Animation symbols perform the action in your Fireworks file like actors in a movie. For example, in an animation of three geese flying across the sky, each goose is a cast member.

An animation symbol can be any object you create or import, and you can have many symbols in one file. Each symbol has its own properties and animates independently. So you can create symbols that move across the screen while others fade or shrink.

You do not need to use symbols for every aspect of your animation. However, using symbols and instances for graphics that appear in multiple frames keeps your animation file size smaller, in addition to the other advantages discussed in this chapter.

You can change animation symbol properties at any time using the Animate dialog box or the Property inspector. You can also edit symbol artwork in the Symbol Editor. The Symbol Editor lets you edit your symbol without affecting the rest of the document. You can also change a symbol's motion by moving its motion path.

Because animation symbols are automatically placed in the library, you can reuse them to create other animations.