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Importing Graphics into Adobe Flash CS4

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If you need to use photographic images or existing graphics created from another graphics program this chapter shows you how to import external graphics into Adobe Flash CS4.
This chapter is from the book

In the last two hours, you've seen how you can create sophisticated custom graphics quickly in Flash. Despite how powerful Flash's graphic creation tools are, eventually you might need to import graphics created elsewhere. You might need to use photographic images or existing graphics created from another graphics program. In this hour, you learn how to import external graphics into Flash.

Vector Graphics Versus Raster Graphics


Vector graphics are great, but it's important to realize their disadvantages. Vector graphics require the user's computer to work hard to display the image, so you may see slower performance if an animation contains complicated vector graphics. Also, vector graphics can look "computery" or antiseptic because they tend to involve geometric shapes. Both disadvantages can be overcome, but you should be aware of them. Vector graphics are predominately used in Flash movies because, as you see in later hours, you have more control over how they can be animated.

Bitmapped graphics (also called raster graphics) are fundamentally different from vector graphics. A raster graphics file contains the color information for each pixel. If the image is 100 pixels by 100 pixels, that's 10,000 pixels, each of which has a color value. As a result, raster graphics are almost always relatively large files. Raster graphics also can't be scaled effectively. They tend to get grainy, similar to a photograph that has been enlarged. An advantage of raster graphics is they appear onscreen very quickly.


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