Chapter 2. Creating Quickly: Customizing Your Workspace

Think about it: you do your best work in Flash when you’re creating, not when you’re struggling with the interface. One of the downsides of working with a powerful program with a lot of depth is that the program… er… has a lot of depth. Wading through the interface can be a drag, so it’s important to get working comfortably as quickly as possible, so you can concentrate on the good stuff.

The Flash design team has worked hard to organize Flash’s many features in ways that are approachable and useful. However, you likely have your own preferred way of working that may not match the out-of-the-box Flash configuration. The good news is that the interface is customizable. This chapter’s project is to set up your work environment the way you feel most comfortable.

Designing Your Own Panel Layout

One of the first things you’ll notice when exploring the Flash interface is that a lot of features require a lot of interface elements to manipulate them. Flash has dozens of panels that provide access to design, scripting, and administration settings. Navigating all of these panels can be a challenge, particularly on laptops or smaller or low-resolution monitors. Creating your own panel layout can help un-clutter your screen, making it easier to ...

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