Enter Or Punch Current Frame

Functionality

• Enter only. Symbol is entered for editing at the currently displayed (key)frame.
• Punch only. Symbol is 'punched' from the outside without entering. i.e. the current frame of a Symbol's entire Timeline is converted to keys from the outside. If users need to exclude some layers from being punched they can add __nopunch (two underscores and then 'nopunch' without spaces) to their layer name.
• Punch and Enter. Symbol is 'punched' and automatically entered for editing.
• Exit and set the current frame as First Frame. Upon command execution we exit the symbol and set its the First Frame of the container to the current frame of the internal timeline.

Suggested use

Enter only is extremely useful for all versions of Flash prior to CS5.5, but also convenient in later versions.
Example: If Symbol properties in Looping Section is set to First frame: 6, upon execution F2 the Symbol will be entered at frame 6.
Default Flash 8‑CS5 behavior is to always enter the internal Timeline for editing at frame 1.
Enter can be executed from a Timeline selection of a single frame and will work even if the layer is locked.

Punch is useful to mark a specific frame inside a Symbol, for example where you need a blink or a change of facial expression while you are outside of the head and then go inside and do it without losing the context of body action.

Exit and set the current frame as First Frame. Upon pressing Shift+F2 we exit the current symbol, setting the First Frame of the container to the current frame of the internal timeline we were at while exiting. This is useful when browsing the content of a long internal timeline. We don't need to remember the frame we want to use; just go there and exit, setting this frame as the First Frame of the container.
Example: We have 160 hand positions in a hand symbol. We go inside and quickly go though its content. We decide to use a gesture, which happens to be positioned at frame 147. Pressing the shortcut exits the hand symbol and sets frame 147 as First Frame for the hand container.

Where does it work?

Stage, Selected Symbol, Single frame selected in the Timeline

EDAP Tools shortcut

F2 (enter only); Ctrl+F2 (punch only); Alt+F2 (punch and enter); Shift+F2 (exit setting current frame)

Notes

Protecting specific layers. To exclude a layer from being 'punched' add __nopunch (two underscores and then 'nopunch' without spaces) to its layer name or choose a different suffix in EDAPT Control Panel or Quick Settings F12.

Video demonstrations

This command is part of the Flanimate Power Tools package. Get the latest version from Downloads.