Using Symbols, Instances, and Library Assets > Resolving conflicts between library assets |  |

Resolving conflicts between library assets

If you import or copy a library asset into a movie that already contains a different asset of the same name, you can choose whether to replace the existing item with the new item. This option is available with all the methods for importing or copying library assets, including:

| Copying and pasting an asset from a source movie
| Dragging an asset from a source movie or a source movie library
| Importing an asset
| Adding a shared library asset from a source movie
| Using a component from the components panel

The Resolve Library Items dialog box appears when you attempt to place items that conflict with existing items in a movie. A conflict exists when you copy an item from a source movie that already exists in the destination movie and the items have different modification dates. You can avoid having naming conflicts by organizing your assets inside folders in your movie's library. The dialog box also appears when you paste a symbol or component into your movie's Stage and you already have a copy of the symbol or component that has a different modification date from the one you're pasting.

If you choose not to replace the existing items, Flash attempts to use the existing item instead of the conflicting item that you are pasting. For example, if you copy a symbol named Symbol 1 and paste the copy into the stage of a movie that already contains a symbol named Symbol 1, an instance of the existing Symbol 1 is created.

If you choose to replace the existing items, the existing items (and all their instances) are replaced with the new items of the same name. If you cancel the Import or Copy operation, the operation is canceled for all items (not just those items that conflict in the destination movie).

Only identical library item types may be replaced with each other. That is, you cannot replace a sound named Test with a bitmap named Test. In such cases, the new items are added to the library with the word Copy appended to the name.

Note: Replacing library items using this method is not undoable. Be sure to save a backup of your FLA file before performing complex paste operations that are resolved by replacing conflicting library items.

To resolve naming conflicts between library assets:

If the Resolve Library Conflict dialog box appears when you are importing or copying library assets into a movie, do one of the following:

| Click Don't Replace Existing Items to preserve the existing assets in the destination movie.
| Click Replace Existing Items to replace the existing assets and their instances with the new items of the same name.