# Difference between levels and layers

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/difference-between-levels-and-layers/42320>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [February 7, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/difference-between-levels-and-layers/42320 "2004-02-07T19:25:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![prodigy\_blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7993a0/32.png) [@prodigy\_blue](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/prodigy_blue)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/difference-between-levels-and-layers/42320/1 "2004-02-07T19:25:47Z")

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what is it?:azn:

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/difference-between-levels-and-layers/42320/2 "2004-02-07T19:39:39Z")

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Flash’s got a great reference if read… ;¬)

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/difference-between-levels-and-layers/42320/3 "2004-02-07T20:00:23Z")

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Read this  
[http://www.kirupa.com/developer/actionscript/depths.htm](http://www.kirupa.com/developer/actionscript/depths.htm)  
[http://www.kirupa.com/developer/actionscript/depths2.htm](http://www.kirupa.com/developer/actionscript/depths2.htm)

scotty(-:

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/difference-between-levels-and-layers/42320/4 "2004-02-07T21:46:55Z")

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Simple answer.

think of layers like in a photoshop picture.

then your levels are your photoshop files ontop of each other.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 9:48pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/difference-between-levels-and-layers/42320/5 "2004-02-07T21:48:12Z")

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There’s also a TechNote at Macromedia about it…

[http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/ts/documents/layerslevelsdepth.htm](http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/ts/documents/layerslevelsdepth.htm)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/difference-between-levels-and-layers/42320/6 "2004-02-07T23:12:00Z")

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Layers = authoring  
Levels = runtime,  
first you can see in the timeline,  
second one only when you run the swf,  
both work more or less the same;  
lowest layer ~= \_root,  
subsequent ones get stacked above…  
to give you a rough idea…