Macromedia Flash 8Revealed
WORKING WITH SYMBOLSAND INTERACTIVITY
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Create symbols and instances
Work with Libraries
Create buttons
Assign actions to buttons
Chapter Lessons
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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
Using Flash Symbols
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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
Using Flash Symbols
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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 movieA Movie Clip is a “movie within a movie”
Flash Symbol Types
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Creating a Graphic SymbolTwo 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
FIGURE 1 Using the Convert to Symbol dialog box to convert a symbol
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Editing a Symbol
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 InstancesInstances 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
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
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
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
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
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
Name Text Box
New Symbol Icon
New Folder IconProperties Icon
Options Menu
Delete Icon
Narrow Library View Icon
Wide Library View Icon
Toggle Sorting Order Icon
Item Preview window
Click to list Library panel of an open document
FIGURE 11 The Library panel
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Understanding Buttons
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 StatesUp– 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 StatesDown– 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 StatesUp Over Down Hit
FIGURE 19 The button timeline
FIGURE 18 The four button
states
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Button DevelopmentCreate a button symbol
Edit the button symbol
Return to the main timeline
Preview the button
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Understanding ActionsIn 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 ActionScriptBasic ActionScript involves an event (such as a mouse click) that causes some action to occur
Category panel
Event
ActionFIGURE 26 The Actions panel displaying an ActionScript
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Assigning Actions to a Button
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
Select the appropriate category
Select the desired action
Specify the event that triggers the action
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Button ActionsButtons 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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– 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
Button Actions
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Chapter 3 TasksCreate symbols and instances
Work with Libraries
Create buttons
Assign actions to buttons