Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

If you're already comfortable with the keyboard shortcuts from another graphics program, Flash enables you to stick with shortcuts you already know, rather than learn a whole new set. You also can customize a shortcut set to include your own shortcuts.

Exercise 2.5 Creating Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

To design your own set, you must make a duplicate of an existing set and then modify it.

1. Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.

2. From the Current Set pull-down menu, select the Flash 5 shortcut set and click the Duplicate Set button to the right of the Current Set list.

3. Enter MyList as a unique name for your new shortcut list, and then click OK.

4. Use the Commands pull-down menu to select the category of the item for which you wish to create a shortcut. For this exercise, expand the Insert submenu under Drawing Menu Commands.

5. Select Layer. Notice that there is no keyboard shortcut currently established.

6. Click the Add button to create a new shortcut. Press Ctrl+Shift+Y to set these keystrokes as a keyboard shortcut. This keystroke combination won't be accepted until you click the Change button.

7. Once you've clicked the Change button, you should see your new shortcut reflected in the Commands menu. Click OK.

Your new keyboard shortcut is now available to use. The next time you want to add a new layer, you can just Ctrl+Shift+Y.

Fortunately, deleting custom shortcuts is built into Flash. You don't need to browse out to the application folder like you did to delete a panel set. You can delete custom keyboard shortcuts from the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box.

Exercise 2.6 Deleting Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

Deleting a set of keyboard shortcuts is even easier than creating them.

1. Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.

2. Select the MyList keyboard shortcut set from the Current Set pull-down menu.

3. Click the Delete button (Trashcan).

Note

Don't worry, Flash will save you from yourself. You can't delete the Macromedia-created keyboard shortcut sets, so don't be bashful about using the delete feature.

Summary

Flash 5 gives you a number of ways to customize Flash to best suit your workflow. You can set up your default movie properties to the settings you most often use, saving yourself time and keeping your base movies consistent. Using custom panel sets lets you have open only the panels you need for a particular set of tasks , thus freeing up real estate on your screen. Being able to create your own custom keyboard shortcuts also can be a real timesaver. Go ahead, bend Flash to your will. In the next chapter, you'll look at taking further control by using the Movie Explorer.