For spotlight effects and transitions, use a mask layer to create a hole through which underlying layers are visible. A mask item can be a filled shape, a type object, an instance of a graphic symbol, or a movie clip. Group multiple layers under a single mask layer to create sophisticated effects.

To create dynamic effects, animate a mask layer. For a filled shape used as a mask, use shape tweening; for a type object, graphic instance, or movie clip, use motion tweening. When using a movie clip instance as a mask, animate the mask along a motion path.

To create a mask layer, place a mask item on the layer to use as a mask. Instead of having a fill or stroke, the mask item acts as a window that reveals the area of linked layers beneath it. The rest of the mask layer conceals everything except what shows through the mask item. A mask layer can contain only one mask item. A mask layer cannot be inside a button, and you cannot apply a mask to another mask.

To create a mask layer from a movie clip, use ActionScript. A mask layer created with ActionScript can be applied only to another movie clip. See Using movie clips as masks in Learning ActionScript 2.0 in Adobe Flash.

For a video tutorial about animating masks, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0127.

For a sample of scriptable masks, see the Flash Samples web page at www.adobe.com/go/learn_fl_samples. Download and decompress the Samples zip file and navigate to the Masking\ScriptableMasks folder to access the sample.