STEP 02 layers SETUP

STEP 02 layers SETUP

Flash, like many graphic design programs, is layer based, with the bottom layer representing the background and each subsequent layer building up from there.

I always use the same basic layers setup when starting a Flash project. Essentially, I keep all of the visual elements separate from the sound, actions, guides, and other movie components . There are good reasons for this:

• Revising completed projects is far easier when you can quickly locate the various elements, such as sound or actions. If I need to update a file months down the line, I have a clean layer setup that is consistent from project to project.

• I can pass off the file to one of hillmancurtis.com's designersor they to meand we will have a layer setup that is recognizable. This is a system that lessens confusion.

1. Display the Timeline by choosing View > Timeline (Ctrl-Alt-T / Cmd-Option-T). The default layer, named Layer 1, is automatically created.

2. Rename Layer 1 to " background " by double-clicking the name and entering in the new text. The background layer is, naturally enough, positioned beneath all other layers.

3. Create a new layer by clicking the Add Layer button ( marked with a plus sign) along the bottom of the Timeline (see figure 02:02). A new layer is added above the background layer.

   
   

   Figure 02:02.

   

   
   

4. Repeat step 3 six more times to make a total of seven layers, naming the new layers from top to bottom as follows :

   guides

   labels

   actions

   sound

   (snd)

   macromedia

   shockzone

   background

   When finished, your layer structure should resemble the screen shown in figure 02:03.

   
   

   Figure 02:03.