Feature highlight: Components, Live Preview, and Custom UI
 
Description
This sample demonstrates how you can create dynamic symbols (components) which have user-defined properties, set and adjusted through a custom user interface displayed in the Property inspector. They are also linked to a Live Preview file that allows instances on the stage to update in the authoring environment as you adjust properties in the custom user interface. In the movie below, all of the round "arcade" buttons are instances of the same symbol, and all of the pill shaped buttons are instances of another.
 
Key features and ActionScript elements
Components, custom user interface, live preview, draggable movie clips, dynamic text
 
Instructions
Open the source file for this movie (Live_preview-custom_UI.fla) which can be found in the Flash/Samples folder. Click one of the arcade buttons to select it, and choose Window > Properties to open the Property inspector.
 

 
In the custom user interface (the blue area in the Property inspector), manipulate the sliders or enter numeric values in the text fields to change the color of the selected button. Valid values are between 0 and 255. You can also choose between three label options by selecting one of the radio buttons.
 
Click one of the pill shaped buttons to select it. The Property inspector updates to show a different custom user interface.
 

 
In addition to adjusting the color, you can also adjust the width of this button and enter up to 32 characters for the label. Selecting the check box above the Label text box will disable the Width slider and adjust the width of the button to fit the the label text. Clicking the Mode button will toggle the target of the color sliders between the base color and the highlight color of the button.
 

 
The source files for the custom user interfaces and live previews (Arcade_button_ui.fla, Arcade_button_preview.fla, Pill_button_ui.fla, and Pill_button_preview.fla) can be found in the Flash MX/Samples folder.