The Flash Preferences dialog box lets you set import preferences for AI files and the AI File Importer dialog box. The preferences you specifiy for importing AI files affects the options the AI Import dialog box is initially populated with for the Illustrator object types.

General AI File Importer Preferences

Preferences that affect how the AI Importer will respond when importing AI files:

Show Import Dialog Box

Specifies that the AI File Importer dialog box appears.

Exclude Object Outside Crop Area

Excludes objects on the Illustrator canvas which fall outside the artboard or crop area.

Import Hidden Layers

Specifies that hidden layers be imported by default.

Import Text As

Lets you specify the following import preferences for text objects:

Editable Text

Specifies that Illustrator text import as editable Flash text. The appearance of the text may be compromised to maintain the editability of the text.

Vector Outlines

Converts text to vector paths. Use this option to preserve the visual appearance of the text. Some visual effects might be sacrificed—such as unsupported blend modes and filters—but visual attributes such as text on a path are maintained if the text is imported as a movie clip. The text itself is no longer editable, but opacity and compatible blend modes maintain their editability.

Note: To preserve the drop shadow, inner glow, outer glow, and Gaussian blur that AI effects applied to text as editable Flash filters, select Create Movie Clip Import to import the text as a movie clip.

Bitmaps

Rasterizes the text into a bitmap to preserve the exact appearance of the text as it was in Illustrator. If filters or other effects are applied that are not compatible with Flash, importing the text as a bitmap preserves the visual appearance. Rasterized text is no longer editable.

Create Movie Clips

Specifies that text objects be imported inside a movie clip. To maintain supported blend modes, AI effects, and transparency of less than 100% between Illustrator and Flash, specify that the text object be imported as a movie clip.

Import Paths As

Lets you specify the following path import preferences:

Editable Paths

Creates an editable vector path. Supported blend modes, effects, and object transparency are preserved, but attributes not supported in Flash are discarded.

Bitmaps

Rasterizes the path into a bitmap to preserve the exact appearance of the path in Illustrator. A rasterized image is no longer editable.

Create Movie Clips

Specifies that path objects be imported inside a movie clip.

Images

Lets you specify the import preference for images:

Flatten Bitmaps To Maintain Appearance

Rasterizes the image into a bitmap to preserve the appearance of blending modes and effects that are not supported in Flash. A rasterized image is no longer editable.

Create Movie Clips

Specifies that images be imported inside a movie clip.

Groups

Lets you specify the import preferences for groups:

Import As Bitmaps

Rasterizes the group into a bitmap to preserve the appearance of the objects as they appeared in Illustrator. After a group is converted to a bitmap, the objects in it cannot be selected or renamed.

Create Movie Clips

Specifies that all objects in the group be encapsulated into a single movie clip.

Layers

Lets you specify the import preferences for layers:

Import As Bitmaps

Rasterizes the layer into a bitmap to preserve the appearance of the objects as they appeared in Illustrator.

Create Movie Clips

Specifies that the layer is encapsulated into a movie clip.

Movie Clip Registration

Specifies a global registration point for movies that are created. This setting applies to the registration point for all object types. This option can be changed on an object by object basis in the AI File Importer dialog box; this is the initial setting for all object types. For more information on movie clip registration, see Edit symbols.