ptg
Chapter 2 Working Within the Flash Environment 55
Grouping and
Ungrouping Panels
Group Panels Together
Position the pointer on the panel
tab or panel set header bar.
Drag the window away from the
panel to another panel window.
◆ Add to Panel. Drag to a panel
until a blue rectangle appears
around the panel.
◆ Append to Panel. Drag to a
panel until a blue line appears
along the side of the panel.
Ungroup Panels
Position the pointer on the panel
tab or panel set header bar.
Drag the window away from the
panel to an empty area of the
Flash window.
2
1
2
1
You can group panels together to improve organization and workflow.
When you group panels together, you can stack one on top of the other,
or group related panels together as a tabbed panel group, such as the
Component Inspector panel. You can add a panel to an existing panel
group or you can create a new panel group. If you no longer need pan-
els grouped together, you can ungroup them. You can use the panel tab
to group or ungroup as well as dock or undock panel windows.
2
12
1
From the Library of Wow! eBook
ptg
56 Chapter 2
Creating a Workspace
Create a Workspace
Open and position the panels you
want to include in a panel set.
Click the Workspace menu (the
menu name displays the current
workspace), and then click New
Workspace.
◆ You can also click the Window
menu, point to Workspace, and
then click New Workspace.
The New Workspace dialog box
opens.
Type a name in the Name box.
Click OK.
The panel set is now saved.
Display a Workspace
Click the Workspace menu (the
menu name displays the current
workspace), and then select a
panel option:
◆ Custom panel name. Displays a
custom panel layout that you
created.
◆ Animator, Classic, Debug,
Designer, Developer, Essentials,
or Small Screen. Displays panel
layouts created by Adobe for
specific purposes in Flash.
1
4
3
2
1
As you work with Flash, you'll open, close, and move around windows
and panels to meet your individual needs. After you customize the Flash
workspace, you can save the location of windows and panels as a
workspace, or custom panel set, which you can display by using the
Workspace menu on the Applications bar or the Workspaces submenu
on the Window menu. You can create custom workspaces, or use a
workspace provided by Flash, which are designed for space and work-
flow efficiency. The built-in workspaces include Classic, Debug,
Designer, Developer, or Essentials. If you no longer use a custom work-
space, you can remove it at any time. You can also rename a custom
workspace to improve recognition.
1
3
4
Custom panel
1
2
Workspace menu
From the Library of Wow! eBook
ptg
Chapter 2 Working Within the Flash Environment 57
Delete a Workspace
Click the Window menu, point to
Workspace, and then click
Manage Workspaces.
The Manage Workspaces dialog
box opens.
Select the panel set you want to
delete.
Click Delete.
Click Yes to confirm the deletion.
Click OK.
The panel set is now deleted.
Rename a Workspace
Click the Window menu, point to
Workspace, and then click
Manage Workspaces.
The Manage Workspaces dialog
box opens.
Select the panel set you want to
rename.
Click Rename.
Type a new name, and then click
OK.
The panel set is now renamed.
Click OK.
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
5
3
2
5
3
2
Did You Know?
You can hide all panels.
Click the
Window menu, and then click Hide
Panels to select the check mark.
From the Library of Wow! eBook
ptg
58 Chapter 2
Creating Keyboard
Shortcuts
Create a Keyboard Shortcut Set
Click the Flash (Mac) or Edit (Win)
menu, and then click Keyboard
Shortcuts.
Click the Current Set popup, and
then select a set.
Click the Duplicate Set button.
Type a name for the new shortcut
set.
Click OK.
5
4
3
2
1
Flash uses built-in keyboard shortcuts designed specifically for Flash. A
complete list of the keyboard shortcuts is available in the back of this
book. The built-in keyboard shortcuts are organized into sets, which
you can duplicate and customize to create your own personalized set.
If you use other programs, such as Adobe Illustrator or Adobe
Photoshop, and you are more comfortable using their keyboard short-
cuts for common commands, you can select a built-in keyboard short-
cut set from any of the graphics programs to use in Flash.
4
Delete
button
2
5
3
Did You Know?
You can delete a custom keyboard
shortcut set.
Click the Flash (Mac) or
Edit (Win) menu, click Keyboard
Shortcuts, select a shortcut set from
the Current Set popup, and then click
the Delete button. You cannot delete a
built-in keyboard shortcut set that
comes with Flash.
You can rename a custom keyboard
shortcut set.
Click the Flash (Mac) or
Edit (Win) menu, click Keyboard
Shortcuts, select a shortcut set from
the Current Set popup, click the
Rename Set button, enter a new name,
and then click OK. You cannot rename
a built-in keyboard shortcut set that
comes with Flash.
From the Library of Wow! eBook
ptg
Chapter 2 Working Within the Flash Environment 59
Add or Remove a Keyboard
Shortcut
Click the Flash (Mac) or Edit (Win)
menu, and then click Keyboard
Shortcuts.
Click the Current Set popup, and
then select the set in which you
want to change.
Click the Commands popup, and
then select a shortcut category,
such as Drawing Menu
Commands, Drawing Tools, Test
Movie Menu Commands, and
Workplace Accessibility
Commands.
Select the command for which you
want to add or remove a shortcut
in the Commands list.
Do the following:
◆ To ad d a sh ort cut , cli ck th e Add
Shortcut (+) button, and then
press the key combination to
enter the new shortcut key in
the Press Key box.
◆ To re mov e a sh ort cut , cli ck t he
Remove Shortcut (-) button.
Click Change.
To ad d or r emo ve ad dit ion al
shortcuts, repeat Steps 2-6.
Click OK.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
2
5
8
Keyboard shortcut
4
3
6
Export keyboard shortcuts as HTML
You can now export Flash keyboard shortcuts as an HTML file that
you can view and print using a standard Web browser. To export the
keyboard shortcuts, click the Flash (Mac) or Edit (Win) menu, click
Keyboard Shortcuts, click the Current Set list arrow, select the set
you want, click the Export Set As HTML button, enter a file name,
specify a location, and then click Save.
For Your Information
From the Library of Wow! eBook
ptg
60 Chapter 2
Setting General
Preferences
Set General Preferences
Click the Flash (Mac) or Edit (Win)
menu, and then click Preferences.
Click the General category.
Select from the following options:
◆ On Launch. Select an option to
specify which document opens
when you start the program.
◆ Welcome Screen.
◆ New Document.
◆ Last Documents Open.
◆ No Document.
◆ Undo Levels. Select Document
or Object-level Undo, and then
enter a value from 2 to 300 to
set the number of undo/redo
levels. The default level is 100.
◆ Open Test Movie In Tabs.
Select this check box to have
Flash open a test movie in
document tab.
◆ Auto-Collapse Icon Panels.
Select this check box to
automatically collapse the
panel set to Icons only.
◆ Shift Select. Select or deselect
this check box to control the
selection of multiple elements.
3
2
1
Flash allows you to set general preferences to customize the way you
work in the program. You can specify what you want to display or open
when you launch Flash. Some of the preferences allow you to specify
the number of undo levels, enable multiple selection, show tooltips,
open documents and test movies in tabs, enable span-based selection
in the Timeline, make the first frame of each scene in a document a
named anchor, and select a specific selection highlight color for differ-
ent element types, such as drawings, groups, and symbols. You can
also set Project preferences for closing and saving project files. In
Flash, the Preferences dialog box is reorganized with new categories
and options for ease of use, such as having have Flash open a new
document tab instead of opening in its own window.
2
3
From the Library of Wow! eBook
ptg
Chapter 2 Working Within the Flash Environment 61
◆ Show Tooltips. Select to display
tooltips when the pointer points
to a button or control.
◆ Contact-Sensitive Selection
and Lasso Tools. For the object
drawing model, select to select
objects when any part of the
marquee touches it. Clear it to
select objects that are
completely enclosed by the
marquee. Points within the
selection will be selected.
◆ Show Axes For 3D Movie Clips.
Select to show axes for 3d
movie clips.
◆ Span Based Selection. Select
to use span-based selection
instead of frame-based
selection.
◆ Named Anchor On Scene.
Select to make the first frame of
each scene in a document a
named anchor.
◆ Highlight Color. Select the Use
Layer Color option to use the
current layer’s outline color, or
select the option, and then
select a color for Drawing
objects, Drawing primitives,
groups, symbols, and other
elements.
◆ Printing (Win). Select the
Disable PostScript check box if
you have problems printing to a
postscript printer.
Click OK.
4
3
4
Setting Drawing Model Options
You can draw shapes in Flash using two main drawing models:
Merge Drawing and Object Drawing. Merge Drawing model automat-
ically merges shapes that you draw when you overlap them. If you
select a shape that has been merged with another, and move it, the
shape below it is moved too. For example, if you draw a square and
overlay a circle on top of it, and then select the circle and move it,
the portion of the square that overlaid the circle is removed. Object
Drawing model allows you to draw shapes as separate objects that
do not automatically merge together when overlaid. This lets you
overlap shapes without altering their appearance should you choose
to move them apart, or rearrange their appearance. Flash creates
each shape as a separate object that you can individually manipulate.
When you select a shape created using the Object Drawing model,
Flash surrounds the shape with a rectangular bounding box. You can
use the Pointer tool to move the object by clicking the bounding box
and dragging the shape anywhere you’d like to position it on the
Stage. You can now extend the Object Drawing mode by creating
primitive rectangles and ovals in Primitive mode, which allows you to
edit properties in the Property Inspector and specify the corner
radius of rectangles and inner radius of ovals. This makes it easy to
create pie wedges, round off corners, and other shapes.
For Your Information
From the Library of Wow! eBook
.
comes with Flash.
From the Library of Wow! eBook
ptg
Chapter 2 Working Within the Flash Environment 59
Add or Remove a Keyboard
Shortcut
Click the Flash (Mac). repeat Steps 2-6.
Click OK.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
2
5
8
Keyboard shortcut
4
3
6
Export keyboard shortcuts as HTML
You can now export Flash keyboard shortcuts as