     //  layoutDirection
     //----------------------------------
     
-    private var _layoutDirection:String = LayoutDirection.LTR;
+    // Use "ltr" instead of LayoutDirection.LTR to avoid depending
+    // on that framework class.
+    private var _layoutDirection:String = "ltr";
     
     [Inspectable(category="General", enumeration="ltr,rtl")]
     

     */
    private function initAdvancedLayoutFeatures():void
    {
        var features:AdvancedLayoutFeatures = new AdvancedLayoutFeatures();
        
        features.layoutScaleX = scaleX;
        features.layoutScaleY = scaleY;
        features.layoutScaleZ = scaleZ;
        features.layoutRotationX = rotationX;
        features.layoutRotationY = rotationY;
        features.layoutRotationZ = rotation;
        features.layoutX = x;
        features.layoutY = y;
        features.layoutZ = z;
        features.layoutWidth = width;  // for the mirror transform
        _height = height;  // for backing storage
        layoutFeatures = features;
    }
    
    /**

                if (mirror && layoutFeatures == null)
                {
                    initAdvancedLayoutFeatures();
                    if (layoutFeatures != null)
                    {
                        layoutFeatures.mirror = mirror;
                        validateTransformMatrix();
                    }
                }
                else if (!mirror && layoutFeatures)
                {
