Flash Graphic Symbols

Flash Graphic Symbols

What are Graphic symbols in Flash?

Graphic symbols are reusable static images that are used mainly to create animations. Any drawn vector/plain text/imported bitmap (photo), or combinations of these, can be converted into a single controllable object, called a graphic symbol. Graphic Symbols have only one frame in their timeline.

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How to create a graphic symbol in Flash

Please carry out the following steps in Flash to create graphic symbols.

1. First create/import the object(s) to be converted into a graphic. You can import bitmaps onto the stage using Ctrl+R.
2. Select the object(s) and then press F8 (or Modify >> Convert to Symbol).
3. Select the Graphic Behavior and name the symbol, say 'g_home'.
4. To edit it at a later point, double-click the symbol in the library (Ctrl + L) or any of its instances on the stage to switch to its symbol-editing mode as shown below. The name of the symbol will appear near the scene name ('Scene 1' by default, as shown below).
5. Make the necessary changes and click 'Scene 1' to exit from the symbol editing mode and go back to view the main movie's time-line.

Fig: Symbol-editing Mode of flash graphic 'g_home' (Flash 8 and below)

Flash Symbols

• Overview of Flash Symbols
• Creating Graphic Symbols
• Creating Button Symbols
• Creating Movie-clip Symbols

Software Required

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