generatePictureDisplay = function(eventNo:Number) {
	// clear the stage
	clearStage();
	
	// create the holder MC called imageStack
	timelineObj.createEmptyMovieClip("imageStack_mc", timelineObj.getNextHighestDepth());
	
	// create the container MCs
	for (var i = 0; i < picThumbArray.length; i++) {
		imageStack_mc.createEmptyMovieClip("picContainer"+i, i);
		thumb_mcl.loadClip(imageStack_mc["picContainer"+i],picThumbArray[i]); // picThumbArray[i] represents the relative URL of the image
                // thumb_mcl is a moviecliploader created outside this function. none of the callbacks have been defined yet.
	}
	
	// determine the index of the middle thumbnail as a STARTING POINT FOR THE DISPLAY
	var middleContainerIndex = Math.floor(picThumbArray.length / 2);
	
	// position the MCs
	imageStack_mc._x = 805;
	imageStack_mc._y = 255 - (83*picThumbArray.length)/2;
	imageStack_mc.picContainer0._y = 0;
	for (var i = 1; i < picThumbArray.length; i++) {
		imageStack_mc["picContainer"+i]._y = imageStack_mc["picContainer"+(i-1)]._y + 75 + 8;
	}
}