I’ve noticed that to make a Symbol cycle start from a different frame number I have to work on it as I do with a normal Drawing sequence. There doesn’t seem to be a quick way to do that, which is strange because it is a very common to use cycles with different starting frames.
The Sequence Fill does not allow me to begin from a different frame while leaving the cycle untouched.
Here is the problem I found while trying this with the Sequence Fill command:
If I have a Symbol with a timeline of its own of 10 frames and I tell Sequence Fill to cycle it from frame 5, it will start counting the 10 frames from there linearly, thus creating the cycle from frame 5 to an imaginary frame 15.
Not being there any frames from 11 to 15, I get a blank gap in the cycle. Ugh…! 
What Sequence Fill should do (of course) is start from frame 5, procede to frame 10, and then start over at frame 1.
I have tried every possible combination with Sequence Fill, but to no avail. Maybe there is a fast solution, but in that case it’s pretty well hidden 
The only apparent workaround to this I found is to create the desired cycle on the main Timeline, just as I would do with any Drawing cycle. Which is fidgety because it entails a number of steps, including moving frames around and copy/pasting.
This, to my mind, partially undermines the whole point and ease of working with Symbols, which is supposed to be quick and intuitive.
thanks for the ear,
Josh
An expansion on the same argument: basically, Symbols should cycle independently from the Sequence Fill.I find this double-life of the Symbol really confusing, when not maddening… you never know how the Symbol is going to react on the main Timeline.Example: I have a Symbol, a cycle of, say, 20 frames.If I change that internal cycle to 15 frames, I get a gap because Sequence Fill on the main Timeline is still telling it to cycle 20 frames. So then I have to open Sequence Fill and tell the software what the new cycle is. Something it should already know by itself, since I’m using a Symbol. Arrrgh…!If the cycle inside the Symbol is made longer or shorter, that should automatically reflect on the main timeline.Josh
Second expansion on this in this (in my opinion) really important Feature Request.I have just been experimenting with different durations of the internal Timeline of a Symbol. It’s a cycle, but every time I make a change the Main Timeline doesn’t automatically reflect it.I always have to go to Sequence Fill and tell it what the new Cycle is. Total loss of time, it’s basically doing things twice… while the software should do it on its own.I hate to bring this as an example, but, well, in this respect Flash has it a lot simpler. You change the duration of a Symbol and the change is immediately available on the Stage. Sweet.And, going back to what I wrote above on the Cycling process, it should also be as simple as it is in Flash to tell Animate to play an entire Cycle from any given starting frame without having to re-adjust the frames on the Main Timeline.'Play from frame 1 or 2 or 5 or 23, whatever you decide should not jumble the Symbol’s behaviour on the Stage.I know I am being repetitive, but I really do believe this would be an important improvement. Really hoping for this one… especially in view for going Animate PRO, which seems to me has the same problem.thank you for the ear,Josh
I have the exact same problem and find it very annoying i have to fix this with numerous steps and workarounds!
Please consider at least an option to automatically reflect the inside of the symbol on the timeline.
PRrrrleaaase!
Double PRrrrleaaase!
I’m sad to come back and see this is still the same :((((