Images in Flash


Flash can import image files

Any image you add will add to your file size.
Flash supports the following file formats for importing

Flash also supports the following file formats with Quicktime 4 or later installed

Flash creates vector graphics. Vector graphics are made up of anchor points connected by lines or curves. Vector graphics can be resized without any loss of resolution.

Bitmap Graphics are basically a grid of colored pixels. Since resolution is the number of pixels in that grid bitmap graphics have a loss of quality when the resolution changes. Resizing a bitmap graphic to a lower resolution means pixels are lost. Resizing a bitmap to a higher resolution means the computer has to guess at the color of the extra pixels it must create.

Importing a bitmap graphics

When you import a bitmap graphic you add its file size to your project. Even if you resize the image in Flash the original image will still be exporting into your final .SWF file.

You can import your image to the stage or to the library. If you import it to the stage it gets put on the stage AND in the library.

Importing to the stage:

• Make sure you are on a keyframe (not a frame)
• Click on the File menu
• Select Import
• Select Import to Stage

• Browse to the file you want to import
• Click on Open

Importing to the library:

• Make sure you are on a keyframe (not a frame)
• Click on the File menu
• Select Import
• Select Import to Library

• Browse to the file you want to import
• Click on Open

The image is placed into the library

Import a sequence of Files

• Create a new movieClip symbol
• Click on the File menu
• Select Import to stage
• Select the first file in the sequence

Flash asks if you want to import the entire sequence

• Click on Yes
• Flash create a separate keyframe for each image
• The movieclip now becomes an animation comprised of all the images

Copy and Paste images
You can copy and paste images from other program into Flash

• Open Word
• Click on Insert  | Picture |  Clipart

• Select the clip-art you want
• Right-click on the art and select copy
• Go back to Flash
• Make sure you are on a keyframe
• right click on the stage and Paste

Break Apart Bitmap
You can use any of your bitmaps as a fill

• Add an image in Flash
• Add a rectangle beside it

• Select a bitmap in Flash
• Click Modify  |  Break Apart
• Select the image with the eyedropper tool
• Click on the rectangle to fill it with the image

Modify a Bitmap Fill
Use the Fill Transform Tool to modify a bitmap fill

• Add a bitmap fill to a vector shape
• Click the Fill Transform tool

• Click on the shape
• Drag the white circle in the middle to move the fill in the shape

Drag the bottom left corner square

It expands the fill image

• Drag the left center square and expands the width of the fill

• Drag the bottom center square to resize the height of the fill

• Drag the top right corner circle to rotate

• Drag the top center circle to skew horizontally

• Drag the right center circle to skew vertically

Magic Wand
The magic wand is used to select parts of a broken apart image with similar color

• Add an image
• Click on Modify | Break Apart
• Deselect the image
• Click the lasso tool

• Click the Magic wand mode

• Select the color you want and it selects all like colors

You can modify the threshold so it selects close colors or not

• Click the magic wand properties

• Adjust the threshold

Trace Bitmap
You can convert a bitmap into a vector graphic

• Add a bitmap into Flash
• Select it
• Click Modify
• Select Bitmap and Trace bitmap

The lower the numbers the better quality but also the higher the file size