macromedia flash 8 revealed working with symbols and interactivity

Macromedia Flash 8Revealed

WORKING WITH SYMBOLSAND INTERACTIVITY

2Working With Symbols and Interactivity Chapter 3

Create symbols and instances

Work with Libraries

Create buttons

Assign actions to buttons

Chapter Lessons


Create small file sizes

Symbols are graphics that can be re-used without adding file size– Symbols are the original object– Instances are the copied object

Flash stores only symbol information (size, shape, color) thus creating a smaller file size

Using Flash Symbols


Attributes, such as color and shape, can be freely changed for each instance

You can have as many altered instances as you like

Symbols reside in the Library– Dragging a symbol from the Library to

the stage creates an instance

Using Flash Symbols


Three types of symbols– Graphics, Buttons, Movie Clips

Graphics are effective for single, re-usable images Buttons are for interactivity, such as starting or stopping a movieA Movie Clip is a “movie within a movie”

Flash Symbol Types


Creating a Graphic SymbolTwo ways to create a symbol– New Symbol command– Convert to Symbol command

“Convert to Symbol” dialog box allows you to name and specify the type of symbol

Symbol gets placed in the Library– To create an instance, drag a symbol from

the Library panel to the stage


Naming a Symbol

FIGURE 1 Using the Convert to Symbol dialog box to convert a symbol


Editing a Symbol

Select from the Library and double-click, or use the Edit Symbol command

Changes made to symbols are reflected in all their associated instances

Changes made to instances do not affect their symbol


Working with InstancesInstances can be altered in many ways– Rotate, skew, resize– Change color, brightness, transparency

Some limitations to editing an instance– Changes must be made to entire instance– Use “Break Apart” for more edibility, but

note that the link to the symbol will be broken


Understanding the Library

The Library provides a way to view and organize symbols– Change symbol names and

properties– Add or delete symbols


The Library

Title Bar – Names the movie with which the

Library is associated

Options Menu – Provides access to additional

features of the library

Item Preview window– Displays the selected symbol


The Library

Toggle Sorting Order Icon– Allows you to reorder the lists of

folders and symbols within folders

Wide Library View and Narrow Library View icon– Used to expand and collapse the

Library window to display more or less of the symbol properties


The Library

Name Text Box – Lists the folder and symbol names

New Symbol Icon – Displays the Create New Symbol

dialog box

New Folder Icon– Allows you to create a new folder


The Library

Properties Icon– Displays the Symbol Properties

dialog box for the selected symbol

Delete Item Icon– Deletes the selected symbol or folder


The Library Panel

Name Text Box

New Symbol Icon

New Folder IconProperties Icon

Options Menu

Delete Icon

Narrow Library View Icon

Wide Library View Icon

Toggle Sorting Order Icon

Item Preview window

Click to list Library panel of an open document

FIGURE 11 The Library panel


Understanding Buttons

Button symbols provide interactivity

Any object, including Flash objects, can be turned into a Button symbol

Button symbols have four states– Correspond to the use of the mouse– Recognize that the user requires

feedback


The Four Button StatesUp– Represents how the button appears

when the mouse pointer is not over it

Over– Represents how the button appears

when the mouse pointer is over it


The Four Button StatesDown– How the button appears after the user

clicks the mouse

Hit– Defines the area of the screen that will

respond to the click


The Four Button StatesUp Over Down Hit

FIGURE 19 The button timeline

FIGURE 18 The four button

states


Button DevelopmentCreate a button symbol

Edit the button symbol

Return to the main timeline

Preview the button


Understanding ActionsIn a basic movie, Flash plays frames sequentially

To gain greater control, ActionScripting provides interactivity– Button presses can start/stop a Movie– Jump to a frame or scene


Analyzing ActionScriptBasic ActionScript involves an event (such as a mouse click) that causes some action to occur

Category panel

Event

ActionFIGURE 26 The Actions panel displaying an ActionScript


Assigning Actions to a Button

Select the desired button on the stage

Display the Actions panel

Select the Script Assist button to display the Script Assist panel within the ActionScript panel


Assigning Actions to a Button

Select the appropriate category

Select the desired action

Specify the event that triggers the action


Button ActionsButtons respond to one or more of the following events– Release

• With the pointer inside the button Hit area, the user presses and releases the mouse button

– Key Press • With the pointer inside the button Hit area,

the user presses a predetermined key on the keyboard


– Roll Over• The user moves the pointer into the button

Hit area

– Drag Over• The user holds down the mouse button,

moves the pointer out of the button Hit area and then back into the Hit

– Using Frame Actions• Actions assigned to frames• Executed when the playhead reaches the

frame

Button Actions


Chapter 3 TasksCreate symbols and instances

Work with Libraries

Create buttons

Assign actions to buttons

macromedia flash 8 revealed working with symbols and interactivity

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