The File Menu enables you to work with .swf files and Movies as a whole.
The available options are as follows:
Manage .swi files
New
Open...
Save
Save As...
Create a new application window
New Window
External files and testing
Samples
Import...
Export
Test
Recent files
Recent Files
Closing windows and exiting
Close
Exit.
.topic 101
File | New (Ctrl+N)
Creates a new SWiSH Movie. If you already have a Movie open, SWiSH will ask you if you want to save it before closing the current Movie and creating a new one.
.topic 102
File | Open... (Ctrl+O)
Opens a .swi (SWiSH Movie) file.
You can also use File | Open to create a new SWiSH Movie into which the file you specify imported. To do this, choose a file with a type and extension that is supported by File | Import.
Note:
SWiSH cannot open .fla files because it is not a public format
If you want to open an existing .swf file and do not have the corresponding .swi file, use File | Import to import it into the current Movie
.topic 103
File | Save (Ctrl+S)
Saves the current SWiSH Movie. If it is a new Movie, SWiSH will ask you for a name. There is no need to type in the .swi extension.
.topic 104
File | Save As...
Saves the current SWiSH Movie under a new name. There is no need to type in the .swi extension.
.topic 105
File | New Window (Ctrl+Shift+N)
Opens a new 'SWiSH application' window. You can create or edit different SWiSH Movies in different windows. This allows you to copy objects from one Movie and paste to another.
.topic 106
File | Samples
The Samples Menu contains a list of sample .swi Movies that demonstrate various features of SWiSH.
The following examples are included in the Samples folder to illustrate some of the potential of this new version of SWiSH. Others will be posted on www.swishzone.com in the future.
Snakes.swi
This example was produced by Roger Onslow to illustrate the many Effect variations possible using the Snake Effect in SWiSH v2. A study of the settings used in each of these variations will assist you in understanding what they do. It also includes, as a bonus, Scenes which demonstrate a Radarscope Effect, and a Spotlight Effect produced with a masked Sprite and three vector objects.
Pseudo3D.swi
This example, produced by Dawn Barrie, also shows some variations on the Snake Effect, but uses the gradient fill properties of vector objects to show how a pseudo 3D Effect can be produced. It also demonstrates an Explode Effect applied to a 'sheet of glass' (a group of vector shapes).
Ray of Light.swi
This example was also produced by Dawn Barrie, to illustrate the use of vector shapes and gradient fills to produce the Effect of light beaming out from, and sweeping across, the letters of a word.
Spritedemo.swi
This example was produced by David Petley to illustrate the use of masked Sprites. An inspection will show the use of Sprites within Sprites.
Actions.swi, Buttons.swi, First.swi
The Actions, Buttons and First samples are used in the tutorials.
Three other examples from SWiSH v1.5 are also included. They illustrate some basic techniques.
Promo.swi
The demonstrates how Text Effects, which include Squeeze, Scale and Wave are simply and effectively applied.
Preloader.swi
This is a basic preloader. SWiSH v2 provides more preload options than SWiSH v1.5, but this shows the basics.
Menu.swi
This example shows how easy it can be to apply Mouse Events to Text Objects and, although this only shows the Goto URL Action, there are many other Actions that can be applied.
.topic 107
File | Import...
Imports an external file into the current Scene. SWiSH currently supports the following formats:
Text
Plain text (*.txt)
Images (raster)
Windows Bitmap (*.bmp; *.dib)
GIF Image (*.gif)
JPEG Image (*.jpg; *.if, *.jpeg)
PNG Image (*.png)
Graphics (vector)
Windows Metafile (*.wmf)
Enhanced Metafile (*.emf)
Flash Graphics (*.swf)
Animation
Animated GIF (*.gif)
Flash Animation (*.swf)
Note: When importing a Flash Animation (*.swf) file, SWiSH v2.0 does not import any sounds, actions, morph shapes or external video streams, and all clipping (mask) settings are ignored
Sound
Wave sounds (*.wav)
MP3 sounds (*.mp3).
Note: When importing a sound, SWiSH v2.0 will add a Play Sound action that will play the sound to the current frame of the current scene or sprite.
Import Frames
The 'Import Frames' dialog box appears when you import an animation. With this dialog box, you can select the Frames you want to import.
Select All Frames button
To select all Frames in the Frame list.
Import as a Sprite
The selected Frames will be imported as a Sprite if this option is checked. Otherwise, the selected Frames will be imported as a group of pictures.
Import background
The background rectangle will be imported if this option is checked.
Show File Information...
Displays the details of the file to be imported.
.topic 108
File | Export | SWF... (Ctrl+E)
Exports the current SWiSH Movie to a .swf file. You can import the .swf file into Flash by choosing File | Import and selecting Files of Type: Flash Player (*.swf, *.spl) on the 'Flash Import' dialog box. See the tutorial on Importing a SWiSH Movie into Flash.
File | Export | HTML... (Ctrl+P)
Creates an .htm and .swf file for uploading to your web site. Both the .htm and .swf files will have the name you enter on the 'Publish SWiSH Movie' dialog box.
Note: Once these files have been created, simply upload to your web server (using FTP or similar). That's it. No other files are necessary to play your SWiSH Movie over the internet
File | Export | AVI... (Ctrl+D)
Exports SWiSH Movies in the .avi video format. Actions (except sounds), buttons and other interactive components are excluded.
Note: During the export process, the 'SWiSH main application' window will be minimized. The export process is done in two stages: capturing audio and recording data.
During capturing audio:
make sure your computer is not running a heavy process as this will affect the quality of the exported audio
Do not press the 'Cancel' button and then 'Continue' otherwise the exported audio might be out of synchrony
File | Export | HTML to Clipboard
Copies the HTML code for embedding the .swf file to the Clipboard. If you wish to insert your Flash Movie into an existing web page, just paste the code in the Clipboard into your existing web page. The HTML code does not include any scripting functions.
.topic 109
File | Test | In Player
Creates a temporary .swf file, launches the Flash Player and plays the current SWiSH Movie in the Flash Player.
Note: You must have the stand-alone Flash Player installed on your system and .swf files must be associated with the Flash Player
File | Test | In Browser
Creates temporary .htm and .swf files, launches the default browser and displays the HTML page containing the Movie in the browser.
Note: You must have at least one browser associated with .htm files
File | Test | Report
Displays the details of the Movie to be exported.
.topic 110
Below the Test Menu item and above the Close Menu item, you will see a list of the four most recently used files. Select any of these Menu options to open the file.
.topic 111
File | Close (Ctrl+F4)
Closes the current SWiSH Movie. The 'application' window for the current SWiSH Movie will be closed, unless it is the only 'SWiSH application' window left open, in which case this has the same effect as File | New. File | Close will never shut down the last 'SWiSH application' window.
.topic 112
File | Exit
Exits the SWiSH application. All 'SWiSH' windows will be closed.
.topic 200
The Edit Menu enables you to make changes to a Movie.
The available options are as follows:
Undo or Redo changes
Undo
Redo
Copy, Paste and Delete Scene, object, Effects, etc.
Cut
Copy
Paste
Delete
Create an Instance of a selected Sprite
Make Instance
For showing or hiding objects
Show
Hide
Show All States
Select all objects
Select All
Show the properties of an object, Effect, etc.
Properties.
.topic 201
Edit | Undo (Ctrl+Z)
To Undo the last change made to the current SWiSH Movie. SWiSH supports unlimited Undo/Redo commands. Almost all changes can be undone.
.topic 202
Edit | Redo (Ctrl+Y)
To Redo the last change made to the current SWiSH Movie. SWiSH supports unlimited Undo/Redo commands. Almost all changes can be redone.
.topic 203
Edit | Cut (Ctrl+X)
Deletes the currently selected object or Effect and copies it to the Clipboard. If no Effect is selected the object will be copied.
.topic 204
Edit | Copy (Ctrl+C)
Copies the currently selected object or Effect to the Clipboard. The selected object or Effect is not deleted. If no Effect is selected, the object will be copied.
.topic 205
Edit | Paste (Ctrl+V)
Pastes the object or Effect in the Clipboard to the current SWiSH Movie. If an object is being pasted, it is added to the current Scene/Sprite/Button State/Group in the center of the Movie at the top of the stacking order. If an Effect is being pasted, it is inserted at the current Frame of the selected object.
.topic 206
Edit | Delete (Delete)
Deletes the currently selected object or Effect.
.topic 207
Edit | Make Instance
Creates an Instance of the selected Sprite. An Instance is a clone of a reference Sprite. The contents of the Instance and its reference Sprite are always consistent. Making changes to the Instance will also change the reference Sprite and vice versa.
Note: The selected Sprite must have a name or must itself be an instance of another Sprite
.topic 208
Edit | Show
Shows the selected object(s).
.topic 209
Edit | Hide
Hides the selected object(s). However, hidden objects will still appear when the Movie is played.
.topic 210
Edit | Show All States
Shows all states (Up, Over, Down and Hit) of a button translucently, to help you position and edit the objects in those states. The state you have selected will appear darker.
.topic 211
Edit | Select All (Ctrl+A)
Selects all objects in the current Scene.
.topic 212
Edit | Properties (Alt+Enter)
Displays the properties of the selected object or tool in Object Panel.
.topic 300
The View Menu enables you to show and hide windows and change the view of the Movie.
The available options are as follows:
Preview Frame mode
Preview Frame
Toolbars and Status Bar and Ruler
Toolbars
Status bar
Rulers
Zooming
Zoom in
Zoom out
View at 100%
Fit Scene in Window
Fit Objects in Window
Grids and snapping
Show Grid
Snap to Grid
Snap to Object Handles.
Display quality
Show All Images
Smooth Edges and Images
.topic 301
View | Preview Frame
'Preview Frame' mode previews the current Frame in the Layout Panel.
In Preview Frame Mode, you can move, scale, rotate and skew objects in Keyframes using Select/Scale tool and Rotate/Skew tool .
See the Preview Frame Mode tutorial for more information.
.topic 302
View | Toolbars
Shows or hides a specific Toolbar. See the Toolbars topic for a list of Toolbars.
.topic 303
View | Status Bar
Shows or hides the Status Bar.
The Status Bar is at the bottom of the SWiSH v2 window and is used to display Help for the selected command or tool. The Status Bar also displays the estimated file size of the exported .swf file.
Note: The actual file size of the export .swf may be smaller depending on the optimizations selected on the Export Panel.
.topic 304
View | Rulers
Shows or hides Rulers in the Layout Panel.
.topic 305
View | Zoom In
To increase the zoom factor of the Layout Panel, such that the Movie is displayed 50% larger than its previous size.
.topic 306
View | Zoom Out
To decrease the zoom factor of the Layout Panel, such that the Movie is displayed at two-thirds its previous size.
.topic 307
View | View at 100%
Views the Movie at its actual size in the Layout Panel.
.topic 308
View | Fit Scene in Window
To fit the entire Scene (stage area) into the Layout Panel.
.topic 309
View | Fit Objects in Window
To fit all selected objects into the Layout Panel. If no object is selected, fit all objects in the Scene into the Layout Panel.
.topic 310
View | Show Grid
Displays or hides the Grid on the Layout Panel. The Grid is a network of evenly spaced horizontal and vertical lines that cover the canvas. It can help you to align your artwork and arrange objects symmetrically. You can change the Grid settings on the Movie Panel.
.topic 311
View | Snap to Grid
Have objects Snap to the Grid while moving or editing. It will automatically align objects along your Grid when they come within a certain distance of it. You can change the Grid settings on the Movie Panel.
.topic 312
View | Snap to Object Handles
To have an object Snap to another object's handles while moving or editing. You can change the settings on the Movie Panel.
.topic 400
The Insert Menu enables you to add things to the Movie.
The available options are as follows:
Add Scenes
Scene
Add objects
Text
Button
Sprite
Image...
Content...
Instance...
Effects and interactivity
Effect
Event
Action
Frames
Insert Frame
Delete Frame.
.topic 401
Insert | Scene
Inserts a new Scene into the Movie.
.topic 402
Insert | Text
Inserts text into the current Scene/Sprite/Group. You can edit the text in the Text Panel.
.topic 403
Insert | Button
Inserts a button into the current Scene/Sprite/Group.
.topic 404
Insert | Sprite
Inserts a Sprite into the current Scene/Sprite/Group.
.topic 405
Insert | Image...
Inserts an image from an external file into the current Scene/Sprite/Group.
SWiSH currently supports the following image formats:
Windows Bitmap (*.bmp; *.dib)
GIF Image (*.gif)
JPEG Image (*.jpg; *.jif, *.jpeg)
PNG Image (*.png).
.topic 406
Insert | Content...
Inserts an external file into the current Scene/Sprite/Group.
This is the same as the File | Import command.
.topic 407
Insert | Instance...
Inserts an Instance of a specific Sprite into the current Scene/Sprite/Group.
An Instance is a clone of a reference Sprite. The contents of the Instance and its reference Sprite are always consistent. Making changes to the Instance will also change the reference Sprite and vice versa.
.topic 408
Insert | Effect
Inserts an Effect to the selected object at the current Frame. The Submenu has a list of the available Effects.
.topic 409
Insert | Event
Adds a Mouse Event to the selected object or add a Frame Event to the current Frame. The Event can be edited in the Actions Panel.
.topic 410
Insert | Action
Adds an Action to the current Event handler of the selected object or the current Frame. The Action can be edited in the Actions Panel.
Note:
If the selected object does not have any mouse Events, an On Release mouse Event will be added before inserting the Action
If the current Frame does not have a Frame Event, an At Frame Event will be added before inserting the Action
.topic 411
Insert | Insert Frame (F5)
Inserts a new Frame before the current Frame in the Timeline.
.topic 412
Insert | Delete Frame (Shift+F5)
Deletes the current Frame from the Timeline.
.topic 500
The Modify Menu enables you to change the properties of the currently selected object(s).
The available Submenus are as follows:
Grouping and Convert
Grouping
Convert
Change layer and Transform
Order
Transform
Change text objects
Alignment
Justification
Appearance.
.topic 501
Modify | Grouping | Group (Ctrl+G)
To Group selected objects together. Complex Effects can then be applied to the Group.
Note: Because a Group does not have its own Timeline, SWiSH converts any objects with Effects into Sprites before grouping
Modify | Grouping | Group as Sprite
Groups the selected objects together as a Sprite.
Modify | Grouping | Group as Shape
Groups the selected objects together as a single shape.
Note:
If you want to use multiple Text or Shape Objects as a mask, you should group them as a shape
Objects with Effects/Events cannot be grouped as a single shape, as you will lose the Effects and Events. You should manually remove these before grouping if desired
After grouping as a single shape, the overlapped regions of objects with the same fill style will become empty. You can use this feature to punch a hole in a shape as shown below
If you use the merged shape as a mask, any overlapping regions will be empty (see below left). If you want the overlapping regions to be filled, then check the 'Solid shape with overlap filled' option in the Shape Panel (see below right). If you use this setting on a shape that is not being used as a mask, then the shape will always have a solid fill with no outline, regardless of the fill and line styles specified
After grouping as a single shape, the edges of the object behind are no longer covered by the object in front, as shown below
Modify | Grouping | Ungroup (Ctrl+U)
Splits a Group or Sprite into separate objects.
.topic 502
Modify | Convert | Convert to Button
Converts the selected objects into individual Buttons.
Modify | Convert | Convert to Sprite
Converts the selected object into individual Sprites.
Modify | Convert | Convert to Shapes
Converts the selected objects into Groups of shapes.
Note: The text is converted into shapes according to the text object's Text as shapes setting in the Export Panel
Disabled/Colored+Scaled: SWiSH generates separate shape definitions for each combination of font size or color. Different characters will be represented by the different shapes without using any scale and color Transform
Colored: SWiSH generates separate shape definitions for each color, regardless of the font size. The characters which are only different in scale will be represented by the same shape definition but using different scale Transforms
Normalized: Text is converted into shapes. SWiSH generates a single set of shape definitions for each letter, regardless of the font size of color. Characters that are only different in scale and color will be represented by the same shape definition, but using different scale and color Transforms
Modify | Convert | Convert to Letters
Converts the selected Text Objects into Groups of letters.
.topic 503
Modify | Order | Bring to Front
Moves the selected object in front of all other objects.
Modify | Order | Send to Back
Moves the selected object behind all other objects.
Modify | Order | Bring Forward
Moves the selected object one step closer to the top of the stack of objects.
Modify | Order | Send Backward
Moves the selected object one step closer to the bottom of the stack of objects.
.topic 504
Modify | Transform | Rotate 90
Rotates the selected object by 90 degrees.
Modify | Transform | Rotate 180
Rotates the selected object by 180 degrees.
Modify | Transform | Rotate 270
Rotates the selected object by 270 degrees.
Modify | Transform | Flip Horizontal
Flips the selected object horizontally.
Modify | Transform | Flip Vertical
Flips the selected object vertically.
Modify | Transform | Reset
Resets the Transform to default settings, except for position.
.topic 505
Alignment specifies what you mean by the 'position' of the object. For example, when you talk about the position of the object, you may be referring to where the center of the object is. The alignment position can be one of nine preset positions on the corners, edges and center of the object. The alignment position is also the center for rotation and scaling of the object. You can see the co-ordinates of the alignment position in the 'Transform' Panel.
Modify | Alignment | Top Left
Sets the alignment position to be at the top left of the object.
Modify | Alignment | Top Center
Sets the alignment position to be at the top center of the object.
Modify | Alignment | Top Right
Sets the alignment position to be at the top right of the object.
Modify | Alignment | Center Left
Sets the alignment position to be at the center left of the object.
Modify | Alignment | Center
Sets the alignment position to be at the center of the object.
Modify | Alignment | Center Right
Sets the alignment position to be at the center right of the object.
Modify | Alignment | Bottom Left
Sets the alignment position to be at the bottom left of the object.
Modify | Alignment | Bottom Center
Sets the alignment position to be at the bottom center of the object.
Modify | Alignment | Bottom Right
Sets the alignment position to be at the bottom right of the object.
.topic 506
Modify | Justification | Align Left
Aligns the lines of the selected text to the left with ragged right edge.
Modify | Justification | Center
Centers the lines of the selected text with ragged right and left edges.
Modify | Justification | Align Right
Aligns the lines of the selected text to the right with ragged left edge.
.topic 507
Modify | Appearance | Bold (Ctrl+B)
Makes the selected text bold (toggle).
Modify | Appearance | Italic (Ctrl+I)
Makes the selected text italic (toggle).
.topic 600
The Control Menu enables you to control how the Movie is played and previewed.
The available options are as follows:
Play
Play Movie
Play Scene
Play Effect
Preview Frame
Stop
Stop
Move the play head
Step Forward
Step Back
Cue to End
Rewind to Start.
.topic 601
Control | Play Movie
Plays the Movie.
.topic 602
Control | Play Scene
Plays the current Scene only.
.topic 603
Control | Play Effect
Plays the part of the Scene containing the currently selected Effects.
.topic 604
Control | Preview Frame
Switches to 'Preview Frame' mode to preview the current Frame in the 'Layout' window. In 'Preview Frame' mode, you can move, scale, rotate and skew objects in Keyframes using Select/Scale tool and Rotate/Skew tool .
See the Preview Frame Mode tutorial for more information.
.topic 605
Control | Stop
Stops playing the Movie, Scene or Effect.
.topic 606
Control | Step Forward
Steps forward to the next Frame in 'Preview Frame' mode.
.topic 607
Control | Step Back
Steps back to the previous Frame in 'Preview Frame' mode.
.topic 608
Control | Cue to End
Jumps to the last Frame in 'Preview Frame' mode.
.topic 609
Control | Rewind to Start
Rewinds to the first Frame in 'Preview Frame' mode.
.topic 700
The Tools Menu enables you to set application-wide preferences and add your own commands to the SWiSH User Interface.
The available options are as follows:
Preferences
Customize
Keyboard Map.
You can add additional options to the Tools Menu by selecting the Customize option, and then choosing the Tools tab.
.topic 701
Tools | Preferences
Opens 'Preferences' dialog boxes for setting options in SWiSH.
Show Formatting
Shows the color and font of text objects in the Outline, Timeline and Text Panels.
Color Selector
Converts the selected color to the nearest websafe color. This may be a color selected from the Color Selector, the screen or the Windows Color picker.
Background
Sets the background color of the window for areas outside the Movie in the Layout Panel, and empty space in the Timeline Panel. This uses the Color Selector. Change this setting if you have difficulty seeing window outlines when you drag a Panel, or if your Movie background is the same color as the workspace area.
Load Movie from Folder
Sets the folder to look in for .swf files when a Load Movie action is executed while previewing in SWiSH or testing in the player or browser. You can choose to use either:
the folder where you last loaded or saved a .swi file
the folder where you last exported a .swf file
the folder where you last exported a .html file
a folder of your choice.
.topic 702
Tools | Customize...
Opens a dialog box to customize the Toolbars and Menus.
The available options are as follows:
Commands Tab: to add/remove a command to/from a Toolbar
Toolbars Tab: to show/hide a Toolbar or add/rename/delete a custom Toolbar
Tools Tab: to add/edit/remove an external command to/in/from the Tools Menu
Keyboard Tab: to add/remove a shortcut key to/from a command
Menu Tab: to add/remove a command to/from a Menu
Options Tab: to configure the 'look' of Menus and Toolbars.
.topic 703
To add a command to a Toolbar
1. Select a Menu in the 'Categories' box
2. Drag the command you want from the 'Commands' box to the displayed Toolbar.
To remove a command from a Toolbar
Simply drag the icon off the Toolbar.
.topic 704
To show/hide a Toolbar
1. Select an option from the 'Toolbars' box
2. Tick/Untick the check box to show/hide the selected Toolbar.
To add a custom Toolbar
1. Click the 'New...' button, and in the 'Toolbar Name' box, type a name for the new Toolbar
2. Click the Commands tab
3. In the 'Categories' box, click the category that contains the command that you want to add to the new Toolbar
4. From the 'Commands' options, drag the command to the new Toolbar.
To rename a custom Toolbar
1. In the 'Toolbars' box, click the Toolbar you want to rename
2. Click the 'Rename...' button and type the new name in the 'Toolbar Name' box.
To delete a custom Toolbar
1. In the 'Toolbars box', click the Toolbar you want to delete
2. Click the 'Delete' button.
To reset a Toolbar to the default settings
1. In the 'Toolbars' box, click on the Toolbar you want to reset
2. Click the 'Reset' button.
To reset all Toolbars to the default settings
Click the 'Reset All' button.
To display text labels on Toolbars
1. In the 'Toolbars' box, click the Toolbar you want the text labels be displayed on
2. Check the 'Show text labels' checkbox.
.topic 705
To add a command to the Tools Menu
1. Click the 'New' button or double-click the blank area of the 'Menu contents' box
2. Type the name of the tool as you want it to appear on the Tools Menu. To specify a letter in the Menu title as an access key, precede that letter in the 'Menu contents' box with an ampersand (@). The first letter in the title is the keyboard access key by default
3. Highlight the name of the tool you just entered in the 'Menu contents' box
4. In the 'Command' box, browse using the 'Browse' button or type the path and name of the program
5. In the 'Arguments' text box, browse or type any arguments to be passed to the program
6. In the 'Initial directory' box, type the file directory where the command is located.
To remove a command from the Tools Menu
1. In the 'Menu contents' box, select the command you want to delete
2. Click the 'Delete' button or press the Delete key.
To edit a command in the Tools Menu
1. In the 'Menu contents' box, select the command you want to edit
2. To move the command up/down one position in the Menu, click the 'Move Up' or 'Move Down' buttons, respectively. To change the Menu text, 'Command' line (tool path and file name), command-line 'Arguments', or the 'Initial directory', type the new information in the appropriate text box.
.topic 706
To assign a shortcut key
1. In the 'Category' list, select the Menu that contains the command that you wish to assign a shortcut key
2. In the 'Commands' list, select the command that you wish to assign a shortcut key
3. In the 'Press New Shortcut Key' box, press the shortcut key or key combination that you want and click the 'Assign' button. If you press a key or key combination that is currently assigned to another command, an 'Assigned To' section will appear under the 'Press New Shortcut Key' box.
To delete a shortcut key
1. In the 'Category' list, select the Menu that contains the command you wish to delete the shortcut key to
2. From the 'Commands' list, select the command you wish to delete the shortcut key to and click the 'Remove' button.
To reset all shortcut keys to their default values
Click the 'Reset All' button.
.topic 707
To add a command to an Application Frame Menu
1. Use the 'Show Menus for' drop-down list to select the Menu you want to customize
2. Click the Commands tab and drag the commands into the Menu.
Note: To remove items, just drag them off the Menu
To reset the Menus to their original configuration
Click the 'Reset' button.
To add a command to a context Menu
1. Use the 'Select context menu' drop-down list to select the pop-up Menu you want to customize
2. Click the Commands tab and drag the commands into the Menu.
Note: To remove items from the pop-up Menu, just drag them off
To select the type of Menu animations
Use the 'Menu animations' drop-down list to select the type of Menu animations. The available options are None, Unfold, Slide and Fade.
To display shadows under open Menus
Tick the 'Menu shadows' checkbox.
.topic 708
Show ScreenTips on Toolbars
Select the 'Show ScreenTips on toolbars' checkbox to display short help text when mouse pointer is positioned over a 'Toolbar' button.
Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips
Select the 'Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips' checkbox to see the possible keyboard shortcut displayed in addition to the short help text.
Large Icons
Select the 'Large Icons' checkbox to display big Toolbar icons.
Look 2000
Select the 'Look 2000' checkbox to enable Windows-2000-style features in the User Interface. This option has only minimal effects, mainly affecting the style of toolbar handles.
Menus show recently used commands first
Select the 'Menus show recently used commands first' checkbox to show only basic and frequently used commands on Menus.
Show full Menus after a short delay
Select the 'Show full menus after a short delay' checkbox to show all commands on the Menu after you rest the mouse pointer over the open Menu for a brief period of time.
Reset my usage data
Click the 'Reset my usage data' button to clear the list of recently used commands saved by SWiSH.
.topic 709
Tools | Keyboard Map
Displays a map of the current keyboard shortcuts and a brief description of functions.
You can modify your keyboard shortcuts at the Keyboard tab on the Customize dialog box.
.topic 800
Panel | Layout
Shows or hides the Layout Panel.
Panel | Timeline
Shows or hides the Timeline Panel.
Panel | Outline
Shows or hides the Outline Panel.
Panel | Movie
Shows or hides the Movie Panel.
Panel | Object
Shows or hides the Object Panel.
Panel | Action
Shows or hides the Action Panel.
Panel | Transform
Shows or hides the Transform Panel.
Panel | Color
Shows or hides the Color Panel.
Panel | Export
Shows or hides the Export Panel.
Panel | Reset to Defaults
Resets all panels to their default position.
.topic 900
Help | SWiSH Help Topics
Opens the SWiSH Help file and lists help topics.
Help | SWiSH Tutorials
Opens the SWiSH Help file and shows a list of tutorials.
Help | Go to SWiSH web site
Launches the browser and goes to the SWiSH web site at http://www.swishzone.com.
Help | Go to SWiSH Support Forums
Launches the browser and goes to the SWiSH support forums at http://www.swishzone.com/support_forums.html.
Help | About Macromedia Flash
Launches the browser and goes to the Flash Player web site.
Help | About LAME MP3 Encoder
Displays information about the LAME MP3 encoder.
Help | Purchase SWiSH...
To purchase a copy of SWiSH.
Help | About SWiSH...
Displays application information, version number and copyright information.
.topic 313
Select / Scale
Selects, moves and scales objects on the stage by clicking and dragging.
To Select objects
Click on the object. The selected object has eight resize handles.
Note:
To select multiple objects, press and hold Shift key while clicking, or drag the cursor to select surrounded objects (marquee selection)
To toggle the selection status of an object, press and hold the control key down while clicking
Double-click the object to display its properties in Object Panel
To move objects
1. Press and hold the left mouse button on the object
2. Drag the object to the new position and release the mouse
To Scale objects
1. Press and hold the left mouse button on a resize handle
2. Drag the handle to the new position and release the mouse
Note: To maintain the aspect ratio of the object, press and hold Shift key while dragging
To move/Transform an object at a Keyframe
1. Click on the object
2. Click on either the Timeline Ruler or the 'Preview Frame' button to enter Preview Frame mode. The Motion Path of the object will be displayed in 'Preview Frame' mode
3. Click on a Keyframe handle. Follow the same procedures mentioned above to move/Transform the object at the Keyframe
Note: In 'Preview Frame' mode, double-clicking on the Scene's background in the 'Layout' window will add a Move Effect to the selected object. A Motion Path is added from the object's current position to the position double-click occurred
.topic 314
Rotate / Skew
Selects, moves, rotates or skews objects on the stage by clicking and dragging.
To select objects
Click on the object. The selected object comes with four rotation handles on the corners and four skew handles on the edges of its bounding rectangle.
Note:
To select multiple objects, press and hold SHIFT key while clicking
To toggle the selection status of an object, press and hold the Control key while clicking
Double-click on the object to display its properties in Object Panel
To move objects
1. Press and hold the left mouse button on the object
2. Drag the object to the new position and release the mouse
To copy objects
1. Press and hold the left mouse button on the object while holding the Control key
2. Drag a copy of the object to the new position and release the mouse and the Control key
To Rotate/Skew objects
1. Press and hold the left mouse button on a rotation/skew handle
2. Drag the handle to the new angle and release the mouse
Note:
To constrain the rotation/skew angle to multiples of 15░, press and hold Shift key while dragging
To round the rotation/skew angle to an integer, press and hold Control key while dragging
To change the point about which the object rotates, change the alignment using the Transform Panel or the Alignment submenu of the Modify Menu
To Rotate/Skew an object at a Keyframe
1. Click on the object
2. Either click on the Timeline ruler or the 'Preview Frame' button to enter Preview Frame mode. The Motion Path of the object will be displayed in 'Preview Frame' mode
3. Click on a Keyframe handle. Follow the same procedures mentioned above to rotate/skew the object at the Keyframe
Note: In 'Preview Frame' mode, double-clicking on the Scene's background in the 'Layout' window will add a Move Effect to the selected object. A Motion Path from the object's current position to the position where the double-click occurred is added
.topic 315
Reshape
Reshapes graphic objects by clicking and dragging.
To Select an object
Click on the object. The vertices of the selected object are indicated by square anchors, and the control points by circular anchors. Vertex anchors are always on the curve, whereas control-point anchors are usually off the curve. There are either zero, one or two control points associated with each edge, and these affect the curvature of the edge. The control points are shown joined to the adjacent vertices by a dotted line.
To move the whole object
1. Press and hold the left mouse button inside the object, but not on any vertex or control-point anchor
2. Drag the object to the new position and release the mouse
To Reshape objects by dragging an anchor
1. Press and hold the left mouse button on a vertex or control-point anchor
2. Drag the anchor to the new position and release the mouse
Note: To constrain the direction from the original position to the new position to multiples of 15░, press and hold the Shift key while dragging
To Reshape objects by dragging an edge
1. Press and hold the left mouse button on an edge
2. Drag the edge to the new position and release the mouse
Note: To constrain the direction from the original position to the new position to multiples of 15░, press and hold Shift key while dragging
To delete or change the type of a vertex anchor
1. Move mouse pointer to the vertex anchor
2. Right-click and select the command from the pop-up Menu
Cusp: lets you adjust the adjacent control points independently. When the vertex is a cusp, the edges are still curved, but the corner is not smooth
Smooth: the adjacent control points are always in the same direction, but can be different distances from the vertex. The corner at the vertex is smooth
Symmetrical: the adjacent control points are always in the same direction and are both the same distance from the vertex
Sharpen: the edges on either side of the vertex are made straight, thereby removing the associated control points. This makes the corner sharp
Remove Anchor: removes the vertex anchor completely
To change the type of an edge, or insert a vertex
1. Move mouse pointer to the edge
2. Right click and select the command from the pop-up Menu
Linear edge: the edge is straight and does not have any control points
Quadratic edge: the edge is curved and has one control point
Cubic edge: the edge is curved and has two control points
Insert Anchor: adds a new vertex anchor at the mouse position
To Reshape an object in Preview Frame mode
In 'Preview Frame' mode, if you reshape an object at a Keyframe, the change is not only applied to the current Frame. The shape of the object in all other Frames will be changed as well.
.topic 316
Motion Path
Plots a Motion Path for the selected object by clicking and dragging.
To draw a Motion Path for an object
1. Select the object
2. Click at the new position where the object will be displayed for the next Keyframe. In this step, a new Move Effect will be added into the object's Timeline automatically
3. Repeat step 2 to add more Move Effects
Note:
To constrain the direction from the current position to the new position to multiples of 15░, press and hold the Shift key while clicking
To draw a sharp corner path for the next Keyframe, press and hold the Control key while clicking
.topic 317
Fill Transform
Transforms an object's gradient or image fill without transforming the object.
To Move/Scale the filled gradient or image
1. Ensure the 'Fill Transform' tool is selected
2. Select the object with the 'Select/Scale' tool. The resize handles of the filled gradient or image will be displayed
3. Follow the same procedures mentioned in Select/Scale tool to move/scale the filled gradient or image
To Rotate/Skew the filled gradient or image
1. Ensure the 'Fill Transform' tool is selected
2. Select the object with 'Rotate/Skew' tool. The rotation/skew handles of the filled gradient or image will be displayed
3. Follow the same procedures mentioned in Rotate/Skew tool to rotate/skew the filled gradient or image
.topic 318
Line
Draws a line.
To draw a Line
1. Position the mouse pointer to where you want the line to begin
2. Press and hold the left mouse button
3. Drag the mouse pointer to where you want to end the line, and release the mouse
Note: To constrain the line direction to multiples of 15░, press and hold the Shift key while dragging
.topic 319
Pencil
Draws a freehand line object.
To draw a freehand line
1. Position the mouse pointer to where you want the line to begin
2. Press and hold the left mouse button
3. Drag the mouse pointer on the path you want the line to take
4. Release the mouse button to end the drawing
Note: To draw a closed shape, release the mouse button at the starting point
.topic 320
Bezier
Draws a set of connected Bezier curves or line segments.
To draw a set of connected Bezier curves
1. Position the mouse pointer to where you want the curve to begin
2. Press and hold the left mouse button to place the on-curve anchor
3. Drag the mouse pointer in the tangent direction of the curve to be drawn
4. Release the mouse button to place the off-curve anchors
5. Repeat steps 1-4 to draw additional curves
6. Double-click left mouse button to end the drawing
Note:
To constrain the tangent direction to multiples of 15░, press and hold the Shift key while dragging
To draw a closed shape, double-click the left mouse button at the starting point on completion of the drawing
To draw a set of connected line segments
1. Press and release the left mouse button at the position you want the line segment to begin
2. Continue pressing and releasing the left mouse button at the position you want to end the current line segment and begin the next line segment
3. Double-click left mouse button to end the drawing
Note:
To constrain the direction of the line segment to multiples of 15░, press and hold the Shift key while moving the mouse pointer
To draw a polygon, double-click the left mouse button at the starting point on completion of the drawing
.topic 321
Rectangle
Draws a rectangle or square.
To draw a Rectangle
1. Press and hold the left mouse button down (or click and release) at the position you wish to draw a corner of the rectangle
2. Drag the pointer diagonally to adjust the size of the rectangle
3. Release the mouse button (or click and release) to end the drawing
Note: To draw a square, press and hold the Shift key while dragging
To draw a Rectangle with rounded corners
1. Press and release the left mouse button at the position you wish to draw a corner of the rectangle
2. Move the mouse pointer diagonally adjust the size of the rectangle
3. Press and hold the left mouse button to finish positioning the other corner of the rectangle
4. Drag the mouse pointer back into the rectangle to adjust the rounded edge of the corners
5. Release the mouse button to end the drawing
Note:
To draw a rounded square, press and hold the Shift key while drawing with the 'rectangle' tool
To constrain the rounded corners of squares to circles, press and hold the Shift key while adjusting the rounded edge of the corners
To constrain the rounded corners of rectangles to ellipses, press and hold the Shift key while adjusting the rounded edge of the corners
.topic 322
Ellipse
Draws an ellipse or circle.
To draw an Ellipse
1. Press and hold the left mouse button where you wish to position the ellipse
2. Drag the mouse pointer diagonally to adjusting the size of the ellipse
3. Release the mouse button to end the drawing
Note: To draw a circle, press and hold the Shift key while drawing with the 'Ellipse' tool
.topic 323
Zoom
Zooms in/out of the workspace in the Layout Panel using the mouse.
To Zoom in/out
Click the left mouse button at the position you want to zoom in on.
Note: To zoom out, press and hold the Shift key
To Zoom to an area
1. Press and hold the left mouse button at one corner of the area
2. Drag the mouse pointer diagonally to position the other corner of the area
3. Release the mouse button to zoom in
.topic 324
Pan
Pans around the workspace in the Layout Panel by clicking and dragging.
To Pan the Layout Panel
1. Press and hold the left mouse button on the workspace
2. Drag the mouse to pan the 'Layout' window
3. Release the mouse button to finish panning
.topic 325
The Zoom Controls are fixed to the bottom-left corner of the Layout Panel. The zoom controls allow you to quickly adjust the scale of the workspace.
Zoom Menu
Displays a pop-up Menu of common zoom factors (25%, 33%, 50%, 66%, 75%, 100%, 150%, 200%, 300%, 400%, 500%)
Fit Scene In Window
Fits the entire Scene (stage area) into the 'Layout' window.
View at 100%
Views the Movie at its actual size.
Zoom In
Zooms in on the stage by a factor of 1.5.
Zoom Out
Zooms out on the stage by a factor of 2/3.
.topic 999
This chapter gives worked examples of how you can use SWiSH.
Creating Your First SWiSH Movie takes you through the basic steps of creating a simple Movie. It also covers sound, interactivity, preloaders and preparing your Movie for the web
Using Actions to Control your Movie is a short example of how to use Events and Actions. The Creating Your First SWiSH Movie tutorial also has topics covering this area
How to make an Animated Button explains how to make a button that animates when you move the mouse over the button
Using SWiSH with other programs shows you how you can use you .swf Movie with other applications, namely Flash, Dreamweaver, FrontPage and Powerpoint
