Access your iTunes Video Library from anywhere with Expanse for Mac Accessing files on. TV App for the iPad Art Files 2 for Mac Adds CS5 Support - New Features. Asasa Software releases Flash Hero 2.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. Dare to be Creative offers Renamer4Mac at 50% off on Mupromo Dare to be.
Each Adobe Flash Creative Suite 5 document contains a library, a repository of reusable graphics, animations, buttons, sounds, video, and even fonts. As you build your Flash CS5 movie, you can add to your library any piece of artwork you’ve created on the stage.
Your library is managed from the Library panel, which is visible in the default workspace. If you don’t see your Library panel, choose Window→Library to open it.
Individual items in the library are stored as symbols. What makes symbols powerful is that you can reuse them as many times as necessary. Simply drag and drop a copy (an instance) from the Library panel onto the stage anywhere in your movie. Most importantly, each instance remains linked to the original in your library. Any changes made to the original (or master) symbol automatically update any instances of the same symbol used throughout the movie.
Symbols are broken down into three main categories: graphics, buttons, and movie clips.
The Library panel is the main storage location for all your symbols, and much like any library, it has essential organizational tools that make managing your symbols easy.
The most basic and common functions are made easy by using several icons found along the bottom of the panel, as shown in the sidebar figure:
- Panel menu: All panels have panel menus, which offer additional options or modify the view of the panel itself. The Library panel’s panel menu carries out additional symbol and library-related tasks.
- Pin Library: Clicking this icon ensures that the current library stays active even when you switch between other open documents. Normal behavior (unpinned) is for library views to switch automatically when moving between open documents.
- New Library Panel: Click this icon to create a duplicate Library panel in case you want multiple, distinctive views of your current library. You can also open a new Library panel to view libraries from other documents that are open in your workspace.
- Search: The text box and magnifying glass under the preview panel can help you search for symbols by name in the Library, which is especially helpful for large libraries. Simply type a full or partial name, and the panel displays matches, if any exist.
- New Symbol: Create a new symbol, identical to the command found by choosing Insert→New Symbol.
- New Folder: Create folders you can sort your symbols into for easy categorization. You can create folders within folders for even finer sorting capabilities.
- Properties: If a symbol is highlighted in your library, clicking the Properties icon opens the Symbol Properties window. From there, you can redefine the symbol’s name, type, or registration point.
- Trash Can: Yes, you guessed it — this symbol deletes (trashes) the highlighted symbol in the library. Be careful: No warning is given before the deed is done. However, you can choose Edit→Undo to reverse this action, if necessary.
This section explains where component files are stored, where to find the ActionScript source files, and how to add and remove components from the Components panel.
Where component files are stored
Flash components are stored in the application-level Configuration folder.
Note: For information about these folders, see “Configuration folders installed with Flash” in Using Flash.
Components are installed in the following locations:
- Windows:C:Program FilesAdobeAdobe Flash CS5 language ConfigurationComponents
- Mac OS X:Macintosh HD:Applications:Adobe Flash CS5:Configuration:ComponentsWithin the Components folder, the User Interface (UI) components are in the User Interface.fla file and the FLVPlayback (FLVPlaybackAS3.swc) and FLVPlaybackCaptioning components are in the Video folder.
You can also store components in the following user-based locations:
- Windows:C:Documents and Settings username Local SettingsApplication DataAdobeAdobe Flash CS5enConfigurationComponents
- Windows Vista:C:Users username Local SettingsApplication DataAdobeAdobe Flash CS5enConfigurationComponents
- Windows 7:C:Users username AppDataLocalAdobeFlash CS5enConfigurationComponentsNote: In Windows, the Application Data folder (Windows 2000, XP, Vista) and AppData folder (Windows7) is hidden by default. To show hidden folders and files, select My Computer to open Windows Explorer, select Tools > Folder Options and then select the View tab. Under the View tab, select the Show hidden files and folders radio button.
- Mac OS X:Macintosh HD:Users:<username>:Library:Application Support:Adobe:Flash CS5:Configuration:Components
Where component source files are stored
The ActionScript (.as) class files (or source files ) for components are installed in the following application folders for Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and 7:
- User Interface components
- C:Program FilesAdobeAdobe Flash CS5enConfigurationComponent SourceActionScript 3.0User Interfacefl
- FLVPlayback
- C:Program FilesAdobeAdobe Flash CS5enConfigurationComponent SourceActionScript 3.0FLVPlaybackflvideo
- FLVPlaybackCaptioning
- C:Program FilesAdobeAdobe Flash CS5enConfigurationComponent SourceActionScript 3.0FLVPlaybackCaptioningflvideo
For Mac OS X, the component source files are located here:
- User Interface components
- Macintosh HD:Applications:Adobe Flash CS5:Configuration:Component Source:ActionScript 3.0:User Interface:fl
- FLVPlayback
- Macintosh HD:Applications:Adobe Flash CS5:Configuration:Component Source:ActionScript 3.0:FLVPlayback:fl:video
- FLVPlaybackCaptioning
- Macintosh HD:Applications:Adobe Flash CS5:Configuration:Component Source:ActionScript 3.0:FLVPlaybackCaptioning:fl:video
Component source files and Classpath
Because the ActionScript 3.0 components have their code compiled in, you should not specify the location of the ActionScript class files in your Classpath variable. If you do include their location in the Classpath, it will increase the time required to compile your applications. However, if Flash finds component class files in your Classpath setting, the class file will always take precedence over the component’s compiled-in code.
One time that you might wish to add the location of the component source files to your Classpath setting is when you’re debugging an application with components. For more information see Debug component applications .
Modify the component files
If you update, add, or remove SWC-based components or add new FLA-based components to Flash, you must reload them to the Components panel to make them available. You can reload the components either by restarting Flash or by selecting Reload from the Components panel menu. This will cause Flash to pick up any components that you’ve added to the Components folder.
Reload components in the Components panel while Flash is running:
- Select Reload from the Components panel menu.
Remove a component from the Components panel:
- Remove the FLA, SWC, or MXP file from the Components folder and either restart Flash or select Reload from the Components panel menu. An MXP file is a component file that has been downloaded from the Adobe Exchange.You can remove and replace SWC-based components while Flash is running, and reloading will reflect the changes, but if you change or delete FLA-based components, the changes are not reflected until you terminate and restart Flash. You can, however, add FLA-based components and load them with the Reload command.Adobe recommends that you first make a copy of any Flash component file (.fla or .as) that you are going to alter. Then you can restore it, if necessary.