Adobe anime basic questions

What is the difference between importing to the stage and into the library

importing to the stage does, at least, two things.  it places the asset in the library and on stage.  importing to the library does exactly what it says, but if you then drag that asset from the library to the stage, you've done exactly what import to stage does.  ie, they're different but it's not a big deal.

 

When I open a tab, any tab (e.g. properties) and then click on the main workspace the tab automatically disappears. Is there a way to get this to stop. E.G. when working in photoshop and you choose a brush from the “brush tab”, you can use that brush and the “brush” tab will stay there until you close it. It does not close automatically.

it depends what you click on. eg, if you click properties>doc and then click an object on stage, the properties panel tab will change to the object tab.  and no, you can't prevent that.

 

Why convert assets to symbols, what is the importance of this.

if you want to reference the asset with code, it must be converted to a movieclip symbol or a button symbol.  if you want the asset to work like a button (ie, mouse changes with asset interaction, it must be converted to a button.  if you want the asset to have a timeline (so you can animate within the asset), you must convert it.  eg, you have an arrow asset and you want that arrow to continuously spin when it's placed on the main timeline, convert to a movieclip and animate the arrow there.  then when that arrow movieclip is added to the main timeline, it will perpetually spin (for as long as it's on the main timeline).

 

On the asset warp tool there are lines that pop up on a shape, is there any way of redrawing these lines so the adjustments you make to the asset are smooth-I feel like the mesh it gives you is made up of triangles, (which is advised against in 3D meshs) jagged and not easy to use.

no, i don't believe you can.

 

If I double click on the symbol I wish to animate (via the asset warp tool) it takes me to a sepperate timeline focusing on that symbol. What is the importance of this? Do I have to animate on both timelines or one particular one?

you may want to do both.  which or whether you use both (or more with nested symbols) depends on what you want to accomplish. eg, if you want to display a person walking across the stage, you might go to the person's timeline and animate the arms and legs swinging and then on the main timeline you might tween the person movieclip across the stage.  if you time the swinging and tween properly, it will appear that they are walking across the stage.