How to Work with Layers in Adobe Flash CS4
Adobe Flash CS4 is an animation program included in Adobe's Creative Suite 4 line of productivity software titles. One of the features that makes Flash versatile is the use of layers to create overlapping images and specialized effects such as masking. Being able to work with layers is essential to creating quality animations and games because layers give you the ability to create effects that would be all but impossible to duplicate otherwise.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
Launch Flash CS4 and create a new project using one of the Flash specification options such as ActionScript 3.0.
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2
Locate the base layer labeled "Layer 1" in the Flash timeline. Right-click the layer and select the "New Layer..." option from the context menu that opens. You can also create a new layer by selecting "Layer" from the "Timeline" option in the Insert menu. New layers will be numbered in the order they are created.
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3
Place movie clips, shapes or other Flash objects on the new layers at the point in the Flash timeline where you want them to appear. Objects appear on top of other objects on lower layers and underneath objects on higher layers. You can reorder the layers by left-clicking them and dragging them to the position in the layers listing that you want them to have. The Flash stage area will update overlapping objects automatically when layers are moved into new orders.
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4
Right-click a layer and select the "Mask" option from the context menu if you wish to create a layer mask. Layers underneath the layer mask will only be visible through the portion of the layer that contains filled objects or clips, with the objects on the layer acting as "windows" that allow viewers to see the lower layers.
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5
Place different animations or characters on different layers so that you can focus on a single animation per layer. This can be especially useful when creating special effects such as weather animations, explosions or other actions that may obscure the underlying animated characters. Layers can be moved as needed to let you see each layer's animation as you create it and then rearranged to create the final version of the animated clip.
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6
Right-click any layers that you don't need and select "Delete" to remove them. This deletes both the layer and any animations or objects on it, although the objects will remain in the Flash library for your project so they can be used on other layers.
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