Macromedia Flash – Importing onto a Layer

In an earlier exercise, you imported the gnome.png image directly into the document’s library. Then you dragged the image onto a selected layer on the Stage. You can also import assets directly to the Stage instead of into the library. First you need to select the frame into which you want to import the image on the Timeline. Then you can import the image onto that frame, which appears on the Stage. You use this technique to import an image in the following exercise:

1. Select Frame 1 of the animation layer.

   You need to import star.png image to the animation layer.

2. Select File > Import > Import to Stage.

   The Open dialog box appears where you can select an image from your hard drive. Find the folder of this tutorial’s source files on your hard drive.

3. Select star.png in the tutorial’s source files and click Open (Windows) or Import (Macintosh). The image imports to the animation layer (see Figure 10), and then appears on the Stage.

   

   

   Figure 10. The image imports to the frame on the layer that you select on the Timeline. You will learn more about the Timeline and layers in Part 2 of this tutorial.

4. Open the Library panel (Window > Library).

   The image you just imported to the Stage also appears as an asset in the library. Even if you import an asset directly to the Stage, Flash always stores the assets you import in the library as well.

5. Click the Selection tool in the Tools panel.

6. Move the star.png file on the Stage to just above the gnome’s head in the image, as shown in Figure 11.

   

   Figure 11. Move the star.png image just above the gnome’s head.

7. Select File > Save to save your document before moving on.