Datasheet

Book VII
Chapter 1
Getting Started
with Flash 9
Talking about Layers
631
To delete a layer:
1. In the Timeline window above the stage, select the layer you want to
delete.
Hold down the Shift key to select multiple layers. You can then click the
Trash icon to delete all the selected layers at once.
2. Click the Delete Layer icon below the timeline.
The beauty of working with layers is that you can easily change the stacking
order and appearance of artwork and animations distributed across those
layers. To reorder layers, simply select a layer by clicking its label on the
timeline and then click and drag the layer up or down in the stacking order
and release it to its new position (see Figure 1-5). Layers at the top of the list
will appear in front of other objects in lower layers; in contrast, layers at the
bottom of the list will appear below or behind items on higher layers.
Two additional aspects of managing layers include toggling a layer and its
contents visible or invisible, and locking layers to prevent their contents
from being accidentally moved or modified.
To toggle a layer’s visibility on or off, click any layer in the column below the
Visibility icon. To toggle all layers on or off, click the Eye icon at the top of
the column.
To prevent layer contents from being modified, click any layer in the column
below the Padlock. To unlock it, click the Padlock again. To lock or unlock all
layers, click the Padlock icon at the top of the column.
Locking layers ensures that you won’t accidentally move or delete the art-
work it contains. Make a habit of locking layers whenever you’re not working
with them.
Layer visibility only affects what you see inside of the authoring environ-
ment and has no effect on the finished SWF file. Layers whose visibility is
toggled off in your document will still appear when published.
Figure 1-5:
It’s easy to
shuffle
layers —
just click
and drag
to reorder
any layer.
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