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Symbols

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Lesson objectives:

• Understand what is symbol and how it helps.• Understand the types of symbol.• To learn how to create graphic, button symbol.• Converting object to symbol.• Edit symbols.• Using symbol color effect

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What is Symbol?

A reusable graphic, button, or movie clip that you can use more than once after you save it in your library.

Why do we us symbols?Using symbols works on reducing the size of the flash file, because the size of a symbol counts once even after multiple uses.

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Types of symbols:

Graphic: it’s a symbol of an image, meaning that you can put an image or more inside a box which is symbol

Button: more interactive symbol with the views, it does actions when you click or pass on it.

Movie clip: its like a small movie inside the flash movie you make ( a mini movie with the main movie), it contains sounds, and it can contain another symbol, for example, we can put a button inside a movie clip.

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To create symbol go to insert → New symbol

Write a name

Choose the type of the symbol

Then click on OK

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Now it will move you to another page where you will make your symbol

Notice that you are in S1 page ( S1 is the name of the symbol )

You can write a text

Insert an image

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Now, go back to scene 1 and drag the symbol from the library to the stage

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If you want to edit the symbol just double click on it and edit it.

Notice that when you edit a symbol, the rest will be edited automatically

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There’s another way of making symbol which is converting an object to a symbolTo do that, right click on the object → convert to symbol OR go to Modify → convert to symbol

Write the name of the symbol and choose the type then click on Ok

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ButtonAs I said earlier, the button is an interactive tool in an interactive environment such as a web page.

When the user click or pass on a button he expect a feedback

How to create a button1- Draw a shape using drawing tool.2- Select it and press F8 to convert it to a symbol. 3- Change the symbol name, ad change the symbol type to button.4- Click Ok.

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Now you will notice the symbol in the library.

Select the symbol and go to properties, you will see different options of color effect

• Brightness• Tint• Advanced• alpha

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• Brightness

• Tint (standard color menu)

• Advanced: controlling tint and alpha at the same time

• Alpha: opacity

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You will see that the timeline will change to four cells:

1-Up: what the button looks like before you interact with it.

2- Over: the button’s appearance when the user pass the pointer over it.

3- Down: the button’s appearance when the user click on it.

4- Hit

Double click on the symbol to enter the editing mode.

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5- Insert a key frame in Up, over and down frames6- change the button’s appearance

7- Test the movie