Add a guide layer

So far you've learned about regular layers and mask layers. The third type of layer is a guide layer. You use guide layers to hold content that you don't want to appear in your published or exported file. For example, you could place instructions to others working on your document on a guide layer. As you take lessons in Flash, you'll notice that many of the lesson FLA files contain placeholders, which indicate where to place a Stage object, on guide layers. You'll create a guide layer now.

1. In the Timeline, select the Background layer, then click the Insert Layer button to create a new layer.
2. Name the new layer Notes and press Enter or Return.
3. Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Macintosh) the Notes layer and select Guide from the context menu.

   An icon next to the layer name indicates that the layer is a guide layer.

4. With the Notes layer still selected, click the Text tool in the toolbar. Then, in the area of the Stage above the car and road, enter Production note: Animation with no stop (); actions loop by default.
5. Save your document and select Control > Test Movie.

   No content that you added to the guide layer appears in the SWF file window.

6. When you finish viewing the SWF file, close the window to return to the document.