MACROMEDIA FLASH MX 2004-GETTING STARTED WITH FLASH Getting Started page 29

In addition, you can use special guide layers to make drawing and editing easier, and mask layers
to help you create sophisticated effects.
For an interactive introduction to working with layers in Flash, select Help > How Do I > Basic
Flash > Work with Layers.
Creating layers and layer folders
When you create a new layer or folder, it appears above the selected layer. A newly added layer
becomes the active layer.
To create a layer, do one of the following:
•
Click the Insert Layer button at the bottom of the Timeline.
•
Select Insert > Timeline > Layer.
•
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Macintosh) a layer name in the Timeline and select
Insert Layer from the context menu.
To create a layer folder, do one of the following:
•
Select a layer or folder in the Timeline, then select Insert > Timeline > Layer Folder.
•
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Macintosh) a layer name in the Timeline, then select
Insert Folder from the context menu.
The new folder appears above the layer or folder you selected.
Viewing layers and layer folders
As you work, you may want to show or hide layers or folders. A red X next to the name of a layer
or folder indicates that it is hidden. When you publish a Flash SWF file, any layers that were
hidden in the FLA document are preserved and visible in the SWF file.
To help you distinguish which layer an object belongs to, you can display all objects on a layer as
colored outlines. You can change the outline color used by each layer.
You can change the height of layers in the Timeline in order to display more information (such
as sound waveforms) in the Timeline. You can also change the number of layers displayed in
the Timeline.
To show or hide a layer or folder, do one of the following:
•
Click in the Eye column to the right of the layer or folder name in the Timeline to hide that
layer or folder. Click in it again to show the layer or folder.
•
Click the eye icon to hide all the layers and folders. Click it again to show all layers and folders.
•
Drag through the Eye column to show or hide multiple layers or folders.
•
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Macintosh) in the Eye column to the right of a layer or
folder name to hide all other layers and folders. Alt-click or Option-click it again to show all
layers and folders.
Using layers 29