OVERVIEW

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Chapter Lessons
OVERVIEW

• Create symbols and instances
• Work with Libraries
• Create buttons
• Assign actions to buttons

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Using Flash Symbols
INTRODUCTION

• Create small file sizes
• Symbols are graphics that can be re-used without
  adding file size
• Symbols are the original object
• Instances are the copied object
• Flash stores only symbol information (size,
  shape, color) thus creating a smaller file size

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Using Flash Symbols
INTRODUCTION

• Attributes, such as color and shape, can be
  freely changed for each instance
• You can have as many altered instances as you
  like
• Symbols reside in the Library
• Dragging a symbol from the Library to the stage
  creates an instance

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Flash Symbol Types
INTRODUCTION

• Three types of symbols
• Graphics, Buttons, Movie Clips
• Graphics are effective for single, re-usable
  images
• Buttons are for interactivity, such as starting
  or stopping a movie
• A Movie Clip is a movie within a movie

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Creating a Graphic Symbol
LESSON 1

• Two ways to create a symbol
• New Symbol command
• Convert to Symbol command
• Convert to Symbol dialog box allows you to name
  and specify the type of symbol
• Symbol gets placed in the Library
• To create an instance, drag a symbol from the
  Library panel to the stage

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Naming a Symbol
LESSON 1
FIGURE 1 Using the Convert to Symbol dialog
box to convert a symbol
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Editing a Symbol
LESSON 1

• Select from the Library and double-click, or use
  the Edit Symbol command
• Changes made to symbols are reflected in all
  their associated instances
• Changes made to instances do not affect their
  symbol

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Working with Instances
LESSON 1

• Instances can be altered in many ways
• Rotate, skew, resize
• Change color, brightness, transparency
• Some limitations to editing an instance
• Changes must be made to entire instance
• Use Break Apart for more edibility, but note
  that the link to the symbol will be broken

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Understanding the Library
LESSON 2

• The Library provides a way to view and organize
  symbols
• Change symbol names and properties
• Add or delete symbols

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The Library
LESSON 2

• Title Bar
• Names the movie with which the Library is
  associated
• Options Menu
• Provides access to additional features of the
  library
• Item Preview window
• Displays the selected symbol

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The Library
LESSON 2

• Toggle Sorting Order Icon
• Allows you to reorder the lists of folders and
  symbols within folders
• Wide Library View and Narrow Library View icon
• Used to expand and collapse the Library window to
  display more or less of the symbol properties

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The Library
LESSON 2

• Name Text Box
• Lists the folder and symbol names
• New Symbol Icon
• Displays the Create New Symbol dialog box
• New Folder Icon
• Allows you to create a new folder

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The Library
LESSON 2

• Properties Icon
• Displays the Symbol Properties dialog box for the
  selected symbol
• Delete Item Icon
• Deletes the selected symbol or folder

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The Library Panel
LESSON 2
Options Menu
FIGURE 11 The Library panel
Click to list Library panel of an open document
Item Preview window
Toggle Sorting Order Icon
Wide Library View Icon
Name Text Box
Narrow Library View Icon
Delete Icon
New Symbol Icon
Properties Icon
New Folder Icon
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Understanding Buttons
LESSON 3

• Button symbols provide interactivity
• Any object, including Flash objects, can be
  turned into a Button symbol
• Button symbols have four states
• Correspond to the use of the mouse
• Recognize that the user requires feedback

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The Four Button States
LESSON 3

• Up
• Represents how the button appears when the mouse
  pointer is not over it
• Over
• Represents how the button appears when the mouse
  pointer is over it

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The Four Button States
LESSON 3

• Down
• How the button appears after the user clicks the
  mouse
• Hit
• Defines the area of the screen that will respond
  to the click

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The Four Button States
LESSON 3
Up Over Down Hit
FIGURE 18 The four button states
FIGURE 19 The button timeline
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Button Development
LESSON 3

• Create a button symbol
• Edit the button symbol
• Return to the main timeline
• Preview the button

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Understanding Actions
LESSON 4

• In a basic movie, Flash plays frames sequentially
• To gain greater control, ActionScripting provides
  interactivity
• Button presses can start/stop a Movie
• Jump to a frame or scene

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Analyzing ActionScript
LESSON 4

• Basic ActionScript involves an event (such as a
  mouse click) that causes some action to occur

Category panel
Event
Action
FIGURE 26 The Actions panel displaying an
ActionScript
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Assigning Actions to a Button
LESSON 4

• Select the desired button on the stage
• Display the Actions panel
• Select the Script Assist button to display the
  Script Assist panel within the ActionScript panel

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Assigning Actions to a Button
LESSON 4

• Select the appropriate category
• Select the desired action
• Specify the event that triggers the action

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Button Actions
LESSON 4

• Buttons respond to one or more of the following
  events
• Release
• With the pointer inside the button Hit area, the
  user presses and releases the mouse button
• Key Press
• With the pointer inside the button Hit area, the
  user presses a predetermined key on the keyboard

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Button Actions
LESSON 4

• Roll Over
• The user moves the pointer into the button Hit
  area
• Drag Over
• The user holds down the mouse button, moves the
  pointer out of the button Hit area and then back
  into the Hit
• Using Frame Actions
• Actions assigned to frames
• Executed when the playhead reaches the frame

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Chapter 3 Tasks
SUMMARY

• Create symbols and instances
• Work with Libraries
• Create buttons
• Assign actions to buttons