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Flash Tutorial - Target Paths

Nesting

In Flash when you place one object inside another they are nested one inside another. The following is an explanation of the nesting used in the example flash movie above:

Main Stage

This is the main stage of the movie. I know it is the main stage because of the tab:

When you open a Flash movie it will always display the main stage. This is your work area where you place all the objects that make up your movie.

All the symbols you create are in the Library.

On the stage above is an instance of the symbol webwasp. It is an instance of the symbol which is highlighted. I know this because of the blue rectangle and the centre point in the middle of the webwasp on stage.

•  All symbols are stored in the Library: Window > Library
•  In the Library you can see the symbol name: webwasp MC
•  All symbols must have a unique name.
•  An instance is a symbol which is on the stage.
•  An instance does not have to have a name.
•  The instance name is not the same as the symbol name.
•  In the ActionScript you only use instance names, never symbol names.
•  webwasp is the instance name not name of the symbol - webwasp MC is the symbol name.
•  In the Property inspector you can see the symbol name referred to as - Instance of: webwasp MC
•  In the Property inspector you can also see the instance name: webwasp

   Get use to looking in the Property inspector to find the instance name.

	Name: Main Stage	Action Script path: _root
Above the word webwasp you will see a tab: . Scene 1 is the main stage of the movie referred to in the ActionScript as: _root All scenes have a _root directory.

First Nesting: main stage > Webwasp MC

	Instance Name: webwasp Symbol Name: webwasp MC	Action Script path: _root.webwasp
This is a symbol which is on the main stage. The symbol is called webwasp MC. You can see the symbol name in tab above the word: webwasp The tabs above the word webwasp: Scene1 is the main stage and webwasp MC is the name of the symbol not the name of the instance. Note: You cannot see the instance name in the tabs.

Second Nesting: main stage > webwasp MC > web MC

	Instance Name: web Symbol Name: web MC	Action Script path: _root.webwasp.web
Look at the tabs to see the nesting.

Third Nesting: main stage > webwasp MC > web MC > web graphic

	Instance Name: There is no instance name. Symbol Name: web Graphic There is no Instance name for web graphic because graphics cannot have instance names only symbol names.	Action Script path: There is no Path. Note: Because a graphic cannot have an instance name it cannot be referred to in the actionscript. To refer to a graphic (or button) you need to nest it inside a movie clip or convert it to a movie clip.
Note: Look at the little icons in the tabs above the word web: You can tell that the symbol is a graphic because the icon is different to that of a movie clip. Main Stage or Scene Icon Movie Clip Icon Graphic Icon Button Icon Note: The same icons are used in the Library. See picture of main stage above.

Creating a Movie with Nested Symbols

Creating the Symbols

For the buttons to be able to control the rotating web in the example above they have to be able to find the path to this object.

When you are creating symbols which are nested (inside) others you must always start furthest away from the main stage and work backwards. In the above example you must create the symbols in the following order:

1st: web graphic: Static graphic: web

2nd: web MC: Animation of the static graphic: web

3rd: webwasp MC: Combination of the animated graphic web and the word wasp

Think of it like cooking: First get your ingredient, then cook them, last of all put them on the table. Your main stage is the dinning table!

Step One: Static Graphic: web

Note: If have done the previous tutorial: 03 Tween within Tween and you are confident with creating tweens, use the Flash movie that you created there and go straight to: Step five

The first symbol you need to create is: web graphic

1. Go to: Insert > New Symbol
   name: web graphic
   Behavior: Graphic
   Click: ok
   
   
   You should now see these tabs at the top of the work area.
   
   
   

2. Type a word on stage or draw something. I typed: web
   
   

3. When you have finished click on the tab to go back to the main stage.
   Your symbol is in the Library. The main stage is still empty.
   
   We now need to create the symbol which web graphic will be nested in.