Eddie On Everything

AS3 Error: 1046: Type was not found or was not a compile-time constant

File under Adobe Flash 9 / Action Script 3 (AS3) Errors

Error Message: 1046: Type was not found or was not a compile-time constant: caseStudyLink.

The Problem: I was getting this error message when trying to tween a MovieClip on the stage. Flash was telling me that the error message was coming from one of my package files - in this case, it was a custom class that I was using to extend the parent MovieClip. It is notable that this class had no direct mention of the object I was trying to tween.

Everything was running smoothly until I added an instance name to the existing MovieClip.

The Cause: I can’t say for sure why, but for some reason Flash was unable to find the object I was referring to, even though it was indeed in the Library and had the proper class name filled in.

The Solution: I duplicated the offending MovieClip in the Library, then used the “swap” button in the properties pane to swap the parent object in every keyframe that the instance was being used. Presto - problem went away.

Go figure.