Question: Creating a border around a flash movie

[Esn]

So let's say I have a flash movie of the dimensions 600x429. I want to create a border around all 4 sides of the frame so that the final size is 640x480. Is this possible somehow?

(the "picture frame" will be created in a separate program, then added onto a new layer with a transparent square in the middle)

[Cel]

Sure. Put the border on the top layer (make it 600x429) and in the publish settings just export the movie in 640x480.

Note that 600:429 is not the same ratio as 640x480, so it might get stretched.

[Esn]

Sure. Put the border on the top layer (make it 600x429) and in the publish settings just export the movie in 640x480.

Note that 600:429 is not the same ratio as 640x480, so it might get stretched.

That is exactly what I cannot allow to happen. It must not be stretched even at the correct aspect ratio, because I am not using vectors but raster images; all of my backgrounds are at 600x429 resolution. Stretching them would completely ruin the look.

I don't really know how Flash works that well, but might it be possible to create a new .fla file of 640x480 resolution, and import my 600x429 .swf file into it?

For that matter, I have another question:

Is there any way to make sure that a flash symbol is placed EXACTLY in the centre of the frame?

[Markham]

You should be able to import it into the timeline of a different file set to the desired proportions.

[Cel]

Well, if your frame will cover up the empty spaces that will be seen due to aspect ratio differences, then no problem.
As for putting something in the exact center, press Ctrl+K. It'll open a window that will let you align stuff.

[Esn]

Thank you, Markham and Cel! Those answers were very helpful!

I wish I'd known about ctrl+K sooner; I was doing my aligning by making the window 800% and painstakingly aligning the edges.

[aleq]

Go to View > Rulers. Now you should be able to see rulers along the edges, and you can mouse click drag guide lines from there. Enable grid (adjust the size of the grid so it fits with the size of your working area in ), and make it snap to grid in View > Snapping > Snap to Grid. You can adjust colors of the guide-lines in View > Guides > Edit Guides, and when done, go and Lock Guides. If you want to remove, unlock guides and simply click-drag the lines back to the rulers. I use that method every time, and it rocks. The color of my guides is usually bright green.