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M
mark2ain
Participating Frequently
October 17, 2023
Question

Lock a symbol for reference

  • October 17, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 519 views

I'm a noob and have just realized edits I make to a symbol on the stage also change it in the library. Is there a best practice for keeping an uneditable version of a symbol? In other I want to keep a neutrally posed symbol to use as reference. I was expecting that would be default behavior in the library, but either I've made an incorrect assumption of I'm doing something wrong. Thanks to anyone who can clarify.

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1 reply

n. tilcheff
n. tilcheff
Legend
October 17, 2023

Incorrect assumption.

There are no symbols in any other place than the Library. What you work with on the Stage are Instances of those Symbols in the Library, which you either modify externally or internally.

You can, however, create duplicates, and copy/paste frames and layers from them, or as is the most common practice keep your rig/puppet's neutral state in a separate FLA file.

Also the neutral pose could be a frame within the timeline of your symbol container. (Study nested timelines.)

 

Nick - Character Designer and Animator, Flash user since 1998 | Member of the Flanimate Power Tools team - extensions for character animation
M
mark2ainAuthor
Participating Frequently
October 27, 2023

Thanks, Nick. The separate Fla file sounds like the way to go. I've tried duplicating symbols, but those, too, seem to behave as instances. Again, I could be doing something incorrectly. To me it's all about being able to mess everything up knowing I have one copy that takes me back where I began.

 

Since you're the person responding, let me take the opportunity to thank you for your magnetic rigging tools and the accompanying tutorials. I've spent a lot of time with those and think I'm finally understanding how to use the rigging. I can see how much potential they add to Animate and how much work you've put into developing them. 

 

All that's left for me now is to learn how to draw.

 

Best

 

Stephen

    kglad
    Community Expert
    kgladCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 27, 2023

    if you want to maintain an immutable symbol, duplicate it and name on something it that indicates it shouldn't be edited and then never add it to the main timeline or any child of the main timeline.  the other copy you can add to the stage and edit.  if you double click what add, you'll be editing that symbol something that would change all instances.  if you don't double click what you add, you can edit and not change any other instance.  meanwhile, the immutable copy is in your library if you goof up and accidently double click.

     

    though, i have to say, i thought i'd made every mistake possible with adobe animate, but i've never accidently double clicked an instance.

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