Here is a handy dandy script I wrote to select a bunch of items on stage, lets say 300 vector shapes for some ungodly reason, and convert them all to MovieClips based on a root name you pass. This has helped tremendously in the past. I have gotten a few inqueries for something like this recently so here you go:

DOWNLOAD SOURCE

** PLEASE NOTE **
You have to “distribute to layers”, then select the layers on the timeline and then run the script for it to work, don’t select the actual items themselves. Its a little funky I know. I havent had to time to work this out to be more user friendly. Sorry.

/*

Action: Creates MovieClips from the items on selected layers.
** The layers need to be selected, not the items themselves.
Author: Charles D Clements
URL: www.charlesclements.net
Date: 10/11/07

*/
/*

Variables

*/
// Base clip name.
var baseName = prompt(”What base name would you like to use?”);
// All layers in document.
var currentLayersArray = fl.getDocumentDOM().getTimeline().layers
// Create an Array of the layer indeces.
var layerArray = fl.getDocumentDOM().getTimeline().getSelectedLayers();
// Stores original lock status.
var lockStatus = []
// Increment variable
var num = 0
/*

Functionality

*/
for(c = 0; c < currentLayersArray.length; c++){
lockStatus.push(currentLayersArray[c].locked)
}
/*
for(c = 0; c < currentLayersArray.length; c++){
oldLayers.push(currentLayersArray[c])
}
*/
// Lock all layers.
for(b = 0; b < currentLayersArray.length; b++){
fl.getDocumentDOM().getTimeline().layers[b].locked = true
}
// Loop thru Array of layers selected.
for(a = 0; a < layerArray.length; a++){
// Lock all layers.
for(b = 0; b < layerArray.length; b++){
fl.getDocumentDOM().getTimeline().layers[layerArray[b]].locked = true
}
// Unlock current layer.
fl.getDocumentDOM().getTimeline().layers[layerArray[a]].locked = false
// Get item on layer.
var myElements = fl.getDocumentDOM().getTimeline().layers[layerArray[a]].frames[0].elements;
// Select all items.
fl.getDocumentDOM().selectAll();
// Convert items to Symbols.
if(myElements.length > 0){
fl.getDocumentDOM().convertToSymbol(”movie clip”, baseName+num, “top left”);
fl.getDocumentDOM().selection[0].name = baseName+num
}
// Increment variable.
num++
}
// Set layer’s lock properties to what they were originally.
for(b = 0; b < currentLayersArray.length; b++){
var layer = fl.getDocumentDOM().getTimeline().layers[b]
layer.locked = lockStatus[b]
}