Basically there are 3 types of text fields in the flash that you can create, these are static text, dynamic text and input text fields.

1. Static text (as its clear out of its name) display uneditable text fields. Uneditable in sence that its content cannot be changed dynamicaly during flash animation.
2. Dynamic text can be updated dynamically while playing the flash movie. It can take its values from variables, usually from xml (.txt) sources and so on. Text fields having the selectable feature are dynamic fields.
3. Input text is used for different types of forms. In general, these forms work as usual HTML forms.

Use Text Tool to add a new text line.

Use Properties bar to set the type of the text, font, align, color size and some other parameters for your text boxes.

In general thats all. Hope this article regarding adding the text to the flash was helpful. You will need it when you start customizing your template. All you will have to do is to find layer containing the text and replace it with your own one. Pretty easy, right?

Changing text in Flash

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To fit flash header your company needs you to change the company name, company slogan and the buttons’ text. It’s quite easy. So let’s do it step by step.

First of all you should open your “FLA” file from web design template package in Macromedia Flash. Now you should locate text that you want to change. There are two ways of how to do that.

The first way is to access it from the timeline. After you’ve opened “FLA” file in Macromedia Flash, move red timeline slider and watch the animation process. When you’ll see text that needs to be modified, stop the timeline slider. Choose “Selection Tool” from tools panel or call this tool by pressing “V” hotkey. Double click this text until you’ll get type cursor in it. Then just type your own text instead of original once.

Edit Text

But some of flash headers have complicated structure to create powerful animation effects. So, it will be hard to access symbols containing text from the timeline. The easiest and most reliable way to locate elements in flash is to use symbols library.

To open symbols library you can use “Ctrl + L” hotkey or choose “Window/Library…” from the top menu.

Symbols Library

Browse the symbols library to find symbol containing text you want to modify. You can see symbols preview in the preview window at the top of symbols library panel. Actually, all symbols the contain text have appropriate names such as “Company Name” or “About Us”. If you are unable to see text for some reasons try to change movie background to a different color from white. As white text on white background stands invisible. To do that, choose Modify/Document… from the top menu and change background color in popup window.

When you have found symbol containing text you want to change double click symbols icon to show text symbol in main workspace window. Then just double click text with “Selection Tool” or single click it with “Text Tool” (hotkey “T”) to edit text.

While editing text in Macromedia Flash you have wide choice of attributes able to modify. All that options are accessible from the properties panel at the bottom of Macromedia Flash workspace. If you can’t see this panel for any reason you can open it by pressing “Ctrl + F3″ hotkey.

Text Properties

To modify text color or font size just select text using Text Tool and go to Properties Panel to change appropriate option. You can find font family and size drop downs, color select box and align icons there. Modify any of that options and change will update to selected text.

When you have finished editing of the text block, press “Esc” key to quit editing mode. Now you can repeat operations described above to edit other text blocks of your flash header.

After you’ve made all appropriate changes you should publish your flash movie to “SWF” file and update it to your web design template.