About placing images

Note the following when placing images:

• Placed images are copies of the original, not instances of the original. This means that using Edit Original doesn't affect the original placed file.
• LiveMotion keeps placed images in their native format (or an equivalent lossless representation) in the LiveMotion file.
• Most vector graphics remain vectors and can be scaled without losing quality.
• LiveMotion can place images in Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) format (up to Language Level 3), PDF, and Adobe Illustrator (versions 7 through 10).
• To place an Illustrator 9 or Illustrator 10 file, it must be saved in Illustrator using the "Create PDF Compatible File" option.
• Some vector graphics, such as gradient meshes, gradients with more than eight colors, and live effects including drop shadows, can't be represented by native Flash objects (that is, they cannot be exported as vectors in SWF). Instead, they export to SWF as bitmap images. (See Optimizing your compositions.)
• Bitmap images are converted to pixel-based image objects.
• Bitmap images in GIF, JPEG, PNG, BMP and DIB (Windows), PICT (Mac OS), and Photoshop formats can be placed.
• Compressed bitmap image files retain their compression, reducing file and memory size.
• Uncompressed formats give you the best output. This is true regardless of the export format. The higher the quality of the source image, the better the quality of the exported image.
• There is no limit on the resolution of images that can placed in LiveMotion. However, be aware of the size, in pixels, of the images you place into LiveMotion. Images appear at 72 dpi on the Web, so this is generally high enough quality. While it is important to place sufficiently high quality images into LiveMotion (particularly if you are scaling them up), placing excessively large image files degrades LiveMotion's performance.
• If you are using a file as a source for a LiveMotion composition, save that file with compatibility in mind. EPS and PDF files should have fonts and images embedded in the file. Files in other formats should have similar compatibility or exchange settings turned on.
• Placed EPS files with a pattern fill may be larger as vector objects than they are as bitmap images. Using the Convert Vector Objects to Bitmaps button in the Export palette may be a good idea in this case. (See Complex vector artwork.) The bitmap option may be advisable.
• When you place an EPS file that contains fonts not installed on your system, LiveMotion substitutes the missing fonts with fonts on your system.
• If the dimensions of a placed image are larger than the LiveMotion composition, the image is scaled to fit. You can change the image to its native size with the Clear Transformations command. However, this increases the size of the exported file.
• When placing a LiveMotion file, if the file contains only one object that is visible, and there are no sounds, handlers, scripts, keyframes, or labels in the composition, the single object is placed by itself. Otherwise, the contents of the LiveMotion file are placed in a group so that no information is lost. If the composition of the placed file has handlers, scripts, keyframes, or labels, the group is turned into a movie clip to preserve them.