Adobe Flash Professional CS5 : Working Within the Flash Environment - Working with Panels

5/23/2013 4:46:10 AM

Panels are windows that allow you to view, organize, and change elements and related options in a document. In Flash, you work with several panel windows at one time. Instead of continually moving, resizing, or opening and closing windows, you can collapse or expand individual panels within a window with a single click to save space. A panel appears with a header, which includes the tab titles and three accessibility options: the Minimize/Maximize button, the Close button, and an Options menu. The entire set of panels includes a double arrow you can use the collapse and expand the entire panel between icons with text and full panels. You use the Minimize/Maximize button to collapse or expand panels. The Options menu provides you with panel specific commands, including group, rename, maximize, close a panel, and use the Help system.

Open and Close a Panel

1. Click the Window menu.

2. Do one of the following:

Click a panel name, such as Properties, Timeline, Tools, and Library.
Point to a panel category, such as Other Panels, and then click a panel name.

Timesaver

To close a panel, click the Close button on the panel or the tab you want.

Collapse and Expand a Panel

1. To collapse or expand an open panel, click the header bar or double-click the title tab on the header bar of the panel.

Timesaver

To hide and show all panels, click the Window menu, and then click Hide Panels.

Timesaver

To Auto-Collapse Icon Panels or Auto-Show Hidden Panels, right-click (Win) or option-click (Mac), and then select a command.

Collapse and Expand the Panel Set Between Icons and Panels

To collapse the panel set to icons with text, click the double arrow pointing right (Collapse to Icons) at the top of the panels.
To expand the panel set from icons with text to full panels, click the double arrow pointing left (Expand Dock) at the top of the panels.
To have an expanded panel icon automatically collapse or hide when you click away, right-click (Win) or control-click (Mac) a panel, and then click Auto-Collapse Icon Panels or Auto-Show Hidden Panels.