Working with Groups


Groups serve several functions. They allow you to prevent selected merge-shapes from interacting. They also let you lock down the attributes of shapes and preserve spatial relationships among graphic elements.

To create a group

1.

Select one or more items on the Stage using any of the methods discussed in Chapter 4 (Figure 5.6).

Figure 5.6. The first step in grouping is selecting the shapes you want to use in the group.


2.

Choose Modify > Group, or press -G (Mac) or Ctrl-G (Windows) (Figure 5.7).

Figure 5.7. Choose Modify > Group to unite several selected shapes as a group.


Flash groups the items, placing them within a bounding box (Figure 5.8). The visible bounding box lets you know that the group is selected. When the group isn't selected, the bounding box is hidden.

Figure 5.8. When you select the group, a highlighted bounding box appears, surrounding the grouped shapes.


Tip

  • If you choose Modify > Group when nothing is selected, you immediately enter group-editing mode. Anything you draw on the Stage now is part of a new group.


To return objects to ungrouped status

1.

Select the group that you want to return to ungrouped status.

2.

Choose Modify > Ungroup, or press Shift--G (Mac) or Ctrl-Shift-G (Windows).

Flash removes the bounding box and selects all the items.

Tips

  • If you prefer using a two-key shortcut rather than a three-key shortcut, the command for breaking apart symbols also works to ungroup groups. That command is -B (Mac) or Ctrl-B (Windows).

  • Interactions between strokes and fills occur not only when you draw a shape but also when you place a copy of a shape or move a shape. Be careful when placing copies of merge-shape fills and strokes on a single layer; you can inadvertently add to or delete part of an underlying merge-shape. If you ungroup a grouped shape that overlaps merge-shapes on a single layer, the shapes will segment one another.


Preventing Interactions

Shapes created in Merge Drawing mode act as if their paint is still wet. Here are some ways to dry the paint and prevent interactions.

Drawing-objects. In Drawing Object mode, the drawing tools create merge-shapes, but Flash isolates them inside a container. The container acts as a semi-permeable membrane. Fills and strokes inside the drawing-object container don't interact with fills and strokes outside the container. You can modify the outlines and the fill and stroke attributes of a drawing-object directly on the Stage (see Chapter 4). You can also open a drawing-object container to work with its merge-shape contents directly.

Groups. When you group selected fills and strokes, they stop interacting with other fills and strokes. Grouped items also stop being directly editable. To modify any attributes of the shapes in a group, you must enter a special editing mode.

Symbols. When you create a symbol, its fills and strokes don't interact with the fills and strokes of other graphic elements. Symbols also require editing in a special mode. Symbols do more than just prevent graphic elements from interacting; symbols let you save your work for reuse and keep file sizes down (see Chapter 7).

Layers. Placing merge-shapes on separate layers prevents them from interacting (see Chapter 6).

Sublayers. When you put several drawing-objects, groups, and/or symbols on the same layer in a Flash document, they stack up, one on top of another. It's as if the objects reside on sublayers within the one layer (see the sidebar "Understanding Stacking Order").





Macromedia Flash 8 for Windows & Macintosh Visual QuickStart Guide
Macromedia Flash 8 for Windows & Macintosh
ISBN: 0321349636
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 204

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