Flash MX stop() Command Tool

Chances are if you've used Flash long enough, you've repeated the following task innumerable times -- select a frame on the timeline, make it an empty keyframe, open the ActionScript editor window, click inside the editing frame, type "stop();" For years I have wondered why Macromedia didn't offer a pull-down menu, or contextual menu, something to facilitate the instant creation of stop() keyframes considering how often they are used. Until that day (hopefully) comes, Guy Watson has created his own solution.

Once you install his free .mxp extension, Flash MX will now offer an "Add Stop Frames" action to the Command menu. Select a frame, activate the Command, and you now have an instant blank keyframe with a stop(); action inserted. The Command supports multiple frames as well, so if you have a whole series of stop() frames to create, it takes hardly any time at all.

But why stop there? Instead of dropping down the Command menu with your mouse, make your workflow even faster by assigning the Command to a keyboard shortcut. Open "Keyboard Shortcuts" (on OS X it is under the "Flash" app menu), and then open the "Commands" arrow item in the central window. There you can add a custom keyboard shortcut to "Add Stop Frames," which shaves even more time off creating the little buggers.

Now if only I could get the Command into the contextual menu so I could right-click my way to instant gratification.

Comments

Posted by: Dan at January 13, 2004 1:38 PM

Posted by: brian henu at January 21, 2004 2:24 PM