Re: efficient use of sprites

[Dave C <no@xxxxxx>]

So if I understand correctly, you have more products than can be 
displayed on the stage at any given time. So you have a scroll bar the 
shifts the location of the sprites, i.e. some sprites slide off of the 
stage and make room for others that slide on. At any given time there 
are a certain number of products always on the visible part of the 
stage. Is this a correct description?

There are many ways to do things in Director. As a matter of fact you 
could build your application and not have a single thing on the score, 
it could be completely blank! Using imaging Lingo you could create your 
entire stage image at any given moment based on the position of the 
scrollbar.

I am not suggesting you build it this way. It's sort of the opposite of 
the way you have built your application. I only mention this to 
illustrate that the limitation is not Director's rather it is the design.

An easier method (meaning it requires less complicated coding) is to use 
a set number of sprites on the stage as 'placeholders'. For example, 
let's say you decide to allow for 4 rows of products, each with 5 
columns (arrow, name, line, pdf1, pdf2). A total of 20 sprites, which 
would not change regardless of how many products you include.

Based on the position of the scrollbar, you would substitute the sprites 
member property (i.e. which cast member is assigned to the sprite). 
Nothing would be moving. You could make the products move up/down one 
row at a time (and then off the screen) or scroll by 'pages'.

It's not obvious to me the purpose of the underlines and arrows. Can you 
  elaborate on this?

Have I missed the mark altogether?