Flash glossary: Layer folder

You create layer folders and place layers in them to organize and manage your layers in Adobe Flash Professional. You can expand or collapse layer folders in the Timeline without affecting what you see on the Stage. Use separate layers or folders for sound files, ActionScript code, frame labels, and frame comments. This strategy helps you find these items quickly so you can edit them later.

Layer folders help organize your workflow by letting you place layers in a tree structure. To see the layers that a folder contains, without affecting which layers are visible on the Stage, expand or collapse the folder. Folders can contain both layers and other folders, allowing you to organize layers in much the same way you organize files on your computer.

The layer controls in the Timeline affect all layers within a folder. For example, locking a layer folder locks all layers within that folder.

To move a layer or layer folder into a layer folder, drag the layer or layer folder name to the destination layer folder name.

If you want to change the order of layers or folders, drag one or more layers or folders in the Timeline to the desired position.

Click the triangle to the left of the folder name expand or collapse a folder.

Right-click (or Control-click) and select Expand All Folders or Collapse All Folders to expand or collapse all folders in the Timeline.

After creating new Layer folders, it is a best practice to rename them with descriptive names. Layers should also be named descriptively. Use one of the following methods:

• Double-click the name of the layer or folder in the Timeline and enter a new name.
• Right-click (or Control-click) the name of the layer or folder and select Properties from the context menu. Enter the new name in the Name field and click OK.
• Select the layer or folder in the Timeline and select Modify > Timeline > Layer Properties. Enter the new name in the Name field and click OK.

To create a layer folder, use one of the following methods:

• Select a layer or folder in the Timeline and select Insert > Timeline > Layer Folder.
• Right-click (or Control-click) a layer name in the Timeline and select Insert Folder from the context menu. The new folder appears above the layer or folder you selected.
• Click the New Folder icon at the bottom of the Timeline. The new folder appears above the layer or folder you selected.

To learn more about working with layer folders, see the section titled View layers and layer folders in the Flash documentation.