ptg 206 Chapter 6 Flash allows you to import multiple files simultaneously to save time. This is useful if you have many files to import. You can select multiple, non-sequential files in the Import dialog box. Choose to import to the Library or to the Stage directly. When you import to the Stage, the file is stored in the Library and a copy is placed on the Stage so you can begin editing it immediately. If you attempt to import a series of files that are numbered sequentially, Flash detects this and produces a dia- log box to handle this. When sequential images are imported, they will appear in separate frames by order of the number in their file name. This is extremely useful for image sequences where a series of images forms an animation. Importing Multiple Files Import Multiple Files or a Sequence of Files Click the File menu, point to Import, and then click Import To Stage or Import To Library. Click the Show popup (Mac) or Files Of Types list arrow (Win), and then select the format of the file you want to import. Navigate to the drive or folder where the file is located. Select the first file you want to import. To im port multiple files, hold down the A (Mac) or Ctrl (Win) key and click additional files to select them. Click Import (Mac) or Open (Win). For a sequence of files, Flash detects that this image is part of a sequence and asks whether you want to import all of them at once. Click Yes. The numbered files are imported and placed on separate sequential keyframes on the selected layer in the Timeline. 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 5 Multiple files imported appear stacked on top of each other. Press down and drag with your mouse to reveal images underneath. 4 Each imported image appears on a separate frame sequentially. 6 3 2 From the Library of Wow! eBook ptg Chapter 6 Importing Graphics 207 You can paste a bitmap image from other image editing programs, such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Fireworks. Simply use the standard copying procedure in the program of your choice to place the bitmap into the clipboard, which is where the operating system dynamically stores information you copy, and then paste it into Flash directly on the Stage. Copying images from other programs works well for bitmaps. However, results are unpredictable when pasting vector graphics from other programs. Often they become corrupted when they are copied to the clipboard, depending upon the origin program or the operating sys- tem. It is best to use the Import command to import vector graphics into Flash. Copying Images from Other Programs Paste from the Clipboard Copy the image to the clipboard in an image-editing program. Launch or switch to Flash, and then open the Flash document in which you want to paste an image from the clipboard. Select an unlocked layer or keyframe. Click the Edit menu, and then click Paste in Center or Paste in Place. TIMESAVER Press A +V (Mac) or Ctrl+V (Win) to quickly paste in center from the clipboard; press A +Shift+V (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift V (Win) to quickly paste in place from the clipboard. 4 3 2 1 3 Image is pasted onto the Stage and placed in the Library. From the Library of Wow! eBook ptg 208 Chapter 6 You can edit a bitmap in its native program, such as Photoshop CS5 or Fireworks 3, or some other image editing tool. Once it is re-saved or updated to the hard drive, Flash automatically updates the bitmap back when you return to Flash (New!). If an image is moved to another loca- tion, you can manually update it. In addition, you can import another image to replace the bitmap in the Library. In either case, every copy of the bitmap used in the Flash movie (including bitmap fills) will update with these changes. This is a convenient way to make global changes to bitmap art included in your project. Editing Bitmaps in an Outside Editor Update an Image Edited Outside of Flash Import a bitmap into Flash. Open the Library panel. Right-click (Win) or Control-click (Mac) the bitmap’s icon, and then click Edit with Photoshop CS5 or Edit with Fireworks 3. ◆ For other imaging programs, click Edit With, select an image-editing program, and then click OK. In the image-editing program, modify the bitmap, click the File menu, and then click Save or Update, and then return to Flash. The bitmap is automatically updated in Flash. To ma nually update an image or relink to a different location, right- click (Win) or Control-click the icon in the Library panel, click the Properties, click Update, and then click OK. 5 4 3 2 1 5 Larger preview of the bitmap 3 2 From the Library of Wow! eBook ptg Chapter 6 Importing Graphics 209 Replace a Bitmap Open the Library panel, and then select the bitmap from the item list. Click the Properties icon in the bottom of the panel or double-click the bitmap file in the list. Click Import. Navigate to the replacement file on your hard drive. Select the replacement file. Click Import (Mac) or Open (Win). Change the name and any other options you want. Click OK. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 3 6 Image is replaced with new imported image. All copies used in the Flash movie update to this new image. 5 8 4 Did You Know? Flash preserves the path when you import a bitmap. When you import a bitmap into Flash, the path to that image is preserved in the Bitmap Properties. If you have moved the image to another directory on your hard drive and you want to update the file in the Library with the new changes, navigate to it by using the Import button in the Bitmap Properties window. From the Library of Wow! eBook ptg 210 Chapter 6 When you export a Flash movie, you can decide how much color infor- mation to include in each exported bitmap. This is called compression. The more compression you apply, the less color information is included and the lower the size and quality of the image. Lossy compression reduces the file size by removing color information, while lossless com- pression reduces the file size (not as much) without removing informa- tion. You can choose to set a global compression for all bitmap files used in a Flash movie or you can set a separate compression for each image. As with all image compression, file size needs to be weighed against image quality. It is always best to experiment until you get the results you want. Setting Bitmap Compression Set Compression for a Bitmap Open the Library panel. Select the bitmap from the Library item list in which you want to set compression. Click the Properties icon in the bottom of the panel or double-click the bitmap file in the list. Select the Allow Smoothing check box to anti-alias the edges of the image, making it appear smoother. Click the Compression popup, and then select from the following options: ◆ Lossless (PNG/GIF). Compresses the image without losing any information; remains in its highest quality. ◆ Photo (JPEG). You can choose to use the compression information contained by selecting the Use Document Default Quality check box. By deselecting this feature you can set the level of JPEG compression applied to the bitmap. The values are 1-100. The higher the number, the less compression applied, producing a higher quality image. Click OK. 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 6 5 4 Thumbnail preview Click to test and preview the image in thumbnail. 1 From the Library of Wow! eBook . then return to Flash. The bitmap is automatically updated in Flash. To ma nually update an image or relink to a different location, right- click (Win) or Control-click the icon in the Library. information, while lossless com- pression reduces the file size (not as much) without removing informa- tion. You can choose to set a global compression for all bitmap files used in a Flash movie. bitmap. This is called compression. The more compression you apply, the less color information is included and the lower the size and quality of the image. Lossy compression reduces the file size