Converting Bitmaps to Vectors in Flash

1. Select Insert > New Symbol (Ctrl + F8)
2. Name the symbol, and select Graphic as the behavior
3. File -> Import (Ctrl + R) the bitmap graphic you want to use
4. With the graphic selected, choose Modify -> Trace Bitmap
5. Enter a Color Threshold value between 1 and 500 - When two pixels are compared, if the difference in the RGB color values is less than the color threshold, the two pixels are considered the same color - As you increase the threshold value, you decrease the number of colors
6. For Minimum Area, enter a value between 1 and 1000 to set the number of surrounding pixels to consider when assigning a color to a pixel
7. For Curve Fit, select an option from the pop-up menu to determine how smoothly outlines are drawn
8. For Corner Threshold, select an option from the pop-up menu to determine whether sharp edges are retained or smoothed out
9. Click on Scene 1 in the upper left corner (below the menu) to exit symbol editing
10. You can now delete the bitmap from your library--the vector is in the library for you to use whereever you need it.

The particular settings that you choose are important, because if color threshold is too high, the image quality will suffer, but very low color thresholds will result in a very complex image, which will slow down animations and increase the file size. Experiment with the different settings to achieve different effects. For a vector image that looks closest to the bitmap, use the following settings:

• Color Threshold: 10
• Minimum Area: 1 pixel
• Curve Fit: Pixels
• Corner Threshold: Many Corners

Note that you can import vector graphics from other programs (Fireworks, Freehand, Illustrator, Corel Draw, etc.) in .swf and .png format, but they are more difficult to edit.