How do you create a spotlight effect?

[geniusboydan]

Does anyone now how or a place where I can find how to create a spotlight effect on a piece of text.

[swampy]

Flash 5 help >> samples >> spotlight effect

[jydnas]

As far as i know the spotlight effect is created using a mask.
Have a look around here

http://www.flashkit.com/movies/Effec...ts/index.shtml

or

http://www.flashkit.com/movies/Effec...ng/index.shtml

[luciomaria]

Originally posted by jydnas
As far as i know the spotlight effect is created using a mask.
Have a look around here

http://www.flashkit.com/movies/Effec...ts/index.shtml

or

http://www.flashkit.com/movies/Effec...ng/index.shtml

try this:
To create a mask layer:

1 Create a layer containing the content you want to show through the holes in the mask.

2 Make sure that the layer you created is selected and choose Insert > Layer to create a new layer above it.
A mask layer always masks the layer immediately below it, so be sure to create the layer in the proper place.

3 Draw a filled shape, place type, or create an instance of a symbol on the mask layer. Flash ignores bitmaps, gradients, transparency, colors, and line styles in a mask layer. Any filled area will be completely transparent in the mask; any non-filled area will be opaque.

4 Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Macintosh) the mask layer's name in the Timeline and choose Mask from the context menu.

Flash locks the mask layer and the layer being masked. To edit the mask or masked layer, unlock the layer. This turns off the display of the mask. To redisplay the mask effect, lock the mask or masked layer.

i got it from Flash 4 tutorial