Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Killer Tips

Have you ever noticed that when simply importing items such as videos and bitmaps, Flash decides to put them on your active Timeline without even asking? But for some reason when you import sounds, they jump straight to the Library. Before I discovered this little gem (not that it was hard to find), I would go through the trouble of importing and then deleting the instance of the new asset from my Timeline. Try choosing Import from the File menu and then Import to Library. This will ensure that whatever file you import will be sent directly to the Library and not to your Stage at all. And to make this option more accessible, refer to the tip earlier that discusses how to setup a custom shortcut for Import to Library. You could even use CTRL-R (currently set for Import) because Import to Library is likely better suited and used more often. But hey, that's up to you.