Section V: Creating Symbols & Instances
Flash symbols are reusable objects which can be duplicated infinitely without having to worry about exaggerating the file size. A copy of an original symbol is called an instance and are much smaller than importing the same object several times. Creating and using symbols in the library have several other benefits other than keeping project files (fla) relatively small including the ability to incorporate all assets within the same fla file for sharing with other interested people in the document. There are three different types of symbols and are all discussed in this section.
Learning objectives for this section
Become familiar with the library and the different buttons in the library palette.
- Learn the different elements for naming symbols in the library.
- Identify the correct way for naming symbols in the library panel.
- Enumerate and distinguish all different symbols and their differences and uses.
- Become familiar with the timeline of symbols which are independent from the main stage timeline.
- Learn simple editing techniques of symbols and their timelines.
- Recognize the several benefits of using symbols vs. importing directly to stage.
- Learn how to import to either the stage or to the library.
- Recognize the importance of the registration point in the stage.
- Enumerate the five different ways to create symbols.
- Edit multiple instances at the same time using the library palette.
- Edit instances individually when necessary.
- Learn to include the same amount of frames in both the symbols timeline and the main timeline.
- Learn to edit objects from Flash in Photoshop and return back to Flash with the changes made in Photoshop.
- Become familiar with the icons of all the symbols available in Flash.