Manage frames and keyframes in the Timeline

You can perform the following modifications on frames or keyframes:

  • Insert, select, delete, and move frames or keyframes.

  • Drag frames and keyframes to a new location on the same layer or on a different layer.

  • Copy and paste frames and keyframes.

  • Convert keyframes to frames.

  • Drag an item from the Library panel onto the Stage to add the item to the current keyframe.

    Flash offers two different methods for selecting frames in the Timeline. In frame-based selection (the default) you select individual frames in the Timeline. In span-based selection, the entire frame sequence, from one keyframe to the next, is selected when you click any frame in the sequence. You can specify span-based selection in Flash preferences.

Specify span-based frame selection

  1. Select Edit > Preferences.
  2. Select the General category.
  3. In the Timeline section, select Span Based Selection.
  4. Click OK.

Insert frames in the Timeline

  • To insert a new frame, select Insert > Frame.

  • To create a new keyframe, select Insert > Keyframe, or right-click (Windows) or Control‑click (Macintosh) the frame where you want to place a keyframe, and select Insert Keyframe from the context menu.

  • To create a new blank keyframe, select Insert > Blank Keyframe, or right-click (Windows) or Control‑click (Macintosh) the frame where you want to place the keyframe, and select Insert Blank Keyframe from the context menu.

Select one or more frames in the Timeline

  • To select one frame, click the frame. If you have Span Based Selection enabled, clicking one frame selects the entire frame sequence between two keyframes.

  • To select multiple contiguous frames, Shift-click additional frames.

  • To select multiple discontiguous frames, Control‑click (Windows) or Command-click (Macintosh) additional frames.

  • To select all frames in the Timeline, select Edit > Timeline > Select All Frames.

Copy or paste a frame or frame sequence

 Do one of the following:
  • Select the frame or sequence and select Edit > Timeline > Copy Frames. Select the frame or sequence that you want to replace, and select Edit > Timeline > Paste Frames.

    • Alt‑click (Windows) or Option-click (Macintosh) and drag the keyframe to the location where you want to paste it.

Delete a frame or frame sequence

 Select the frame or sequence and select Edit > Timeline > Remove Frame, or right-click (Windows) or Control‑click (Macintosh) the frame or sequence and select Remove Frame from the context menu.

Surrounding frames remain unchanged.

Move a keyframe or frame sequence and its contents

 Drag the keyframe or sequence to the desired location.

Change the length of a tweened sequence

 Drag the beginning or ending keyframe left or right. To change the length of a frame-by-frame animation sequence, see Create frame-by-frame animations.

Extend the duration of a keyframe animation

 Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Macintosh) and drag the keyframe to the frame that you want to be the final frame of the sequence.

Convert a keyframe to a frame

 Select the keyframe and select Edit > Timeline > Clear Keyframe, or right-click (Windows) or Control‑click (Macintosh) the keyframe and select Clear Keyframe from the context menu.

The Stage contents of the cleared keyframe and all frames up to the subsequent keyframe are replaced with the Stage contents of the frame preceding the cleared keyframe.

Add an item from the library to the current keyframe

 Drag the item from the Library panel onto the Stage.

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