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Replace all instances of a symbol
❖
Drag a symbol with the same name as the symbol you are replacing from one Library panel into the Library panel
of the FLA file you are editing and click Replace. If you have folders in the library, the new symbol must be dragged
into the same folder as the symbol you are replacing.
Change an instance's type
To redefine an instance's behavior in a Flash application, change its type. For example, if a graphic instance contains
animation that you want to play independently of the main Timeline, redefine the graphic instance as a movie clip
instance.
1
Select the instance on the Stage, and select Window > Properties.
2
Select Graphic, Button, or Movie Clip from the menu in the Property inspector.
Set looping for a graphic instance
To determine how animation sequences inside a graphic instance play in your Flash application, set options in the
Property inspector.
An animated graphic symbol is tied to the Timeline of the document in which the symbol is placed. In contrast, a
movie clip symbol has its own independent Timeline. Animated graphic symbols, because they use the same Timeline
as the main document, display their animation in document-editing mode. Movie clip symbols appear as static objects
on the Stage and do not appear as animations in the Flash editing environment.
1
Select a graphic instance on the Stage, and select Window > Properties.
2
Select an animation option from the Options menu in the Looping section of the Property inspector:
Loops all the animation sequences contained in the current instance for as many frames as the instance occupies.
Loop
Plays the animation sequence beginning from the frame you specify to the end of the animation and then
Play Once
stops.
Displays one frame of the animation sequence. Specify which frame to display.
Single Frame
3
To specify the first frame of the graphic symbol to display when looping, enter a frame number in the First text box.
The Single Frame option also uses the frame number you specify here.
Break apart an instance symbol
To break the link between an instance and a symbol and make the instance into a collection of ungrouped shapes and
lines, you break apart the instance. This feature is useful for changing the instance substantially without affecting any
other instance. If you modify the source symbol after breaking apart the instance, the instance is not updated with the
changes.
1
Select the instance on the Stage.
2
Select Modify > Break Apart. This action breaks the instance into its component graphic elements.
3
To modify these elements, use the painting and drawing tools.
Updated 5 March 2009
USING FLASH CS4 PROFESSIONAL
Symbols, instances, and library assets
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