Layers

Layers are the primary means of organizing the contents of your movie. If you've used graphics editing programs such as Fireworks, you're probably familiar with the concept of layers.

You can create as many layers as you want- the only limit is your computer's memory. Creating a new layer (with an identifying name) for each component of your movie is very helpful as it allows you to edit that component (or components) without interfering with the rest of your movie.

To create a new layer, click on the New Layer icon at the bottom left of the Layers window. To make a layer active, that is, to create or modify components in that layer, click on the layer name. A pencil icon will appear on the layer, indicating that it is ready to edit.

To copy an existing layer, click the layer name to select the entire layer. Choose Edit | Copy Frames. Click the Add Layer button to create a new layer. Click the new layer and choose Edit | Paste Frames.

You can rename a new or copied layer by double-clicking on it and typing in the new layer name. It's a good idea to get into the habit of naming your layers, because as you develop increasingly complex movies you'll find it helps you to keep track of where your content is.

You can organize layers into folders. You can also rearrange the order of layers or folders in your movie by selecting a layer and dragging it up or down the layer list.

Finally, you can delete layers and folders by selecting and dragging them to the Trash. Note: if you have only one layer in your movie, you cannot delete it.