Introduction to Flash MX Tutorial > Create and mask vector art |  |

Create and mask vector art

When you draw in Flash, you create vector art, which is a mathematical representation of lines, curves, color, and position. Vector art is resolution-independent; you can rescale the art to any size or display it at any resolution without losing clarity. Additionally, vector art downloads faster than comparable bitmap images.

Along with the gradient, the finished file contains background shapes. You'll use the Oval tool to create the shapes.

Specifically, in this section you'll learn how to complete the following tasks:

| Add a layer
| Create and "cut out" shapes
| Mask the layer containing the shapes

To complete this section, you can either continue to work on your mystiletto.fla file, or you can browse to your Flash MX application folder and open Tutorials/FlashIntro/stiletto2.fla. If you do use the stiletto2.fla file, save the file with a new name in your My_Stiletto folder to maintain an unadulterated version of the original file.