FLASH CS3
User Guide
136
Symbol workflow
Symbol workflow in Illustrator is similar to symbol workflow in Flash.
Symbol creation
When you create a symbol in Illustrator, the Symbol Options dialog box lets you name the symbol
and set options specific to Flash: movie clip symbol type (which is the default for Flash symbols), Flash registration
grid location, and 9-slice scaling guides. In addition, you can use many of the same symbol keyboard shortcuts in
Illustrator and Flash (such as F8 to create a symbol).
Isolation mode for symbol editing
In Illustrator, double-click a symbol to open it in isolation mode for easier
editing. In isolation mode, only the symbol instance is editable—all other objects on the artboard are dimmed and
unavailable. After you exit isolation mode, the symbol in the Symbols panel, and all instances of that symbol are
updated accordingly. In Flash, symbol-editing mode and the Library panel work in a similar fashion.
Symbol properties and links
Using the Symbols panel or the Control panel, you can easily assign names to symbol
instances, break links between instances and symbols, swap a symbol instance with another symbol, or create a copy
of the symbol. In Flash, the editing features in the Library panel work in a similar way.
Static, dynamic, and input text objects
When you bring static text from Illustrator into Flash, Flash converts the text to outlines. If you have a Smart Object
workflow in Illustrator, you can take the text back to Illustrator for editing. In addition, you can set up your text in
Illustrator as dynamic text. Dynamic text enables you to edit text content programmatically in Flash, and easily
manage projects that require localization in multiple languages.
In Illustrator, you can specify individual text objects as static, dynamic, or input text. Dynamic text objects in
Illustrator and Flash have similar properties. For example, both use kerning that affects all characters in a text block
rather than individual characters, both anti-alias text the same way, and both can be linked to an external XML file
containing text.
About importing Fireworks PNG files
Import Fireworks PNG files into Flash as flattened images or as editable objects. When you import a PNG file as a
flattened image, the entire file (including any vector artwork) is rasterized, or converted to a bitmap image. When
you import a PNG file as editable objects, vector artwork in the file is preserved in vector format. Choose to preserve
placed bitmaps, text, filters (called effects in FireWorks) and guides in the PNG file when you import it as editable
objects.
For a video tutorial about the Flash and Fireworks workflow, see
www.adobe.com/go/vid0194
.
Using Fireworks effects and blend modes in Flash
Flash 8 and later provides support for Fireworks filters, blend modes, and text. When you import Fireworks PNG
files, you can retain many of the filters and blend modes applied to objects in Fireworks, and continue to modify
those filters and blends using Flash 8 or later versions.
Flash only supports modifiable filters and blends for objects imported as text and movie clips. If an effect or blend
mode is not supported, Flash 8 and later versions rasterizes or ignores it when it is imported.
To import a Fireworks PNG file that contains filters or blends that Flash does not support, rasterize the file during
the import process. After this operation, you cannot edit the file.
For a video tutorial about the Flash and Fireworks workflow, see
www.adobe.com/go/vid0194
.
