1. Working with Symbols and Interactivity
Chapter 3
Working with Symbols and Interactivity

2. Chapter 3 Lessons Create symbols and instances Work with libraries
Create buttons
Assign actions to frames and buttons
Import graphics

3. Work with Symbols and Interactivity
Introduction
Flash allows you to keep a movie file small by creating reusable graphics, buttons, and movie clips
Flash allows you to create a graphic (drawing) of a movie file, and then make unlimited copies of that file

4. Work with Symbols and Interactivity
Introduction
The original drawing is called a symbol and is stored in the Library panel
The copied drawing is called the instance and only its size, shape, and color are stored
A link is established between the symbol and the instance so that the instance has the same properties as the symbol

5. Work with Symbols and Interactivity
Three categories of symbols
A graphic symbol allows you to reuse a single image and make changes in each instance of the image
A button symbol allows you to create buttons for interactivity
A movie clip symbol allows you to create complex animations

6. Work with Symbols and Interactivity
You can use the New Symbol command on the Insert menu to create and then draw a symbol.
You can draw an object and then use the Convert to Symbol command on the Modify menu to convert the object to a symbol.

7. Create Symbols and Instances
Use the Convert to Symbol dialog box to convert
an object to a symbol

8. Create Symbols and Instances
After you complete the Convert to Symbol dialog box, Flash places the symbol in the Library panel.

9. Create Symbols and Instances
Name of Flash movie the Library is associated with
Click to display list of all open Flash movies
Preview of symbol
Icon identifies symbol as a graphic
Symbol name
A graphic symbol in the Library panel

10. Create Symbols and Instances
To create an instance of a symbol, you can drag a symbol from the Library panel to the Stage.
To edit a symbol, you can double-click it in the Library panel or use the Edit Symbols command on the Edit menu.

11. Create Symbols and Instances
An instance is a single object with no segments or parts, such as stroke and a fill.
You can rotate, skew, and resize instances, as well as change their color, brightness, and transparency.

12. Create Symbols and Instances
Stacking other objects on top of an instance can change its appearance.
If you use the Break Apart command on the Modify menu, you will break the link between the instance and the symbol and changes can then be made to the instance.

13. Create Symbols and Instances
To create an instance:
Open the Library panel
Drag the desired symbol to the Stage
Select the instance by using the Selection tool to drag a marquee around it. A blue box indicates that the object is selected
Use the Free Transform tool options to modify the instance

14. Create Symbols and Instances
Drag the car image, the name of the symbol, or its icon from the Library panel below the original instance to create a second instance of the symbol
Creating an instance
Newly created symbol in the Library panel

15. Work with Libraries
The Library panel in Flash contains the symbols and other items such as imported graphics, movie clips, and sounds.
It allows you to view and organize items, change the item name, display item properties, and add and delete items.

16. Work with Libraries Parts of the library:
Tab title: Identifies the panel title
Panel options menu: Provides access to several features used to edit and organize symbols
Display movies list arrow: Allows you to use items from one movie in another movie

17. Work with Libraries Parts of the library:
Item preview window: displays the selected item
Name text box: Lists the folder and item names
Toggle Sorting Order icon: Allows you to reorder the list of folders and items within folders

18. Work with Libraries Parts of the library:
New Symbol icon: Displays the Create New Symbol dialog box, allowing you to create a new symbol
New Folder icon: Allows you to create a new folder

19. Work with Libraries Parts of the library:
Properties icon: Displays the properties dialog box for the selected item
Delete icon: Deletes the selected item or folder

20. Work with Libraries The Library panel Panel options list arrow
Display movies list arrow; click to display
list of all open Flash movies; click a movie
to open Library panel for that movie
Tab title
Item Preview
window
Toggle Sorting Order icon
(position may vary)
New Symbol icon
New Folder icon
Name list
box
Properties icon
Delete icon
The Library panel

21. Create Buttons You can use button symbols to provide interactivity.
When you click a button an action occurs.
You can make any object, including Flash drawings, text blocks, and imported graphic images into buttons.

22. Create Buttons Four states of buttons:
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
Down—Represents how the button appears after the user clicks the mouse

23. Create Buttons
Hit—Defines the area of the screen that will respond to the pointer. In most cases, you will want the Hit state to be the same or similar to the Up state in location and size

24. Create Buttons
The Button Timeline

25. Create Buttons The process for creating and previewing buttons:
Create a button symbol
Edit the button symbol
Return to the Main Timeline
Preview the button

26. Assign Actions to Frames and Buttons
Provide users with the ability to interact with a movie by assigning an action to the Down state of a button.
Whenever the user clicks a button with an assigned action, the assigned action occurs.

27. Assign Actions to Frames and Buttons
ActionScript is a powerful scripting language that allows those with even limited programming experience to create complex actions.
A basic ActionScript involves an event (such as a mouse click) that causes some action to occur by triggering the script.

28. Assign Actions to Frames and Buttons
ActionScript 2.0 and 3.0 address the different needs of both designers and developers.
AS3 is used by developers because it provides a programming environment that is more familiar to them
AS2 allows new Flash users to create compelling applications without expertise

29. Assign Actions to Frames and Buttons
Script Assist
Event
on (release)
Action
gotoAndPlay(1)
The Actions panel displaying an ActionScript

30. Assign Actions to Frames and Buttons
An advantage of using AS2 is a feature called Script Assist, which provides an easy way to use ActionScript without having to learn the scripting language.
The Script Assist feature within the Actions panel allows you to assign basic actions to frames and objects.

31. Assign Actions to Frames and Buttons
Adobe has two types of Flash users, designers and developers.
Designers focus on the visual features of a Flash movie
Developers focus on the programming aspects of a Flash movie
Together they create sophisticated Flash applications

32. Assign Actions to Frames and Buttons
Button actions respond to one or more mouse events, including:
Release
Key Press
Roll Over
Drag Over

33. Assign Actions to Frames and Buttons
You can assign actions to frames that you can execute when the playhead reaches the frame.
Stop is a common action that you can assign to the first and last frame of a layer on the Timeline.

34. Assign Actions to Frames and Buttons
1. Select the button
2. Display the Actions panel
3. Click the Script Assist
button to toggle between
on (seen here) and off
4. Click the Add a new item
To the script button
5. Select the Actions menu,
the Actions category, and
the action
Hide/Display arrow, click to
hide or display the Toolbox
pane
The process for assigning actions to buttons

35. Assign Actions to Frames and Buttons
The Actions panel has two panes:
The left pane (also called the Toolbox pane) uses folders to display the Action categories
The right pane (also called the Script pane) uses the Script Assist features and displays the ActionScript code as the code is being generated

36. Assign Actions to Frames and Buttons
When using the Script Assist feature, it is best to close the left pane. To do this click the Hide/Display arrow.
The lower-left corner of the Script pane displays the symbol name or the frame to which the action(s) will apply.

37. Assign Actions to Frames and Buttons
Frame labels can be referenced in the ActionScript code.
Adding or deleting frames will not disrupt the navigation to a frame reference, since the label remains attached to the frame even if the frame moves.

38. Assign Actions to Frames and Buttons
Script Assist on
Code that
references the
frame label
Frame label
“StartRace”
In frame 2
The Timeline with a frame label

39. Import Graphics
Bitmap images are made up of a group of tiny dots of color called pixels (picture elements).
Vector graphics represent an image as a geometric shape made up of lines and arcs that are combined to create various shapes, such as circles and rectangles.

40. Import Graphics
Flash drawing tools create vector images which can be resized without distorting the image.
Filename extensions:
Bitmap graphic file types: .jpg, .tif, .bmp, and .gif
Vector graphic file type: .ai

41. Bitmap graphic enlarged
Import Graphics
Bitmap graphic enlarged

42. Import Graphics To bring a graphic into Flash use the Import feature.
Bitmap graphics are not easy to edit in Flash so you should edit them in another program, like Photoshop, to obtain the desired size, color, and other enhancements.