Deleting Master Symbols

Deleting symbols can be a little trickier than deleting shapes or groups on the Stage. Deleting one instance of a symbol from its place on the Stage is easy; use the methods for cutting or deleting graphics discussed in Chapter 4. Deleting symbols from the library isn't difficult but does require some thought, because instances of the symbol may still be in use in your movie.

To delete one symbol from the library

1.

In the Library panel, select the symbol you want to remove.

2.

To delete the symbol, do either of the following: At the bottom of the window, click the Delete button (the trash-can icon) (Figure 7.35). Figure 7.35. Click the trash can icon to delete a selected library item. From the pop-up Options menu in the top-right corner of the window, choose Delete (Figure 7.36). Figure 7.36. You can also choose Delete from the Library panel's Options menu to remove selected symbols from the active document.

Tip

• In earlier versions of Flash, deleting symbols from the library was a permanent operation. Flash even warned you of that fact when you chose to delete master symbols from the library. With Flash 8, you can undo deletions from a library.

To delete a folder of symbols from the library

1.	Select the folder you want to remove.
2.	Follow step 2 of the preceding task. Flash removes the folder and all the symbols it contains from the library.

Tip

• Always check the usage numbers before you delete library items (Figure 7.37). You don't want to delete a symbol that you're currently using in a movie, which is especially easy to do if you've nested symbols within symbols. Some earlier versions of Flash warned you when you tried to delete an item that was in use in a movie. Flash 8 doesn't.

  Figure 7.37. Be sure to update use counts before deleting a symbol (in the Library panel, choose Options > Update Use Counts Now). Then check to be sure the item you want to delete isn't being used in the movie.