Adobe^R Creative^R Suite CS3 has greatly improved the integration between its software, especially the import features for Flash^R Professional CS3 which gives you more control over importing bitmap and vector layers into Flash. Before this new upgrade, you had to import your image first and then it took several steps to place elements of the image on layers, position elements on the stage and, if necessary, convert elements to movie clip symbols. But now, you can combine all these steps together as you import your image into Flash. This can be done within the improved Import dialog box. So, what does this mean to the artist? As you create your design in Photoshop or Illustrator, you can position the elements of your design just as you wish them to appear in your Flash movie, place them on individual layers and then import the entire design "layout" into Flash. So, let's take a look at the options you have when importing a Photoshop image which contains bitmap and vector layers. Our example image has the following layers.

1. moon – bitmap layer with layer style applied
2. Hot Summer Night – vector text layer
3. Fence – vector shape layer with layer style applied
4. SkyBackground – bitmap layer without layer style


Bitmap Based Layer with Layer Style Applied

The first layer in our example has a drop shadow applied to the moon. We have two choices for how to import this type of image layer.

1. Bitmap image with editable layer styles
   
   We have the choice to maintain the layer style for the moon layer. This option will allow us to change or edit the style further after the image is in Flash. When you choose this option, the layer is automatically converted to a movie clip symbol and you are given a text input box to supply an instance name for this symbol. Because I will be animating the moon, I have given the movie clip symbol an instance name of "moon".
   
   
2. Flattened bitmap image
   
   You can choose to use this layer as a flattened bitmap layer but you will not be able to edit the layer style after importing.

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