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How can I select a range of frames across different layers on the timeline, convert them into a symbol(MovieClip) and once converted the arrangement of layers and frames remains intact. Much the same as After Effects 'pre-compose' for layers.

The default behaviour is to put all of the separate frames on the same layer once converted which is extremely annoying.

Could this be possible with a custom flash command? (jsfl)

Kayo
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Don't know about a "custom flash command", but you can use the Flash Player virtual machine API (read: ActionScript) to sort of achieve the desired effect. What you need to do is loop through each frame with gotoAndStop. Then you need to ask yourself - do your individual frames exhibit animation or are they static? If they are animated each as well, then you need to either ignore the animation and just take a snapshot at a "random" time, or you need to traverse that animation as well - call gotoAndStop for the sub-movie clip as well. Let's assume your frames do not animate themselves, as it makes the whole method easier. You simply use BitmapData.draw on each of your frame content, copying its visual pixel data and thus caaching a frame of animation. You store your bitmap data objects as an indexed array, and create a timer which calls displaying of each such bitmap in succession. Essentially, you are then caching your timeline and reproduce the animation with your own "engine".

Alternatively, you can try to experiment with DisplayObject.cacheAsBitmap property, setting it to true for whatever is displayed in your frames. Mind you, that would probably NOT be a smart thing to do if your individual frames exhibit animation, but try it out never the less - Flash Player could be smart enough to ignore your setting, as caching a snapshot of animation as a bitmap for a rapid animation may waste more memory than it brings any good

Armen Michaeli
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  • Just to clarify, I would like to do this while in the Flash IDE not at runtime. What I would like to achieve is to be able to make a button(or anything) on my main timeline, the label is on one layer, maybe a couple other layers make up the graphics for the object, select the layers and choose 'convert to symbol' and after the conversion is finished my layers have remained intact inside the newly created movieclip. – Kayo Nov 16 '12 at 10:15
  • Why don't you start a new symbol right away, and then just position a fully made instance to the stage? – Vesper Nov 16 '12 at 10:17
  • Because it is usually easier to work on top of reference graphics that you can sample colours from and just experiment before committing to a symbol, otherwise you have to work on top of 'whited out' content from inside the symbol. – Kayo Nov 16 '12 at 10:31
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1 - select all layers within the timeline and choose rightclick-copy (in german it is Bilder kopieren), NOT layers 2 - create new MovieClip (strg-F8) 3 - click in the first frame and rightclick-paste now you can delete the originial layers and use the new movieclip in their place

Björn Kechel
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  • This is the process I am currently using but it is incredibly slow, after pasting the new frames you then have to then line up your new movieclip with your original content before deleting the original frames. If you have do do this with lots of objects it is quite annoying. In after effects you can click pre-compose and it does it all instantly. – Kayo Nov 16 '12 at 10:31
  • ok, well the whole idead of the movieclips is that you can reuse them in other places, if that is not even needed I would simply suggest that you use layer folders – Björn Kechel Nov 16 '12 at 11:50
  • I do need to re-use them. I would just like a quicker way of creating movieclips with pre-exisiting layers of content. – Kayo Nov 16 '12 at 13:49
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Try the "New Anim Clip" extension from ToonMonkey: http://toonmonkey.com/extensions.html

I think it'll do what you need.

Kevin Colgan
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