Graphic Symbols

Graphic symbols can be used for static images and for animations that are in sync with the main Timeline.
Unlike "Movie Clip" symbols, an animation contained in a "Graphic Symbol" can be seen in the main line of the Timeline, but sounds and ActionScript will not work in it.

Create a Graphic symbol

Select on Stage the object you want to convert into a Graphic symbol (can be any element: line, shape, image, Group)
Click Modify -> Convert to Symbol (or press F8)
Flash will open a "Convert to Symbol" window. Type in a name for the symbol. Click the Type list arrow, then choose Graphic, and click OK.

- Flash will add that Symbol in the Library panel, and the selected object in the Stage become an Instance of that Symbol.

• Another way to create a Symbol is with the New Symbol option:

Click the Insert -> New Symbol. Flash will open a Create New Symbol window, with the same Symbol Properties that you see when you use "Convert to Symbol".
Type in a name for the symbol. Click the Type list arrow, then choose Graphic, and click OK.
Flash enters a symbol editing mode that contains a blank scene, with a '+' sign in the center. On the "Edit bar" will be displayed the name of the Symbol, next to Scene name.

Anything you create in that blank page will represent the symbol.
After you create the objects /drawings in that page, click on the Scene name, in the Edit bar (or double-click on an empty area) to return to the main scene.
The Graphic symbol you have created is stored in the Library panel, from this panel you can drag on the Stage instances of that symbol.

- The instance of a symbol can be converted into a simple editable shape, without any relation with the master symbol or the other instances, by selecting it, then click the Modify -> Break Apart.
- Another major change that you can make to an instance, without affecting the other instances, is to swap the parent symbol for another symbol:

Select the instance on the Stage, then open the "Properties panel".
Click Swap in the "Properties panel" to open the Swap Symbol dialog box.
Click a symbol from the list, and press OK.

The instance retains any effects and/or animation that have been applied to it. All of the effects are preserved but are instead applied to and referencing the new chosen symbol.

The instance of a Graphic symbol has three specific options: Loop, Play Once, and Single Frame.
Options Graphic Symbol

Loop - makes the symbol's Timeline to play continuously.
Play Once - plays the Timeline of a graphic symbol once and then stops.
Single Frame - sets the instance to display as a single frame contained in the graphic symbol's Timeline (the frame which number is set in the field First).

If you want to transfer /copy a symbol from a Flash document to another:
- open the both Flash documents,
- open the Library panel with the Symbol you want to copy,
- right-click on the name of the Symbol, then choose Copy.
- go to the other Flash documet and click Edit -> Paste in Center (or Ctrl+V).
That Symbol will be automatically added in the Library panel of that document too.

<<-Working with Symbols and .. -- Movie Clip Symbols->>

Daily Test with Code Example

HTML

CSS

JavaScript

PHP-MySQL

Which tag is used to add lists into <ul> and <ol> elements?

<ul>
 <li>http://coursesweb.net/html/</li>
 <li>http://coursesweb.net/css/</li>
</ul>

Which value of the "display" property creates a block box for the content and ads a bullet marker?

block list-item inline-block

.some_class {
  display: list-item;
}

Which instruction converts a JavaScript object into a JSON string.

JSON.parse() JSON.stringify eval()

var obj = {
 "courses": ["php", "javascript", "ajax"]
};
var jsonstr = JSON.stringify(obj);
alert(jsonstr);    // {"courses":["php","javascript","ajax"]}

Indicate the PHP class used to work with HTML and XML content in PHP.

stdClass PDO DOMDocument

$strhtml = '<body><div id="dv1">CoursesWeb.net</div></body>';
$dochtml = new DOMDocument();
$dochtml->loadHTML($strhtml);
$elm = $dochtml->getElementById("dv1");
echo $elm->nodeValue;    // CoursesWeb.net

Graphic Symbols

Flash Course

Create a Graphic symbol

Daily Test with Code Example

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PHP-MySQL

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