Flash 8 Cookbook

15.12. Using Different Artwork Themes

Problem

You want to use a different artwork theme for your components.

Solution

Open the .fla file containing the theme artwork symbols, and drag them into your .fla file.

Discussion

The UI components that ship with Flash 8 use the Halo theme by default. However, you can change the theme that the components use by copying a set of symbols from a theme .fla file to your .fla file. A theme is simply the set of movie clip and graphic symbols that the components use. The Halo theme is compiled into the components as the default theme. However, if you create the appropriate movie clip and graphic symbols in your .fla file, they will override the default versions.

The simplest way to apply a theme is to use one of the themes that ships with Flash. There are two built-in themes: Halo (the default) and Sample. You don’t need to explicitly apply the Halo theme, because it is compiled into the components by default. However, to apply the Sample theme, do the following:

1. Open the .fla file for which you want to apply the theme.

2. Choose File → Import → Open External Library.

3. In the Open as Library dialog box, navigate to the SampleTheme.fla file located in the Flash 8/en/Configuration/ComponentFLA directory, and then click the Open button.

4. Make sure you have the library for your .fla file open. You should be able to see both the library for your .fla file and the library for SampleTheme.fla. By default, Flash 8 displays only one Library panel. However, you can click ...