SWF File Format
   
Home
 
Graphics Books
 
Graphics File Formats
  Animation File Formats
Bitmap File Formats
CAD File Formats
Cursor File Formats
Font File Formats
Icon File Formats
Metafile File Formats
Prepress File Formats
Vector File Formats
Video File Formats
Web File Formats
More Graphics File Formats
 
Graphics Glossary
 
Graphics Software
  Adobe Dreamweaver
Adobe Fireworks
Adobe Flash
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
AutoCAD
CorelDRAW
Corel Paint Shop Pro
Microsoft Visio
More Graphics Software
 
Graphics Tutorials
 
  • Adobe Dreamweaver Tutorials
  • Adobe Photoshop Tutorials
    Banner Design Tutorial
    Banner Display Tutorial
    Color Combinations Tutorial
    Color-Safe Conversion Tutorial
    Favicon Tutorial
    eBook Covers Tutorial
    GIF + Photo Tutorial
    Image Slice Tutorial
    Image Tiling Tutorial
    Imagemap Tutorial
    Photography Tutorial
    Prevent Copying Tutorial
    Screenshots Tutorial
    Text to Images Tutorial
    More Graphics Tutorials

  • Advertisement
     
    Learn PhotoShop Now


    Click here
     
         
    GraphicsAcademy.com  >  File Formats  >  Flash

    SWF File Format

    Short Name SWF
    Long Name Flash
    Typical File Extensions .swf
    Contains Animation


    This is a format originally devised by Macromedia (subsequently merged into Adobe) for storing animations (optionally including sounds), although it can also do a lot more than do animations (for example, process forms or even build entire web sites).

    In order to play a SWF file in a user's browser, they must have a Flash plug-in installed, however most users do have this.

    If you have a Flash enabled browser, you should see an example Flash animation in the box below. This demo also demonstrates one of the best things about Flash - it's possible to pack an awful lot of animation into quite small files (the example below is only approximately 19K).

    Example Flash animation:
     

     



    Related Pages on this site:
    Related Books:
    • Flash Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools

      Disclosure: Products details and descriptions provided by Amazon.com. Our company may receive a payment if you purchase products from them after following a link from this website.
       
      Flash Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools
       
        
      By Sham Bhangal

      O'Reilly Media
      Released: 2004-06-22
      Paperback (496 pages)

      Product Description:
      If you've ever seen an especially cool Flash effect on the web, gone straight to your trusty Flash book to find out how to do it, then turned away empty-handed--Flash Hacks is for you. This unique book offers a collection of expert Flash tips and tricks for optimization, creating interesting effects, ActionScript programming, sound and video effects, and much more--and you don't need to be an expert to use them (although you'll certainly look like one).

      With Flash technology, you can create compelling web content, expressive user interfaces, and rich applications for the Internet--all of which dramatically enhance the user experience. But Flash is not just practical, it's a wellspring of opportunities to unleash your creativity and have fun. Flash Hacks dives straight into all that's fun and creative about Flash, while presenting useful programming techniques and practical--although never mundane--hacks that can make your work easier.

      Geared to cover Flash MX, Flash MX 2004, and Flash MX Professional 2004, Flash Hacks begins with hacks on authoring, testing, and web environments. You'll learn how to beat the Flash bloat bug, realistically simulate the web, create a JavaScript-free Flash sniffer, and hack a spellchecker for Flash. Other hacks in the book are grouped in the following areas:

      Primitives

      Timelines

      Symbols

      Flash Assets (sound, video, and bitmaps)

      Code hacks

      Events and event handling

      Advanced animation

      UI design hacks

      True to O'Reilly's popular Hacks series, Flash Hacks tackles problems and solutions that aren't dealt with elsewhere. You'll pick up insider tips from the experts, and learn about amazing and sometimes quirky aspects of Flash. If you want more than your average Flash user--you want to explore and experiment, unearth shortcuts, create useful tools, and come up with fun things to try on your own--Flash Hacks is the book you'll need.

      List Price: $24.95*
      Lowest New Price: $5.74*
      Lowest Used Price: $0.01*
      Usually ships in 24 hours*
      *(As of 15:57 Pacific 30 Jul 2010 More Info)

      Buy It Now
       



    • Macromedia Flash MX 2004 ActionScript Bible

      Disclosure: Products details and descriptions provided by Amazon.com. Our company may receive a payment if you purchase products from them after following a link from this website.
       
      Macromedia Flash MX 2004 ActionScript Bible
       
        
      By Robert Reinhardt

      Wiley
      Paperback (938 pages)

      Product Description:
      * Provides in-depth information to the more than one million Flash developers who want to take their animations to the next level using sophisticated interaction and data-driven content
      * Flash ActionScript is an object-oriented scripting language used with Flash that allows the designer to control a movie in non-linear fashion, create sophisticated interactivity, control elements on the stage, collect and track input from the movie viewer, and exchange and manipulate data from external sources
      * The most comprehensive Flash ActionScript guide available, cowritten by Robert Reinhardt, coauthor of Flash "X" Bible (0-7645-4303-2)
      * Published to coincide with the release of Flash "X," the newest version of this widely used Web development tool

      List Price: $49.99*
      Lowest New Price: $0.01*
      Lowest Used Price: $0.01*
      Usually ships in 24 hours*
      *(As of 15:57 Pacific 30 Jul 2010 More Info)

      Buy It Now
       


    • Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Advanced for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickPro Guide

      Disclosure: Products details and descriptions provided by Amazon.com. Our company may receive a payment if you purchase products from them after following a link from this website.
       
      Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Advanced for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickPro Guide
       
        
      By Russell Chun

      Peachpit Press
      Paperback (648 pages)

      Product Description:

      As a professional Flash developer, nobody knows more about Flash MX 2004 than you or at least they better not! To make sure they don't, you need this task-based guide. By applying the popular Visual QuickStart format¿easy, step-by-step instructions and loads of visual aids¿to more complex topics, this guide offers the quickest, easiest way to get up to speed on the advanced Flash features that can make or break a project. You'll find straight-ahead, concise explanations of all the animation, navigation, and interactivity techniques you'll need to master to create dynamic Web sites with Flash. You'll also find complete coverage of all that's new in Flash MX 2004: essential ActionScript 2.0 commands and standards, expanded support for rich media, a streamlined user interface, and more. By emphasizing methodology and problem solving over features inventories and long, techie discussions, this guide teaches Flash the way you use it¿dynamically, interactively, and to get a job done!



      List Price: $29.99*
      Lowest New Price: $0.69*
      Lowest Used Price: $0.01*
      Usually ships in 24 hours*
      *(As of 15:57 Pacific 30 Jul 2010 More Info)

      Buy It Now
       


    • Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Bible

      Disclosure: Products details and descriptions provided by Amazon.com. Our company may receive a payment if you purchase products from them after following a link from this website.
       
      Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Bible
       
        
      By Robert Reinhardt

      Visual
      Paperback (1300 pages)

      Product Description:
      * The bestselling guide to Macromedia Flash, the leading tool for creating animation and building interactive, multimedia Web sites, now fully updated and revised to cover the new release
      * Covers everything readers need to know to master the newest version, including workarounds for hidden bugs and unpublished tricks and techniques not likely to appear in other books
      * Packed with expert tutorials from the world's leading Flash gurus, with more coverage on using Flash with other applications than any other book
      * Coauthor Robert Reinhardt is one of a handful of top stars in the Flash developer community and a regular speaker at FlashForward, the Macromedia User's Conference, WebTEK, Macromedia's traveling user seminars, and major universities

      List Price: $49.99*
      Lowest New Price: $7.02*
      Lowest Used Price: $0.43*
      *(As of 15:57 Pacific 30 Jul 2010 More Info)

      Buy It Now
       


    • Macromedia Flash MX 2004 for Windows & Macintosh

      Disclosure: Products details and descriptions provided by Amazon.com. Our company may receive a payment if you purchase products from them after following a link from this website.
       
      Macromedia Flash MX 2004 for Windows & Macintosh
       
        
      By Katherine Ulrich

      Peachpit Press
      Paperback (696 pages)

      Product Description:

      New timeline effects and behaviors, better run-time performance (which equals faster graphics display and video playback), native support for PDF and EPS forms, a slew of workflow enhancements, an improved programming language, a redesigned interface—these are just a few in the long list of new features that have Web designers salivating over the newest version of their favorite Web tool: Macromedia Flash MX 2004. Whether you're brand new to the world of Flash development or a veteran chomping at the bit to take advantage of all the latest features, this task-based guide will have you creating high-impact, interactive Web sites with Flash MX 2004 in no time. Best-selling author Katherine Ulrich is at it again here, using simple step-by-step instructions and loads of visual aids to cover every aspect of Flash design—from the basics of vector animation to sophisticated interaction and transition effects. Throughout, you'll find the direct, friendly language and plethora of tips that have become the hallmark of the popular Visual QuickStart series.



      List Price: $24.99*
      Lowest New Price: $2.93*
      Lowest Used Price: $0.01*
      Usually ships in 24 hours*
      *(As of 15:57 Pacific 30 Jul 2010 More Info)

      Buy It Now
       


    • Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia Flash MX in 24 Hours (Sams Teach Yourself in 24 Hours)

      Disclosure: Products details and descriptions provided by Amazon.com. Our company may receive a payment if you purchase products from them after following a link from this website.
       
      Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia Flash MX in 24 Hours (Sams Teach Yourself in 24 Hours)
       
        
      By Phillip Kerman

      Sams
      Paperback (624 pages)

      Product Description:

      Since its introduction in 1996, Macromedia Flash has become the standard for delivering high impact, vector-based graphics to the Web. Flash is deceptively simple at first, yet has great depth and flexibility.

      Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia Flash 5 in 24 Hours offers a clearly written, well-organized introduction to this powerful product, and gives the beginner an overview of the entire package, without becoming too overwhelming.

      A new version of Flash is expected to be released in the 1st quarter of 2002. It will have user interface improvements, several new features, and extensive improvements to existing features.



      List Price: $29.99*
      Lowest New Price: $6.00*
      Lowest Used Price: $0.01*
      *(As of 15:57 Pacific 30 Jul 2010 More Info)

      Buy It Now
       

    Related Software:
    • Macromedia Flash MX 2004 [OLD VERSION]

      Disclosure: Products details and descriptions provided by Amazon.com. Our company may receive a payment if you purchase products from them after following a link from this website.
       
      Macromedia Flash MX 2004 [OLD VERSION]
       
        
      Macromedia
      Released: 2003-09-15
      CD-ROM (Mac)

      Windows 98/Windows 2000

      • Tool for creating effective, rich content across desktops and devices
      • Jumpstart projects with templates & components, and take advantage of the online resource library
      • Add interactivity with powerful scripting


      List Price: $499.00*
      *(As of 14:22 Pacific 30 Jul 2010 More Info)

      Buy It Now
       


    • SWiSH Max3: Flash Creation Software

      Disclosure: Products details and descriptions provided by Amazon.com. Our company may receive a payment if you purchase products from them after following a link from this website.
       
      SWiSH Max3: Flash Creation Software
       
        
      CrystalGraphics, Inc.
      CD-ROM (N/A)

      Windows Vista

      • NEW! Drawing Tools - Shape Operations, Knife Tool, Component Tool
      • NEW! Project templates - Instant Results Using the Wizard Panel
      • Operating System: Windows 2000, XP, VISTA, 7 (Not Mac compatible)


      Product Description:
      SWiSH Max3 is the latest generation of the famous and award-winning SWiSH software line of easy-to-use Flash editors. It has everything you need to create stunning, fully interactive Flash animations. Whether you are creating Flash effects from scratch, or editing existing SWiSH Flash files (such as .SWI files included with some PowerPlugs: Web Templates), use SWiSH Max3 to swiftly and easily generate stylish Flash effects. SWiSH Max3 includes intuitive scripting, new drawing and editing tools, improved motion path, project templates as well as hundreds of built-in effects that can be applied to text, images, graphics, and sounds. You can also author and distribute your own effects! Import / Export tools allow versatility in the use and output of SWiSH Max3 files. SWiSH Max3 has a simple yet powerful menu interface that includes useful tools such as the ability to add effects to multiple objects at once, a timeline editor and page tabs that help you manage dynamic content, easy to use input forms, a Javascript-like scripting language and advanced compression features that help you keep your SWiSH (.SWF) files small. Plus, it even allows you to create and distribute your own custom Flash effects! *CrystalGraphics is pleased to announce that it is only USA distributor of SWiSH Max3 and the only company in the world offering the product on CD-ROM, for your convenience and security.

      List Price: $149.00*
      Lowest New Price: $149.00*
      *(As of 14:22 Pacific 30 Jul 2010 More Info)

      Buy It Now
       

    Related Web Sites:  
       
     
    With any business, it is up to the individual owner of said business to ensure the success of the business. You may make more or less than any sample figures or results that might be quoted on our web sites or other publications. All business involves risk, and many businesses do not succeed. Further, Answers 2000 Limited does NOT represent that any particular individual or business is typical, or that any results or experiences achieved by any particular individual/business is necessarily typical.

    Disclosure: Our company's websites' content (including this website's content) includes advertisements for our own company's websites, products, and services, and for other organization's websites, products, and services. In the case of links to other organization's websites, our company may receive a payment, (1) if you purchase products or services, or (2) if you sign-up for third party offers, after following links from this website. Unless specifically otherwise stated, information about other organization's products and services, is based on information provided by that organization, the product/service vendor, and/or publicly available information - and should not be taken to mean that we have used the product/service in question. Additionally, our company's websites contain some adverts which we are paid to display, but whose content is not selected by us, such as Google AdSense ads. For more detailed information, please see Advertising/Endorsements Disclosures

    Privacy     Terms Of Use     Advertising/Endorsements Disclosures

    Copyright © 2005-2009, Answers 2000 Limited

    In Association With Amazon.com
    CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

    All trademarks are property of their respective owners.
    All third party content and adverts are copyright of their respective owners.

    Some graphics on our web sites are Copyright (C) 1997-2000 Hemera Technologies Inc., and used under license. All such pictures are provided for viewing purposes only and are not to be saved or downloaded. All such pictures of recognizable individuals are models and used for illustrative purposes only, and not meant to imply any association or endorsement of said individual with any product or service.