Render and export a composition as a Flash (SWF) file
While rendering to SWF, After Effects maintains vectors as much as possible. However, raster images, blending modes, motion blur, some effects, and the contents of nested compositions cannot be represented as vectors in the SWF file and are rasterized.
You can choose to ignore these unsupported items so that the SWF file includes only those After Effects features that can be converted into native SWF elements, or you can choose to rasterize frames that contain unsupported features and add them to the SWF file as JPEG-compressed bitmap images, which may reduce the efficiency of the SWF file.
Audio is encoded in MP3 format and added to the SWF file as an audio stream.
When After Effects creates a SWF file, it also saves a report ([SWF file_name]R.htm) to the same folder as the SWF file. The report also contains a link to the SWF file so that you can preview the output using the Flash Player plug-in. Open the report in a browser to view the SWF file and see which items in the composition are unsupported.
The exported SWF file includes each unchanged item in the After Effects composition once, and then references it for each use. If a layer is used in multiple frames, each use refers to the same object, even if the layer’s transform properties (such as Position) are animated. However, if the content of the layer changes—for example, if a mask on the layer is animated or if the layer’s source footage item is video—a new object is created for each frame in which the layer is visible. If multiple layers in the composition share the same source footage item, the source is added once and is then referenced for every additional layer that shares the source. If the source is an Illustrator file, a SWF movie clip is created and referenced. Text characters are added as vectors once and then referenced on all subsequent frames, unless you choose Fill Over Stroke from the Fill And Stroke options menu; in that case, the characters are added as vectors on every frame.
- Select the composition you want to export, and then choose File > Export > Adobe Flash (SWF).
- Type a filename (making sure to include the .swf extension) and location, and then click Save.
- Specify options as appropriate, and then click OK.
SWF export settings
- JPEG Quality
- Specifies the image quality. The higher the quality, the larger the file. (If you select Rasterize for Unsupported Features, the JPEG Quality setting is used for all JPEG-compressed bitmap images exported to the SWF file, including bitmap images generated from composition frames or Adobe Illustrator files.)
- Unsupported Features
- Specifies whether to rasterize features that SWF format doesn’t support. Choose Ignore to exclude unsupported features, or choose Rasterize to render all frames that contain unsupported features as JPEG-compressed bitmap images and include them in the SWF file. If you choose Rasterize, the SWF Exporter rasterizes source files for each layer in the composition (except layers that use Illustrator files or solids as the source footage) and nested compositions with Collapse Transformations enabled.
- Audio Bit Rate
- The bit rate of the exported audio. Choose Auto to get the lowest bit rate available for the specified Sample Rate and Channels settings. Higher bit rates increase file size.
- Loop Continuously
- Specifies that the exported SWF file loops continuously during playback. If you plan to specify looping by writing HTML code to control the Flash Player, deselect Loop Continuously.
- Prevent Import
- Creates a SWF file that digital image or video-editing programs can’t import.
- Include Object Names
-
Includes layer, mask, and effect names in the file. Selecting
this option increases file size. Rasterized objects are not named.
Each mask is exported as a separate SWF object, the name of which is the layer name followed by the mask name. If all masks use Difference mode, all masks are exported as one SWF object, and the name is the layer name. Each text character is exported as a separate SWF object.
- Flatten Illustrator Artwork
-
Splits all overlapping objects into non-overlapping pieces.
When you select this option, you don’t need to convert Illustrator
text to outlines before exporting. (This option supports source
files from Illustrator 9.0 or later.)
There are advantages and disadvantages to flattening Illustrator artwork. When you flatten Illustrator artwork, text is exported to SWF properly, so you don’t need to convert text to outlines. Overlapping objects are removed, so composited layers appear the same in both After Effects and the SWF file. End caps, joins, and transparency groups are exported properly, and artwork outside crop marks, which is not visible in the SWF file, is not included. However, SWF files don’t necessarily become smaller. In addition, the flattening process may introduce unsupported objects that are then ignored or rasterized, and white fringes may appear around some objects. The process can be slow, memory-intensive, and possibly ineffective for complex Illustrator artwork.
- Include Layer Marker Web Links
- Makes layer-time markers behave as web links. The Include Layer Marker Web Links option adds web links and a Get URL action to the SWF file by using information from layer-time markers. This option also adds a frame label to each SWF frame that has a layer-time marker. You can specify how the browser opens the web link with standard target commands (for example, _blank). (See Create a web link, chapter link, or cue point from a marker.)
Target commands for web links in a SWF file
- _blank
- Loads the web link into a new browser window.
- _parent
- Loads the web link into the parent frame of the frame in which the current file is playing.
- _self
- Loads the web link into the current frame.
- _top
- Loads the web link into the top frame in the current window.
- _level0
- Loads another SWF file into level 0. The current file typically plays at level 0; another file loaded into level 0 usually replaces the current file. Note that the URL must refer to another SWF file.
- _level1
- Loads another SWF file into level 1 if the URL refers to another SWF file.
Supported features for SWF export
- Layers
- After Effects text layers are exported to SWF as vector graphics. The following layer types and layer switches aren’t supported: track mattes, 3D layers, 3D cameras, 3D lights, adjustment layers, shape layers, Preserve Transparency, Collapse Transformations, and motion blur. The Fill Over Stroke character option and the Blur animator property aren’t supported, and only Normal blending mode is supported. Nested compositions aren’t supported and are rasterized.
- Masks
- Only masks with Add mask mode or Difference mask mode are supported; multiple masks in a layer must use the same mask mode. If Add mode is specified, partial opacity and the Inverted option are also supported. Mask feather is not supported. The result of overlapping masks with Add mode and partial opacity may appear differently in the SWF file than in After Effects. (See Mask modes.)
- Effects
-
Path Text, Audio Waveform, and Audio Spectrum are supported
for output to SWF.
All Path Text options are supported, except the following: Composite On Original, Fill Over Stroke, and Difference mode.
Lines drawn by the Audio Spectrum and Audio Waveform effects are converted to vectors. The following unsupported features are ignored: Outside Color (only Inside Color is used), Softness, and Composite On Original. In addition, only uniformly thick lines are included in the SWF file. For example, if you select the Use Polar Path option in Audio Spectrum, lines become thicker farther from the center in After Effects, but in the SWF file the lines remain at the same thickness.
The waveforms may increase the SWF file size, so decrease the Displayed Samples value in the Audio Waveform effect or the Frequency Bands value in the Audio Spectrum effect, or decrease the frame rate to make the SWF file smaller.
- Resolution
- SWF files are always created at full resolution (size of composition); JPEG-compressed bitmap images are rendered at full resolution.
- Adobe Illustrator files
-
Only stroked paths and filled paths in CMYK or RGB color
spaces are supported.
Layers that have Illustrator source files are converted to corresponding SWF items if the layer does not contain masks or have Collapse Transformations enabled. Illustrator layers that contain masks or have Collapse Transformations enabled are rasterized. The SWF file maintains the Illustrator crop marks. Artwork outside the crop marks is included in the SWF file even though it’s not visible, thereby increasing the file size.
The SWF export report lists information for unsupported features in Illustrator files for the first frame in which the Illustrator file is visible. Unsupported features are ignored or rasterized (depending on whether you’ve selected Ignore or Rasterize Unsupported Features) on all frames in which the footage is visible.