Opening a Flash File
Download the file rolling_ball.fla and save it on your computer. Launch Flash, and then choose File →Open (the Welcome screen goes away automatically). When the Open dialog box appears, navigate to the file you just downloaded and then click Open. Flash shows you the animation on the Stage, surrounded by the usual Timeline, toolbars, panels, and (at the bottom) the Property Inspector. It should look like Figure 1-19. (To run the example animation, either press Enter or select Control → Play.)
Note
If you don't see the Property Inspector, you can display it by selecting Window →Properties →Properties or by typing Ctrl+F3.
Exploring the Property Inspector
The Property Inspector appears automatically beneath the Stage when you open a new document. As shown in Figure 1-19, it displays specific information about whatever object you've selected on the Stage. Such details can be helpful when you want to recreate an object precisely in another program, or incorporate your finished animation into a Web page you've already created. For example, the Size button shows your animation's dimensions (550 x 200 pixels, say) which is information you need if you want to place your animation in a Web page by hand. (In Chapter 14, you'll learn how to tell Flash to create a simple Web page that includes your animation so you don't have to do this work by hand.)

Figure 1-19. Select an object ...