Flash Based Websites

I'm having some issues with flash based websites. Actually a few problems.
First of all, when I get into complex interfaces, I end up with about a billion layers and I start to lose track. Is there any way I can create various parts of the site separately but have them end up on the same final product to ease that confusion?

Second, on a lot of websites such as pankpages or 2advanced, when you clikc on a screen, it goes to loading then to the info. This question is similar to the previous one. How do i get it to clear all the content and load new stuff? So i guess my real question is how in god's name do I manage to go between various pages in flash? my past experience was quite different with html because when you click in to let's say "About Us" section, it loads a new html file. But with flash, i need to know how to separate and jump between sections! ( i hope you guys understand what i'm talking about)

finally, with content update in flash. Is there an easier way than going to edit the *.fla file ever time?

Thanks guys,
-Ben

Keep
It
Simple
Stupid

Few tips. Won't go into a lot of details. Check out were-here, flashkit, ultrashock. Best flash resources there are...

Ok, few things to keep things much more organized. Instead of a zillion frames layers.

Use movie clips. Navigation/ movie clip, neat little extras/ movie clip, music in the background/ movie clip. You get the idea. All my stuff is pretty much in a movie clip.

My main scene is one frame with a stop action. All the movie clips are on frame one with the controls set.

Next for the "areas" of the site, porfolio, contact, etc. All external movies that are loaded with the loadmovie command. That way the user only has to load what they want. No sense preloading the entire movie if the user only want's to see the portfolio. Each part is seperate from the main movie and is loaded into the "main" movie on top of it.

Updating content.
The news is the most updated content on my site. I use an external .htm file that is loaded into the news text field using variables. When I update the news all I have to do is update the .htm file and upload it.

any ti[s about how to load that htm file itno the flash movie?

Pank made a great point. With the little flash work I have ever finished, using the main timeline as "LayOut" (stressing Layout) rather than with bunches and bunches of layers and too many frames, that was the best advice I ever learned.

textbox.loadVariables("news.htm?"+(Math.random() * 1000000), 1);

The math.random is so when you update the news it is never cached in the uers system...

thanks pank.
i'm a big fan of your work. =)

oh yeah
a few things i forgot to say/ask.
were-here i beleive is down...i went to the site and under turtorials and stuff, it all says "comming soon"
o well
no biggie
the other thing i was wondering is where i could get some wireframe models. that i can import into flash or swift3d

i learned a lot from disecting this .fla from flashkit....a great example of the load/unloadmovie command. :D

http://www.flashkit.com/movies/Interfaces/Sites/Portfoli-Ryan_Gom-6547/index.php