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142 Chapter 4
An instance is a copy of a symbol. When you use a symbol in your
Timeline you are using an instance of it. You can animate an instance of
a symbol and apply a variety of effects to it without affecting the origi-
nal symbol in the Library. You can also use multiple instances of the
same symbol. When you change the properties of an instance in the
Timeline, you are only applying these changes to that copy, or instance,
of the symbol. In this way, you keep the file size down because Flash
only keeps track of the changes you've made while preserving the sym-
bol in the form you created. If you have several instances of a symbol
in your movie and you want to edit the artwork, you can make changes
to the master symbol. When you do this, all of the instances of that
symbol will be updated with these changes.
Creating Instances
Place Instances on the Stage
Open or expand the Library panel.
TIMESAVER
Press F11 or
A
+L (Mac) or Ctrl+L (Win) to
quickly open and close the Library
panel.
Select the symbol from the list of
assets and drag it to the Stage to
create an instance of that symbol.
TIMESAVER
Drag the preview
image of a symbol selected in the
Library item list to create an
instance of that symbol on the
Stage.
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Filled keyframe indicates instance is placed on the Stage.
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Instance of the symbol on the Stage
From the Library of Wow! eBook
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Chapter 4 Working with Groups, Symbols, and Instances 143
Edit Master Symbols
Double-click any instance of a
symbol you want to edit.
Make changes to the symbol
artwork or animation.
Click the Back button or Scene
name on the Edit bar to return to
the main Timeline.
All of the instances reflect these
changes.
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All other instances update with new changes.
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From the Library of Wow! eBook
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144 Chapter 4
Symbols have three specific types that are set when you first create
the symbol: graphic, movie clip, and button. You can change these
types for a symbol's instance by selecting it and then selecting a new
type option in the Property Inspector. Do this when you need the
instance to display a behavior different than its parent symbol.
Alternately, you can change the behavior of the parent symbol itself in
the Library. All subsequent instances that you create from this symbol
will exhibit the new behavior.
Changing Symbol and
Instance Type
Change a Symbol's Behavior
Open or expand the Library panel.
Select the symbol from the list.
Click the Properties button at the
bottom of the Library window to
open the Symbol Properties dialog
box.
Select a different symbol type
option.
Click OK.
The symbol displays a new
behavior. All subsequent instances
will default to this behavior.
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Symbol begins
as a movie clip.
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Symbol is converted
into a graphic symbol.
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See Also
See “
Breaking Symbols Apart
” on
page 155 for information on taking
apart elements.
Did You Know?
If you are already using instances of a
symbol in your movie, they will not be
affected by a change in behavior.
Flash
allows you to change the types of
instances separately from your sym-
bol's default behavior. To update the
instance to a new symbol, select it on
the Stage, and then change the type in
the Property Inspector.
From the Library of Wow! eBook
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Chapter 4 Working with Groups, Symbols, and Instances 145
Change the Symbol Behavior of
an Instance
If necessary, open the Property
Inspector.
Select the instance on the Stage.
Click the Symbol list arrow in the
Property Inspector, and then
select another behavior: Movie
Clip, Button, or Graphic.
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Symbol options for
instances
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Did You Know?
You can use a method to change the
symbol behavior of any instance.
Select from any of the three options:
graphic symbol, button, or movie clip.
In this way, you can get graphic sym-
bols to behave as movie clips, movie
clips to behave like buttons, etc.
From the Library of Wow! eBook
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146 Chapter 4
Symbols are used in the Timeline as instances. If you apply motion or
color effects to an instance, you only affect that instance, not its parent
symbol. If you would like to swap the parent symbol for another symbol,
while retaining any effects and/or animation that have been applied to
the instance, you can use the Swap Symbol feature. All of the effects
are preserved but are instead applied to and referencing the new cho-
sen symbol. Alternately, if you are using several instances of a symbol
and want to change the content (the master symbol itself) of one of
these instances without affecting the other instances, you can dupli-
cate and swap that symbol in the Swap dialog box. Essentially you cre-
ate a new master symbol linked to your instance that is no longer
related to the original master symbol and all its instances.
Swapping Symbol
Instances
Swap Instances
If necessary, open the Property
Inspector.
Select the instance on the Stage.
Click Swap in the Property
Inspector to open the Swap
Symbol dialog box.
TIMESAVER
Control+click
(Mac) or right-click (Win) the
instance on the Stage, and then
click Swap Symbol.
Click a symbol from the list.
Click OK.
The instance is now linked to a
new symbol.
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From the Library of Wow! eBook
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Chapter 4 Working with Groups, Symbols, and Instances 147
Duplicate Symbols During Swap
Select the instance on the Stage.
Click Swap in the Property
Inspector.
Click the Duplicate Symbol icon in
the bottom left-hand corner of the
dialog box.
Enter a new name.
Click OK.
The instance is now linked to a
new symbol, copied from the
original master symbol.
Click OK.
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New master symbol created
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4
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See Also
See “Breaking Symbols Apart” on
page 155 for information on breaking
symbols apart in symbol editing mode.
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3
From the Library of Wow! eBook
. graphic symbol.
1
5
See Also
See “
Breaking Symbols Apart
” on
page 155 for information on taking
apart elements.
Did You Know?
If you are already using. symbol created
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4
5
See Also
See “Breaking Symbols Apart” on
page 155 for information on breaking
symbols apart in symbol editing mode.
2
3
From the Library