Managing Links in Flash Movies with Dreamweaver

A lot of Flash developers rely heavily on Flash movies in their websites. Some use Flash entirely, embedding the Flash movie within an HTML page in Dreamweaver while others simply use smaller Flash movies as interactive pieces in a mostly HTML-based user interface. Others still use the catchy animations that Flash can create to replace an existing navigation menu. In these scenarios, modifying links in the Flash movies can become a nightmare. Not only do you have to open the original FLA/MOV file within Flash, you have to modify the link and then re-export the movie as a SWF file to replace the existing movie within the HTML document. Fortunately, Dreamweaver solves this problem by adding features to its site management window that aid in working with Flash-based links directly from Dreamweaver.

As you have seen thus far, Dreamweaver prompts you to update links within a site when you move files (that include dependencies) in the Files list. Dreamweaver either automatically fixes the broken reference to the moved file or it prompts you to do so. As nice as that functionality is, it doesn't stop with plain HTML files. Dreamweaver extends its link management features to include SWF files. What this means is that if files are moved within your site listeven if the broken references are within an SWF fileDreamweaver automatically fixes those links within the movie file.

In certain scenarios, however, you might want to manually fix broken link references in an SWF file. If this is the case, you can use the Site Map view in the Site Management window to modify the links manually. To modify the links in an SWF file manually, follow these steps:

1.	Expand the Site Management window by clicking the Expand/Collapse icon located in the top right of the icon bar in the Files panel.
2.	Click the Site Map icon, located third from the right in the menu bar at the top of the Site Management window. The Site Map appears.
3.	Locate the SWF file you want to modify. If it contains any links, a plus sign is shown next to its icon. Click the plus sign to expand the list of links from the SWF file.
4.	To change the link to point to a new file, either drag the point-to-file icon into the new file in the Site Map or choose the Change Link option from the Site menu. The Select HTML file dialog appears.
5.	Select a new file by navigating to the desired HTML file or by entering the URL manually. Click OK when you're finished.

The link in your SWF file is now changed.