 import mx.core.AdvancedLayoutFeatures;
 import mx.core.DesignLayer;
 import mx.core.IInvalidating;
+import mx.core.ILayoutDirectionElement;
 import mx.core.ILayoutElement;
 import mx.core.IMXMLObject;
 import mx.core.IUIComponent;
 import mx.core.IVisualElement;
+import mx.core.LayoutDirection;
 import mx.core.UIComponent;
 import mx.core.UIComponentGlobals;
 import mx.core.mx_internal;

import flash.events.Event;
import flash.events.EventDispatcher;
import flash.events.IEventDispatcher;
import flash.filters.ShaderFilter;
import flash.geom.ColorTransform;
import flash.geom.Matrix;
import flash.geom.Matrix3D;

        if (_layoutDirection != null)
            return _layoutDirection;
        
        const parentElt:ILayoutDirectionElement = parent as ILayoutDirectionElement;
        return (parentElt) ? parentElt.layoutDirection : LayoutDirection.LTR; 
    }
	
	/**
