouseUp
  sprit(44).movieRate = 0
  sprite(46).member = member(“play_up”)
end
You could have a separate behaviour that starts the video. It could be attached to the video sprite and could be:
-- play video at start
on beginSprite
  sprit(44).movieRate = 1
  sprite(46).member = member(“pause_up”)
end
I suggest you try separate different elements of behaviors. For the ‘Return to Error Choices’ script, you have code to switch cast members (highlight the sprite on rollover) as well as the mouseup instructions.  I’d suggest you use the ‘Rollover Member Change’ behaviour in the Behavior Library – Animation > Interactive category. That will mean the same behavior can used for all sprites without having to hard code individual buttons. Will be much more efficient. I’d also suggest you add the ‘Rollover Cursor Change’ behaviour, also in Behavior Library – Animation > Interactive category. Remember, you can have multiple behaviors attached to a single sprite. So, having individual behaviors for different types of things, it makes your code management more efficient and will help in locating bugs too.
Last code suggestion – look at the use of case Lingo which be used over if then when appropriate. For example:
    if numberOfTries = 0 then
      go to "EC1"
    else if numberOfTries = 1 then
      go to "1E1"
    else if numberOfTries = 2 then
      go to "1E2"
    else if numberOfTries = 3 then
      go to "1E2"
    end if
Can be replaced with: 
  case numberOfTries of
    0: go to "EC1"
    1: go to "1E1"
    2: go to "1E2" 
    3: go to "1E2"
  end case
In the above example, besides being more efficient to write, it’s also more efficient to execute.
Has been longish reply. Hope it's been helpful.
Dean