Getting information about instances on the Stage

As you create a Flash application, it can be difficult to identify a particular instance of a symbol on the Stage, particularly if you are working with multiple instances of the same symbol. You can identify instances using the Property inspector, the Info panel, or the Movie Explorer.

The Property inspector and Info panel display the symbol name of the selected instance and an icon that indicates its type—graphic, button, or movie clip. In addition, you can view the following information:

In the Property inspector, you can view the instance's behavior and settings—for all instance types, color effect settings, location, and size; for graphics, the loop mode and first frame that contains the graphic; for buttons, the instance name (if assigned) and tracking option; for movie clips, the instance name (if assigned). For location, the Property inspector displays the x and y coordinates of either the symbol's registration point or the symbol's upper left corner, depending on which option is selected in the Info panel.
In the Info panel, you can view the instance's size and location; the location of its registration point; its red (R), green (G), blue (B), and alpha (A) values (if the instance has a solid fill); and the location of the pointer. The Info panel also displays the x and y coordinates of either the symbol's registration point or the symbol's upper left corner, depending on which option is selected. To display the coordinates of the registration point, click the center square in the Coordinate grid in the Info panel. To display the coordinates of the upper left corner, click the upper left square in the Coordinate grid.
In the Movie Explorer, you can view the contents of the current document, including instances and symbols. See Using the Movie Explorer.

In addition, in the Actions panel, you can view any actions assigned to a button or movie clip.

To get information about an instance on the Stage:

Select the instance on the Stage.
Display the Property inspector or panel you want to use:
- To display the Property inspector, select Window > Properties.
- To display the Info panel, select Window > Design Panels > Info.
- To display the Movie Explorer, select Window > Other Panels > Movie Explorer. For more information on the Movie Explorer, see Using the Movie Explorer.
- To display the Actions panel, select Window > Development Panels > Actions.

To view the symbol definition for the selected symbol in the Movie Explorer:

Click the Show Buttons, Movie Clips, and Graphics button at the top of the Movie Explorer.
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Macintosh) and select Show Symbol Instances and Go to Symbol Definition from the context menu; or select these options from the pop-up menu in the upper right corner of the Movie Explorer.

To jump to the scene containing instances of a selected symbol:

Display the symbol definitions as described in the previous procedure.
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Macintosh) and select Show Movie Elements and Go to Symbol Definition from the context menu; or select these options from the pop-up menu in the upper right corner of the Movie Explorer.