Timelines, layers and frames in an XFL document

A timeline is a tree of elements: the timeline holds layers, each layer holds its keyframes, and each keyframe holds its script and what is on the stage while it lasts. A scene’s timeline is in DOMDocument.xml; a symbol’s is in its own file in LIBRARY/, with the same elements.

<DOMLayer name="[actionscript]" color="#FFFF4F" current="true" isSelected="true" autoNamed="false">
  <frames>
    <DOMFrame index="0" keyMode="9728">
      <Actionscript>
        <script><![CDATA[//----------------------------------------------------------
// Very simple preloader
//----------------------------------------------------------
if (this.stage.loaderInfo.bytesLoaded / this.stage.loaderInfo.bytesTotal >=1)
	gotoAndStop("connect");]]></script>
      </Actionscript>
      <elements/>
    </DOMFrame>
    <DOMFrame index="1" duration="7" keyMode="9728"> …

The start of a scripts layer in a Flash CS5.5 document: a keyframe at frame 1 with a script and nothing on the stage, then a keyframe that lasts from frame 2 to frame 8.

DOMTimeline

In DOMDocument.xml, <timelines> holds one <DOMTimeline> for each scene; in a symbol file, <timeline> holds the symbol’s one <DOMTimeline>. Its name is the scene’s name (such as Scene 1) or the symbol’s. Its child <layers> holds the layers.

DOMLayer

Attribute	Meaning
`name`	The layer’s name, such as `[actionscript]`.
`color`	The outline colour shown for the layer, as `#RRGGBB`.
`current`	`true` on the layer that was current when the document was saved.
`isSelected`	`true` on selected layers.
`autoNamed`	`false` when the user named the layer.
`layerType`	The kind of layer. Absent on ordinary layers.
`parentLayerIndex`	The position, in the same `<layers>` list, of the layer this one belongs under; by its name, a layer folder or guide (an inference).

A layer’s child <frames> holds its keyframes.

DOMFrame

Only keyframes are written, one <DOMFrame> each, in order. The frames between keyframes are covered by the durations.

Attribute	Meaning
`index`	The first frame of the keyframe, counted from 0. Flash shows frame `index` + 1.
`duration`	How many frames it lasts; 1 when absent.
`keyMode`	A number for the kind of keyframe: `9728` for an ordinary keyframe and `22017` for a motion tween in the files seen. 9728 is `0x2600`, the same value a binary FLA of Flash CS4 stores in its frame record.
`tweenType`	The kind of tween that starts at this keyframe, when there is one.
`name`	The frame label.

So in the example, the keyframe with index="0" is frame 1, and the one with index="1" duration="7" covers frames 2 to 8. The explorer labels each script with this frame number.

A frame holds, as children:

<Actionscript> – the frame script, in a <script> element; see ActionScript in FLA
<elements> – what is on the stage in this keyframe (below); empty as <elements/> on a scripts layer
<MorphShape> – the shape tween, on a keyframe that starts one

Elements on the stage

<elements> lists the things on the stage in the keyframe:

Element	Is
`<DOMShape>`	A shape drawn on the stage: fills, strokes and edges. See Shapes and edge encoding.
`<DOMGroup>`	A group of elements.
`<DOMSymbolInstance>`	An instance of a library symbol (below).
`<DOMBitmapInstance>`	A bitmap from the library placed on the stage.
`<DOMStaticText>`	A static text field.

These are the kinds found in the files examined for this site; Flash has others, for other kinds of text, for video and so on.

Symbol instances

A <DOMSymbolInstance> places a symbol from the library:

Attribute or child	Meaning
`libraryItemName`	The symbol’s name in the library, with its folder path.
`symbolType`	The kind of instance, such as `button` or `graphic`.
`name`	The instance name, by which scripts refer to it.
`<matrix><Matrix a b c d tx ty/></matrix>`	Where it is and how it is scaled, rotated and skewed: an affine matrix, with `tx` and `ty` the translation.
`<Actionscript>`	ActionScript 1.0 and 2.0 handlers on the instance, such as `on (release) { … }`; see ActionScript in FLA.

Tweens

A tween is stored on the keyframe where it starts, and runs for that keyframe’s duration, to the next keyframe:

A motion tween marks the keyframe with tweenType and a keyMode of its own (22017 in the files seen).
A shape tween also stores a <MorphShape> on the starting keyframe: the matched outlines, as <MorphSegment> and <MorphCurves> elements whose coordinates use the same # hexadecimal numbers as edges. See Shapes and edge encoding.

Tweens can also carry easing and other settings, which are not described here.