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Breaking apart instances 101
Being courteous
If you plan to share your FLA file with other users and you use ActionScript placed on or
inside objects (such as movie clips), it can be difficult for those users to find your code’s
location, even when they use the Movie Explorer to search through the document.
If you are creating a FLA file that has code placed in many locations throughout the
document, and plan to share the file, it is courteous to notify other users that you are using
ActionScript that is placed in or on objects. This courtesy ensures that other users
immediately understand the structure of the file. Leave a comment on Frame 1 on the main
Timeline to tell users where to find the code and how the file is structured. The following
example shows a comment that tells users the location of the ActionScript:
/*
On Frame 1 of main Timeline.
ActionScript placed on component instances and inside movie clips using
behaviors.
Use Movie Explorer to locate ActionScript
*/
Clearly document the use of behaviors if you are working with a complex document. If you
keep track of where you use behaviors, you might have fewer headaches in the long run.
Perhaps you can create a flow chart or list, or use good documentation comments in a central
location on the main Timeline.
Breaking apart instances
To break the link between an instance and a symbol and make the instance into a collection of
ungrouped shapes and lines, you “break apart” the instance. This is useful for changing the
instance substantially without affecting any other instance. If you modify the source symbol
after breaking apart the instance, the instance is not updated with the changes.
To break apart an instance of a symbol:
1. Select the instance on the Stage.
2. Select Modify > Break Apart.
This breaks the instance into its component graphic elements.
3. Use the painting and drawing tools to modify these elements as desired.
NO
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It is not necessary to use this technique if your code is easy to find, the document is not
shared, or all of your code is placed on frames of the main Timeline.