Using Font Symbols

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Normally, Flash embeds the fonts you use within each published Flash movie. To avoid embedding the same font in multiple movies, you can create a special type of shared library element: the font symbol . Shared font symbols help you keep movie files smaller and make download times faster for your users.

The first step in setting up a shared font is creating a font symbol in a library; then you set the symbol's linkage properties just as you would for any other shared asset.

To create a font symbol:

  1. Open the file containing symbols that you defined as shared in the preceding exercises (ItemsToShare.fla).

  2. Open the file's Library window (choose Window > Library).

    The LibraryItemsToShare.fla window opens.

  3. From the Options menu in the top-right corner of the Library window, choose New Font (Figure 6.53).

    Figure 6.53. From the Library window of the file where you are defining shared assets, choose Options > New Font to create a new font symbol.

    graphics/06fig53.gif

    The Font Symbol Properties dialog box appears. Flash gives the symbol a default name for example, Font 1 (Figure 6.54).

    Figure 6.54. Flash assigns a default name to Font symbols in the Font Symbol Properties dialog box (top). You rename the font symbol and select a font for it (bottom).

    graphics/06fig54.gif

  4. Enter a new name for the font if you want.

  5. To specify which font is to be shared, do one of the following:

    • In the Font field, enter the name of the font you want to be able to share.

    • Click the triangle to the right of the field and choose a font from the drop-down menu.

  6. Click OK.

As with other shared library symbols, you define a font symbol as a shared asset by setting its linkage properties and by publishing the library in a .swf file.

To define a font symbol as a shared asset:

  1. Open the source movie containing the font symbol you want to use (ItemsToShare.fla).

  2. To set linkage properties for a font symbol, follow steps 2 through 9 in "To define symbols as shared for run time" earlier in this chapter, using the font symbol as your selected symbol.

  3. To publish the library in a .swf file, follow the steps in "To make shared symbols available to other movies during playback" earlier in this chapter.

To use a font symbol in another movie:

  1. Follow steps 1 through 3 in "To add shared run-time symbols to your movie" earlier in this chapter, using the font symbol as your selected symbol.

  2. Make the destination file (UsingShared Items.fla) the active movie.

  3. In the Toolbox, select the Text tool.

  4. Access the Text Tool Property Inspector.

    If the Property Inspector is not open, choose Window > Properties.

  5. From the inspector's Font menu, choose the name of the shared font symbol (Figure 6.55).

    Figure 6.55. To use a font symbol in a movie, choose it from the Font menu in the Property Inspector. The asterisk following a name in the font list indicates that the font is a font symbol.

    graphics/06fig55.gif

    In font lists, an asterisk follow the name of a font symbol.

  6. On the Stage, using the Text tool, create new text in the shared font.

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Macromedia Flash MX for Windows and Macintosh. Visual QuickStart Guide
Macromedia Flash MX 2004 for Windows and Macintosh (Visual QuickStart Guides)
ISBN: 0582851165
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2002
Pages: 243

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