Working with Movie Clips > Creating smart clips

Creating smart clips

A "smart" clip is a movie clip with defined clip parameters that can be changed. Those parameters are then passed to actions in the smart clip that change the clip's behavior.

To create a smart clip, you assign clip parameters to a movie clip symbol in the Library. You can write ActionScript statements in the smart clip that operate on the clip parameters, much like you use arguments in a function definition. You can select a smart clip instance on the Stage and change the values of the parameters in the Clip Parameters panel. During playback, the values set in the panel are sent to the smart clip before any actions in the movie are executed.

Smart clips are useful for passing complicated Flash elements from a programmer to a designer. The programmer can write actions in the smart clip with variables that control the clip and the movie. A designer can then change the values of those variables in the Clip Parameters panel without having to open the Actions panel.

You can use smart clips to create interface elements—such as radio buttons, pop-up menus, tooltips, surveys, games, and avatars. Any movie clip that you want to reuse in a different way without changing the scripts would be a good smart clip.

In addition, you can create a custom interface in Flash for the Clip Parameters panel to facilitate designers who are customizing the clip.