recommended settings for exporting to swf?

[Mike Clasby]

It all depends on end-use, and I think that goes back to setting up you materials, meaning AE outputs real vectors (read small swf files) for a few things, AI files (as layers), solids, text9SEE HELP FILES). And the only effects are Audio Waveform/Audio Spectrum (2 of my favs). No 3D, effects, multiple blending modes, limited masks, etc. So if you have raster stuff and need the jpeg part of swf, look out for bigger files.

One thing interesting, if you have flash, import your AEswf into flash, then output that as a swf, and you’ll get a 25-70% reduction in file size. I know it’s crazy, but it does it, must be that flash optimizes swfs better. There is something that optimizes swfs above and beyond flash (Opti-something) ask at the Flash forum, Lee Brimlow mentioned it awhile ago.

I don’t know if I’ve provided any help or just raised more questions.

[Filip Vandueren]

Don’t forget that having sound in the Flash adds a lot to the filesize, especially for longer anims.
So try as low a bitrate as you can afford (go mono if that helps.)

I get the best results using Illustrator Layers, It depends on their complexity if you need the “flatten Illustrator layers” option or not, try both options to see if there are any flaws.
Also start out using the ‘ignore unsupported features” and see if that wroks for you.

If you don’t use any plugins, 3d etc. you should be fine.

However, if your anim is very complex with a lot of layers, parenting, motionscripts etc.
Forget about trying to import it into Flash, it will just freeze or crash.
I tried with this anim to no avail, I left it spinnig the beachball al night, but nothing.

https://www.uilenspiegel.nu/flash/vlo.html still 697 Kb But there’s no way I could have done that in Flash in just a few hours.

[Sam Turner]

but how exactly do you get the waveform out of after effects?

i have tried exporting but it just gives me empty swf files

any ideas?

i hear its possible from yourself and https://www.creativecow.net/articles/tierney_jim/flashing_ccow/flashing_ccow.htm

thanks

sam