It’s helpful to analyze the completed FLA file to see how the author designed the document. To analyze the file, you can view the properties for an object, view the Timeline and Stage, look at library assets, and use the Movie Explorer.
In Flash, choose File > Open. Navigate to your Flash application folder and open Tutorials/ FlashIntro/stiletto.fla.
You now see the completed tutorial movie in the authoring environment.
Drag the bar that separates the Stage from the Timeline
2 To view all layers in the main Timeline, drag down the bar that separates the Stage from the Timeline.
3 In the Timeline, unlock the Copy layer and the Images layer.
View document properties
The Property inspector lets you view specifications for selected objects. The specifications depend on the type of object selected. If you select a text object, for example, settings to view and modify text attributes appear.
1 If the Property inspector isn’t open, choose Window > Properties.
2 On the Stage, scroll down if necessary and select the rectangular block where descriptive text appeared in the finished SWF file. The text does not appear in the FLA file because it loads from an external TXT file into a dynamic text field.
Text box
In the Property inspector, you can view the size, style, and color of the text, among other attributes.
If the Property inspector is not fully expanded, click the white triangle in lower right corner.
3 On the Stage, select the car. Movie clip settings replace the text settings. Movie clips are symbols with their own independent Timelines. You can think of them as movies within movies.
View the movie clip
Now you’ll open symbol-editing mode to view the Timeline for a movie clip.
1 On the Stage, double-click the movie clip of the car.
As you learned in the Creating Tweened Animation lesson, you define changes in animation in keyframes. When you scroll around the Timeline, note which layers have keyframes in them and which frames are keyframes.
Beginning and intermediate keyframes that include content are indicated in the Timeline by solid circles, ending keyframes appear as small outlined rectangles.
2 In the Timeline, select the playhead and drag it slowly across the frames.
Watch how changes in action on the Stage correspond to changes in the Timeline. As you drag the playhead, the movie plays sequentially. You can add ActionScript, the Flash scripting language, to movies to make the playhead jump to specific frames.
3 When you finish viewing the movie clip, do one of the following to return to the main movie:
- Choose Edit > Edit Document.
- Click the Back button.
- Click Scene 1 above the Stage.
View library assets
The Library panel contains the symbols and imported objects in your document.
1. If the Library panel isn’t open, choose Window > Library.
2. Drag the Library panel to enlarge it, if necessary, to view the objects within the library.
3. If the Artwork folder is not expanded, double-click it to view the objects in the folder.
4. Click view1.png to view the image in the preview area at the top of the Library panel.
5. Expand the other folders in the Library panel to view the assets included in the document,
such as buttons and movie clips.
such as buttons and movie clips.
6. When you finish viewing the assets, close the Library panel.
Analyze the movie structure with the Movie Explorer
The Movie Explorer helps you arrange, locate, and edit media. With its hierarchical tree structure, the Movie Explorer provides information about the organization and flow of a movie, especially useful when you analyze a movie authored by someone else.
1 If the Movie Explorer is not already open, choose Window > Movie Explorer.
2 If necessary, enlarge the Movie Explorer to view the tree structure within the pane. The Movie Explorer filtering buttons display or hide information.
3 Click the pop-up menu in the title bar of the Movie Explorer, and verify that Show Movie Elements and Show Symbol Definitions are selected.
4 Deselect the Show Frames and Layers button along the top of the Movie Explorer. Verify that the only filtering buttons selected are Show Text; Show Buttons, Movie Clips, and Graphics; Show ActionScripts; and Show Video, Sounds, and Bitmaps.
5 Examine the list to view some of the assets included in the movie and to see their relationship to other assets.
6 To expand an object or category, click the Plus (+) button to the left of the name
7 Select the Show Frames and Layers filtering button. Scroll down to the Symbol Definitions category. With the category expanded, double-click the Car Animation movie clip. You’re now in symbol-editing mode for the movie clip.
8 In the Movie Explorer, with the Car Animation category selected and expanded, expand the View 3 Fade icon, then double-click Frame 60.
In the Timeline for the movie clip, the playhead moves to Frame 60 of the View 3 Fade layer.
To view an item listed in the hierarchical tree, click the corresponding icon. If you click a frame icon, the playhead moves to that frame in the Timeline. If you click an asset, such as a bitmap image, the Property inspector displays the image settings. Double-clicking an icon that represents a symbol opens symbol-editing mode.
9 Close the Movie Explorer. To close the document, choose File > Close.
If you’ve made changes to the file, do not save them.
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Contents
Trademarks
CHAPTER 1 - Introduction to Flash MX Tutorial
CHAPTER 1 - What you should know
CHAPTER 1 - View the completed movie
CHAPTER 1 - Analyze the stiletto.fla file
CHAPTER 1 - Define properties for a new document and create a ...
CHAPTER 1 - Create and mask vector art
CHAPTER 1 - Tween bitmap effects within a movie cl...
CHAPTER 1 - Load dynamic text at runtime
CHAPTER 1 - Add animation and navigation to button...
CHAPTER 1 - Add streaming and event sounds
CHAPTER 1 - Organize your Library panel
CHAPTER 1 - Test download performance and publish ...
CHAPTER 1 - The next steps
.
CHAPTER 2 - Introduction to ActionScript Tutorial
CHAPTER 2 - View a completed movie
CHAPTER 2 - Initialize the movie
CHAPTER 2 - Save and retrieve information
CHAPTER 2 - Display information in a dynamic text ...
CHAPTER 2 - Write an expression
CHAPTER 2 - Control the flow ofthe movie
CHAPTER 2 - Create commands and reuse code
CHAPTER 2 - Use a built-in object
CHAPTER 2 - Test the movie
CHAPTER 2 - The next steps
.
CHAPTER 3 - Introduction to Components Tutorial
CHAPTER 3 - Types of components
CHAPTER 3 - View the completed form
CHAPTER 3 - Create a form
CHAPTER 3 - The next steps
.
==============================================
.
==============================================
.
Contents
Trademarks
CHAPTER 1 - Introduction to Flash MX Tutorial
CHAPTER 1 - What you should know
CHAPTER 1 - View the completed movie
CHAPTER 1 - Analyze the stiletto.fla file
CHAPTER 1 - Define properties for a new document and create a ...
CHAPTER 1 - Create and mask vector art
CHAPTER 1 - Tween bitmap effects within a movie cl...
CHAPTER 1 - Load dynamic text at runtime
CHAPTER 1 - Add animation and navigation to button...
CHAPTER 1 - Add streaming and event sounds
CHAPTER 1 - Organize your Library panel
CHAPTER 1 - Test download performance and publish ...
CHAPTER 1 - The next steps
.
CHAPTER 2 - Introduction to ActionScript Tutorial
CHAPTER 2 - View a completed movie
CHAPTER 2 - Initialize the movie
CHAPTER 2 - Save and retrieve information
CHAPTER 2 - Display information in a dynamic text ...
CHAPTER 2 - Write an expression
CHAPTER 2 - Control the flow ofthe movie
CHAPTER 2 - Create commands and reuse code
CHAPTER 2 - Use a built-in object
CHAPTER 2 - Test the movie
CHAPTER 2 - The next steps
.
CHAPTER 3 - Introduction to Components Tutorial
CHAPTER 3 - Types of components
CHAPTER 3 - View the completed form
CHAPTER 3 - Create a form
CHAPTER 3 - The next steps
.
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