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Find and Replace in Animate

 

About Find and Replace

The Find and Replace feature lets you do the following:

  • Search for a text string, a font, a color, a symbol, a sound file, a video file, or an imported bitmap file.

  • Replace the specified element with another element of the same type. Different options are available in the Find and Replace dialog box depending on the type of specified element.

  • Find and replace elements in the current document or the current scene.

  • Search for the next occurrence or all occurrences of an element, and replace the current occurrence or all occurrences.

 In a screen-based document, you can find and replace elements in the current document or the current screen, but you can’t use scenes.

The Live Edit option lets you edit the specified element directly on the Stage. If you use Live Edit when searching for a symbol, Animate opens the symbol in edit-in-place mode.

The Find and Replace Log at the bottom of the Find and Replace dialog box shows the location, name, and type of the elements for which you are searching.

Find and replace text

  1. Select Edit > Find and Replace.
  2. Select Text from the For pop‑up menu.
  3. In the Text box, enter the text to find.
  4. In the Replace With Text box, enter the text to replace the existing text.
  5. Select options for searching text:

    Whole Word

    Searches for the specified text string as a whole word only, bounded on both sides by spaces, quotes, or similar markers. When Whole Word is deselected, the specified text can be searched as part of a larger word. For example, when Whole Word is deselected, a search for place will yield the words replace, placement, and so on.

    Match Case

    Searches for text that exactly matches the case (uppercase or lowercase character formatting) of the specified text when finding and replacing.

    Regular Expressions

    Searches for text in regular expressions in ActionScript. An expression is any statement that Flash Professional can evaluate that returns a value.

    Text Field Contents

    Searches the contents of a text field.

    Frames/Layers/Parameters

    Searches frame labels, layer names, scene names, and component parameters.

    Strings in ActionScript

    Searches strings (text between quotation marks) in ActionScript in the document or scene (external ActionScript files are not searched).

    ActionScript

    Searches all ActionScript, including code and strings.

  6. To select the next occurrence of the specified text on the Stage and edit it in place, select Live Edit.

     Only the next occurrence is selected for live editing, even if you select Find All in step 7.

  7. To find text, do one of the following:
    • To find the next occurrence of the specified text, click Find Next.

    • To find all occurrences of the specified text, click Find All.

  8. To replace text, do one of the following:
    • To replace the currently selected occurrence of the specified text, click Replace.

    • To replace all occurrences of the specified text, click Replace All.

Find and replace fonts

  1. Select Edit > Find and Replace.
  2. Select Font from the For pop‑up menu, then select from the following options:
    • To search by font name, select Font Name and select a font from the pop‑up menu or enter a font name in the box. When Font Name is deselected, all fonts in the scene or document are searched.

    • To search by font style, select Font Style and select a font style from the pop‑up menu. When Font Style is deselected, all font styles in the scene or document are searched.

    • To search by font size, select Font Size and enter values for minimum and maximum font size to specify the range of font sizes to be searched. When Font Size is deselected, all font sizes in the scene or document are searched.

    • To replace the specified font with a different font name, select Font Name under Replace With and select a font name from the pop‑up menu or enter a name in the box. When Font Name is deselected under Replace with, the current font name remains unchanged.

    • To replace the specified font with a different font style, select Font Style under Replace With and select a font style from the pop‑up menu. When Font Style is deselected under Replace with, the current style of the specified font remains unchanged.

    • To replace the specified font with a different font size, select Font Size under Replace With and enter values for minimum and maximum font size. When Font Size is deselected under Replace With, the current size of the specified font remains unchanged.

  3. To select the next occurrence of the specified font on the Stage and edit it in place, select Live Edit.

     Only the next occurrence is selected for live editing, even if you select Find All in step 4.

  4. To find a font, do one of the following:
    • To find the next occurrence of the specified font, click Find Next.

    • To find all occurrences of the specified font, click Find All.

  5. To replace a font, do one of the following:
    • To replace the currently selected occurrence of the specified font, click Replace.

    • To replace all occurrences of the specified font, click Replace All.

Find and replace colors

You cannot find and replace colors in grouped objects.

 To find and replace colors in a GIF or JPEG file in a Flash Professional document, edit the file in an image-editing application.

  1. Select Edit > Find and Replace.
  2. Select Color from the For pop‑up menu.
  3. To search for a color, click the Color control and do one of the following:
    • Select a color swatch from the color pop‑up window.

    • Enter a hexadecimal color value in the Hex Edit box in the color pop‑up window.

    • Click the System Color Picker button and select a color from the system color picker.

    • To make the eyedropper tool appear, drag from the Color control. Select any color on your screen.

  4. To select a color to replace the specified color, click the Color control under Replace With and do one of the following:
    • Select a color swatch from the color pop‑up window.

    • Enter a hexadecimal color value in the Hex Edit box in the color pop‑up window.

    • Click the System Color Picker button and select a color from the system color picker.

    • To make the eyedropper tool appear, drag from the Color control. Select any color on your screen.

  5. To specify which occurrence of the color to find and replace, select the Fills, Strokes, or Text option or any combination of those options.
  6. To select the next occurrence of the specified color on the Stage and edit it in place, select Live Edit.

     Only the next occurrence is selected for live editing, even if you select Find All in the next step.

  7. Find a color.
    • To find the next occurrence of the specified color, click Find Next.

    • To find all occurrences of the specified color, Click Find All.

  8. Replace a color.
    • To replace the currently selected occurrence of the specified color, click Replace.

    • To replace all occurrences of the specified color, click Replace All.

Find and replace symbols

To find and replace symbols, search for a symbol by name. Replace a symbol with another symbol of any type—movie clip, button, or graphic.

  1. Select Edit > Find and Replace.
  2. Select Symbol from the For pop‑up menu.
  3. For Name, select a name from the pop‑up menu.
  4. Under Replace With, for Name select a name from the pop‑up menu.
  5. To select the next occurrence of the specified symbol on the Stage and edit it in place, select Live Edit.

     Only the next occurrence is selected for editing, even if you select Find All in the next step.

  6. To find a symbol, do one of the following:
    • To find the next occurrence of the specified symbol, click Find Next.

    • To find all occurrences of the specified symbol, click Find All.

  7. To replace a symbol, do one of the following:
    • To replace the currently selected occurrence of the specified symbol, click Replace.

    • To replace all occurrences of the specified symbol, click Replace All.

Find and replace sound, video, or bitmap files

  1. Select Edit > Find and Replace.
  2. Select Sound, Video, or Bitmap from the For pop‑up menu.
  3. For Name, enter a sound, video, or bitmap filename or select a name from the pop‑up menu.
  4. Under Replace With, for Name enter a sound, video, or bitmap filename or select a name from the pop‑up menu.
  5. To select the next occurrence of the specified sound, video, or bitmap on the Stage and edit it in place, select Live Edit.

     Only the next occurrence is selected for editing, even if you select Find All in the next step.

  6. Find a sound, video, or bitmap.
    • To find the next occurrence of the specified sound, video, or bitmap, click Find Next.

    • To find all occurrences of the specified sound, video, or bitmap, click Find All.

  7. Replace a sound, video, or bitmap.
    • To replace the currently selected occurrence of the specified sound, video, or bitmap, click Replace.

    • To replace all occurrences of the specified sound, video, or bitmap, click Replace All.

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