Question about flash settings

just wondering if any one can answer a couple of newb questions about flash.

first… i notice that on some open source stuff that the layers in the time line, were some how minimized(thinner). i would like to do that but i wasn’t able to find a place in mx where that can be done. just need some direction on that.

also… i notice that for every preview i do of any of my mc’s that an additional .swd file gets produced. i don’t know how i enabled this feature, but i would like to shut that off if i can. the thing is i don’t even know what it is for, so don’t know where to begin with that one.

and thats it. any additional information on this would be really helpful. thanks.

-sqladmin

Well i was able to find out more information on the .swd file. It is primarily for debugging purposes. You could debug it locally, or remotely. The answer to that was right in the help files of flash. Didn’t know what to look for until i saw in the os that the file was for debugging. Any how… for any one having the same problem here is the answer to that.

Debugging a SWF file from a remote location
You can debug a remote SWF file using the stand-alone, ActiveX, or plug-in versions of Flash Player. When exporting a SWF file, you can enable debugging in your file and create a debugging password. If you don’t enable debugging, the Debugger will not activate.

To ensure that only trusted users can run your SWF files in the Flash Debug Player, you can publish your file with a debugging password. As in JavaScript or HTML, it’s possible for users to view client-side variables in ActionScript. To store variables securely, you must send them to a server-side application instead of storing them in your file. However, as a Flash developer, you may have other trade secrets, such as movie clip structures, that you do not want to reveal. You can use a debugging password to protect your work.

When you export, publish, or test a movie, Flash creates a SWD file that contains debug information. To debug remotely, you must place the SWD file in the same directory as the SWF file on the server.

To enable remote debugging of a Flash movie:
Select File > Publish Settings.
On the Flash tab of the Publish Settings dialog box, select Debugging permitted.

To set a password, enter a password in the Password box.
After you set this password, no one can download information to the Debugger without the password. However, if you leave the Password box blank, no password is required.

Close the Publish Settings dialog box, and select one of the following commands:
Control > Debug Movie
File > Export Movie
File > Publish Settings > Publish
Flash creates a debugging file with the .swd extension and saves it alongside the SWF file. The SWD file contains information that allows you to use breakpoints and step through code.

Place the SWD file in the same directory as the SWF file on the server.
If the SWD file is not in the same directory as the SWF file, you can still debug remotely, but the Debugger ignores breakpoints and you can’t step through code.

In Flash, select Window > Development Panels > Debugger.
In the Debugger, select Enable Remote Debugging from the Options pop-up menu (at the upper right of the panel).

Regarding the first question… it’s also in the Help files. :stuck_out_tongue:

See Changing the display of frames in the Timeline (Getting Started with Flash>Getting to know the workspace overview>Using the Timeline).