Chapter 8: Basic Tasks: Use Layout Tools - MACROMEDIA FLASH 8-FLASH Tutorials Manual

CHAPTER 8
8
Basic Tasks: Use Layout
Tools
Macromedia Flash Basic 8 and Macromedia Flash Professional 8 offer a
variety of ways to place objects on the Stage. This tutorial teaches you how
to use the layout tools in Flash to create a user interface.
You can print this tutorial by downloading a PDF version of it from the
Macromedia Flash Documentation page at www.macromedia.com/go/
fl_documentation.
In this tutorial, you will complete the following tasks:
Use guides to align an object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Change the Stage size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Resize objects to match the Stage size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Specify snap alignment settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Align an object using the alignment guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Align objects using the Align panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Snap objects to each other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Align objects using the Property inspector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Align objects using the grid and arrow keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Although this lesson uses specific tools for particular types of objects
(alignment guides to align text, for example), no strict rules exist about the
best way to align a particular type of object. In your own projects, use
whatever tools suit your needs.
107