Instances

Instance names

You should remember from your previous course that all symbols you created are deposited in the Library and even if you drag a dozen the same symbols from the Library to the Stage they are still instances of the same symbol. You have leant that if you change one instance all instances of that symbol will reflect changes (except several properties such as a position, size, transparency).

But it doesn't mean that instances of the symbol are "the same".

It is possible to name them for the future reference.

Open the file, create a simple Movie symbol (could be ball for example) and drag several instances from the library to the stage.

In Properties Inspector under the Symbol Type enter any unique name of instance – in our case it's "ball1". This name belongs to this very instance of the symbol. Actually it may be interpreted like "variable ball1 type of mvBall"

You may assign instance name to movie symbols, button symbols, input and dynamic texts. However graphic symbols and simple drawings cannot be named as instances in Flash. Even if your symbol is never moving to name it you need to transform it to the movie symbol from graphic symbol.

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