Managing Media Assets With The Library - MACROMEDIA FLASH 8-USING FLASH Use Manual

Managing media assets with the library

The library in a Flash document stores media assets that you create or import for use in a
Flash document. The library stores imported files such as video clips, sound clips, bitmaps,
and imported vector artwork as well as symbols. A symbol is a graphic, button, or movie clip
that you create once and can reuse multiple times. You can also create a font symbol. For
information on symbols, see
page 77 and "Creating font symbols" on page
The library also contains components that you have added to your document. Components
appear in the library as compiled clips. For more information, see "Components in the
Library panel" in Using Components.
The Library panel displays a scroll list with the names of all items in the library, which lets you
view and organize these elements as you work. An icon next to an item's name in the Library
panel indicates the item's file type. The Library panel has an options menu with commands
for managing library items.
You can open the library of any Flash document while you are working in Flash, to make the
library items from that file available for the current document.
You can create permanent libraries in your Flash application that is available whenever you
start Flash. Flash also includes several sample libraries containing buttons, graphics, movie
clips, and sounds that you can add to your Flash documents. The sample Flash libraries and
permanent libraries that you create are listed in the Window > Common Libraries submenu.
For more information, see
You can export library assets as a SWF file to a URL to create a runtime-shared library. This
lets you link to the library assets from Flash documents that import symbols using runtime
sharing. For more information, see
To display the Library panel:
Select Window > Library.
To open the library from another Flash file:
1.
Select File > Import > Open External Library.
2. Navigate to the Flash file whose library you want to open and click Open.
The selected file's library opens in the current document, with the filename at the top of
the Library panel. To use items from the selected file's library in the current document,
drag the items to the current document's Library panel or to the Stage.
Chapter 3, "Using Symbols, Instances, and Library Assets," on
173.
"Working with common libraries" on page
"Using shared library assets" on page
36.
104.
Managing media assets with the library 31