Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Unit C: Using Symbols and the Library Panel

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Objectives Understand symbols and instances Understand the Library panel Create a symbol Add instances to the Stage Edit an instance Edit a symbol Organize the Library panel

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Understanding Symbols and Instances SymbolInstance Copy of an object that can be reused many times while minimizing file size Convert existing objects to a symbol or create a new one Stored and managed on the Library panel A copied symbol Create by dragging a symbol from Library to Stage Stored and managed on the Stage

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Symbol Types Symbol icons Symbol types: Movie Clip = “mini”movie within movie Button = makes area “clickable” Graphic = animation across frames

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Understanding Symbols and Instances Symbol vs. Instance

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Symbol Types Creating a Symbol

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated How Symbols Help Reduce File Size Only the symbol on the Library panel contributes to document’s file size, no matter how many instances you create Flash adds instance’s properties to the file; amount of actual data added is minor

Using the Break Apart Command Break apart text   Divide a word into its individual characters Break apart a character   Convert it to an editable path Break apart a bitmap   Modify individual segments of the image Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated

Understanding the Library Panel Manage symbols and media elements in current document Access libraries in other open documents Create, edit, preview, and organize symbols

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Using the Library Panel Management tool for organizing symbols and other elements   Access libraries from other open documents   Share element or symbol from another movie Sample libraries (Common Libraries)   Access preset buttons and sounds

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Using the Library Panel Viewing symbols in the Library

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Naming Symbols on the Library Panel Follow an effective naming convention   Convenience and accuracy   Start with lowercase   Acceptable: hyphens and underscores   Not acceptable: spaces, tabs, brackets, slashes, punctuation, or characters above number keys

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Understanding Hyphens and Underscores in Names Flash sees hyphens as spaces separating words; sorts by first word Flash sees underscores as being part of the word; sorts entire name Either method is fine BUT BE CONSISTENT

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Understanding Hyphens and Underscores in Names Comparing symbol names with underscores and hyphens

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Understanding Transformation and Registration Points Transformation and registration points

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Understanding Transformation and Registration Points Registration point   Default point; positions object on the Stage (x/y measurement)   Crucial for ActionScript to move instances

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Understanding Transformation and Registration Points Transformation point   Orients object every time it is transformed or animated

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Creating a Symbol Different ways   Convert an existing object (most common way)   Create a new symbol   Add a preset symbol (buttons and sounds, primarily) from Common Libraries

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Creating a Symbol Convert to Symbol dialog box (through Modify Menu)

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Creating a Symbol The Library Panel

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Creating a Symbol Viewing instance properties

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Adding Instances to the Stage Drag symbol’s preview thumbnail or symbol name on the Library panel to the Stage OR Alt-Drag from the instance on the Stage to add another one!

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Adding Instances to the Stage Adding a second instance to a layer

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Adding Instances to the Stage Positioning the waveFoam_gr instance

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Adding Instances to the Stage Constructing an element using multiple instances

Understanding the Elements and Principles of Design Elements of Design   Basic ingredients that the artist uses separately or in combination to produce artistic imagery Principles of Design   Determine how the Elements of Design are used in a composition Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated

Editing an Instance Different ways   Use Properties panel and Transform panel   Select options for the Free Transform Tool Change color of an instance by applying an effect to it on the Properties panel Each instance can have individual coloring; set in Color Effect section (brightness, tint, transparency, advanced color options)

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Editing an Instance Selecting a fill

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Understanding RGB Color RGB color   Default color model Additive primary colors of light   Red, green, blue   Combine to produce other colors

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Editing a Symbol Different ways   Use Edit menu (provides three ways)   Double-click an instance on Stage or on Library panel to open it for editing Changes affect every instance automatically

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Editing a Symbol Edit symbol commands

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Editing a Symbol Editing a symbol in place

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Editing a Symbol Editing color in a symbol

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Organizing the Library Panel Create folders Sort elements in ascending or descending order

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Organizing the Library Panel Viewing columns in the Library panel

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Organizing the Library Panel Creating a folder in the Library panel

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated Organizing the Library Panel Viewing symbols in a folder

Grouping and Ungrouping Objects Group   Combine multiple shapes to form a single object Adobe Flash Professional CS5 – Illustrated