Specifications

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9
CHAPTER 9
Basic Tasks: Create
Symbols and Instances
A symbol is a reusable object, and an instance is an occurrence of a symbol
on the Stage. Repeatedly using instances does not increase the file size and
is a good part of a strategy for keeping a document file size small. Symbols
also simplify editing a document; when you edit a symbol, all instances of
the symbol update to reflect the edits. Another benefit of symbols is that
they allow you to create sophisticated interactivity.
You can print this tutorial by downloading a PDF version of it from the
Macromedia Flash Documentation page at www.macromedia.com/go/
fl_documentation.
In this tutorial, you will complete the following tasks:
Create a graphic symbol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Duplicate and modify an instance of a symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Modify a symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Create a movie clip symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Assign an instance name to the movie clip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Add an effect to the movie clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123