four-in-one Panel

After downloading, use Stuffit to unzip the Four-In-One panel . Double click the MXP file to open Extension Manager and follow the prompts to install. For more information see the bottom of this page.

The Four-In-One window swf panel was developed to help you build movies in Flash from script to post production. The Nested Timeline panel is familiar to animatiors. The reference layers help unravel problems with scene symbols. Copy & split is the closest thing to a ripple edit, essential for thumbnailing. And the edit buttons hop in and out of symbols, which everyone likes. The panel will work from Flash 7 and newer.

Please note: SAVE YOUR WORK before executing the copy and rename functions. Don't use undo. Flash doesn't remember all of the steps. Close the file and reopen to undo. Do not rename folder items. Finding a folder path is not coded in this version.

Updated 2-22-07 timeline and symbol reference layers will accurately troubleshoot sync problems. The NT Panel is now hidden until you click it open. Replace version 3.6 with 3.7

return to the last playhead position inside the symbol
go into the symbol in sync with the current keyframe
go into the symbol in sync with the current frame

current frame at playhead / total frames in current timeline
'first frame' of current span / length of symbol timeline
keyframe of current span / distance from that keyframe

		Select a layer and click TIMELINE REFERENCE LAYER
		If the parent span and the symbol span don't match, the length of both timelines will appear between brackets.
		If the first frame number is out of sync with the main timeline, the text will indicate an error along with the correct number.
		If the symbol has been used more than once on the same timeline the text will indicate a dire warning.
		Looping mode is printed after the symbol name. Press the P button before pressing reference layer to set all of the Graphic symbols to Play Once.
		The name space also indicates type of object. The reference loops save time by only looking for the first element in the frame since there should only be one scene symbol per frame.

	It should take under 10 seconds to loop through a timeline of 1000 frames. After 900 iterations of a loop Flash may produce an alert like this inviting you to stop. You can safely click "No" and continue because the loops in this script are limited. Usually the script will finish right after you click off this message.

The symbol reference layer button

creates a new layer inside the symbol which references keyframes on the parent timeline, with frame and first frame numbers, plus the end frame.

The NESTED TIIMELINE PANEL is similar to the NT Panel which you can download by itself through the link to the right.

Copy and rename has been redesigned to be more reliable than the original panel. Plus the COPY & SPLIT functions make it easy to divide a scene symbol to add a cutaway scene. Please see the description below and remember that the COPY functions should not be used for items inside folders in the Flash Library. SAVE YOUR WORK before copying a symbol.

Navigation buttons are the most time saving asset on the panel. The EDIT THIS FRAME button takes you from the parent timeline , into the corresponding frame inside the symbol.

COPY-RENAME is the same function as DUPLICATE SYMBOL in Flash. The original name appears in red when you click the copy button. Change the name to make it unique and press OK.

You can add text in the top box, and save it to the document by pressing the 'remember text' button. Saved text will be added before or after the original name depending on which M button you press.

Rename Only changes the Library name to your new text when you press OK. Useful for renaming "Tween" and "Symbol".

COPY & SPLIT START 1 is used to divide a scene symbol where you want to insert a scene. Make a new keyframe along the span of the original scene. Then give it a a unique name. If the original scene is 126, then the insert may be 126-A and the continuing scene would be 126-B.

Press OK to change the name:
1....The new scene symbol is renamed and first frame set to 1
2....all of the following keyframes are swapped to the new symbol and first frame sync is reset
3....keyframes are set on all layers inside the new symbol at the new start frame
4....the new start is returned to one by deleting all unused frames
5....a new symbol reference layer is created to verify the changes
......imagine how long this would take by hand.

COPY & SPLIT IN SYNC preserves the timing from the original scene. It swaps all of the following keyframes to the new scene symbol, keeping first frame numbers the same. A new reference layer inside the scene symbol indicates the first frame.

To install Flash extensions use the EXTENSION MANAGER http://www.adobe.com/exchange/em_download/

This extension downloads as a compressed zip file. Unzip it with Stuffit Expander. Double click the MXP file to open the Flash Extension Manager and follow the prompts to install your new window panel. Restart Flash and you will find the Four-In-One panel under Window > Other Panels.

A complete dictionary of JavaScript Flash is available as "Developing Extensions for Macromedia Flash 8" ISBN 0-321-39416-X or you can download the 1.4mb PDF here

For more information on how Flash extensions are made see "Extending Flash MX 2004" by Keith Peters and Todd Yard http://www.friendsofed.com/book.html?isbn=1590593049

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