Working with library items

The library in a Flash document stores media assets that you create or import for use in a Flash document. The library stores imported files such as video clips, sound clips, bitmaps, and imported vector artwork, as well as symbols. A symbol is a graphic, button, or movie clip that you create once and then reuse multiple times. You can also create a font symbol. For information on symbols, see Using Symbols, Instances, and Library Assets and Creating font symbols.

The library also contains components that you have added to your document. Components are displayed in the library as compiled clips. For more information, see Components in the Library panel.

The Library panel displays a scroll list with the names of all items in the library, allowing you to view and organize these elements as you work. An icon next to an item's name in the Library panel indicates the item's file type. The Library panel has an options menu with commands for managing library items.

You can open the library of any Flash document while you are working in Flash, to make the library items from that file available for the current document.

You can create permanent libraries in your Flash application that is available whenever you start Flash. Flash also includes several sample libraries containing buttons, graphics, movie clips, and sounds that you can add to your own Flash documents. The sample Flash libraries and permanent libraries that you create are listed in the Window > Common Libraries submenu. See Working with common libraries.

You can export library assets as a SWF file to a URL to create a runtime-shared library. This allows you to link to the library assets from Flash documents that import symbols using runtime sharing. See Using shared library assets.

To display the Library panel:

Select Window > Library.

To open the library from another Flash file:

Select File > Import > Open External Library.
Navigate to the Flash file whose library you want to open, and click Open.
The selected file's library opens in the current document, with the file's name at the top of the Library panel. To use items from the selected file's library in the current document, drag the items to the current document's Library panel or to the Stage.

To resize the Library panel, do one of the following:

Drag the lower right corner of the panel.
Click the Wide State button to enlarge the Library panel so that it displays all the columns.
Click the Narrow State button to reduce the width of the Library panel.

To change the width of columns:

Position the pointer between column headers and drag to resize.
You cannot change the order of columns.

To use the Library options menu:

Click the control in the Library panel's title bar to view the options menu.
Click an item in the menu.

Working with library items

When you select an item in the Library panel, a thumbnail preview of the item appears at the top of the Library panel. If the selected item is animated or is a sound file, you can use the Play button in the library preview window or the Controller to preview the item. You can use folders in the library to organize library items. See Working with folders in the Library panel.

To use a library item in the current document:

Drag the item from the Library panel onto the Stage.
The item is added to the current layer.

To convert an object to a symbol in the library:

Drag the item from the Stage onto the current Library panel.

To use a library item from the current document in another document:

Drag the item from the library or Stage into the library or Stage for another document.

Managing media assets

Working with library items