Convert SWF to video?
- Started
- Last post
- 16 Responses
- CygnusZero4
I'm googling this and not having much success. Anyone here ever able to manage to do this, without having to use some crappy screen capture software?
- CygnusZero41
OR.... Im open to using screen capture software, if there is anything that is good quality, and free. I havent used any screen capture software in about 10 years.
- screenflow is pretty affordable. quicktime player screencap has awful FPS dips when recording.dorkKn1ght
- moldero0
if you're on a mac try - Voila
http://www.globaldelight.com/voi…
captures at a really good quality, the audio capture with it is really good as well
- Daithi0
Have had the same issue before and found this after WEEKS of searching.
https://www.newgrounds.com/wiki/…
Works great, includes nests movieclips, sounds, all kinds of awesome stuff. Even has an interface which is a throwback to zany Flash days.
- nests = nestedDaithi
- it asked for a frame range. not gonna work for me. tons of clips make up this swf animation.CygnusZero4
- ShiiiiitDaithi
- Swivel is crap...fyoucher1
- prophetone0
Ok, it's been 20 years since I used Flash but can one not import a SWF into Flash... it'll toss it on one layer as single keyframes. Then export to a HQ Quicktime movie, set the output 'time' even longer than the FPS time guesstimate. Open MOV and trim off any blank end?
- I agree, that this should workdee-dubs
- ...although if you don't have flash it's "chocolate tea-pot"dee-dubs
- doesnt work. just imports the first frameCygnusZero4
- so in animate cc (flash) you can't create a new movie, 'import to stage' an unprotected swf and see the keyframes on a single layer? weird.prophetone
- nvrmnd... sounds like you have a shell parent swf and a bunch of child swfs...prophetone
- BK0
Single White Female to video? Proceed.
- nb0
Someone posted this in the Useful Thread. I haven't used it, yet.
- wont let me install the extension. always something wrong.CygnusZero4
- Go to a computer store and do it there?nb
- CygnusZero40
Struck out on every option. Swivel is really limited because it only works if you have a linear timeline animation.
Cant important a swf directly into a flash as a timeline animation when its built using many different modules.
Opentest above is blocked at my job. Cant install the extension.
Any other suggestions? I tried a screen capture tool called tiny take, but its really choppy looking.
- evilpeacock0
You can drop an SWF into After Effects, load it into a composition and render it out to whatever codec you want.
It can be tricky with different Flash Player versions and settings, but it's doable.
- CygnusZero40
^ Same problem. Does not work if the SWF wasnt built as a linear single timeline animation. I dont animate that way. I always build things in modules, to make them much easier to update and organize.
- Can you export the animation from the parent FLA to a nice animated swf, then re-import to stage and allow it to play out for X seconds, output to MOV?prophetone
- yeah no... prob short of pasting everything into a single timeline to play it out... screen capture via QT screen record is probably the optionprophetone
- dbloc0
you can export as an mov, right?
- sted0
no-fucking-way
actions broken, as3-bitmapdata is impossible to caputure.
i had to suck on this while i was trying to create a broadcast movie for BAT-dunhill from the flash screen saver I created back in 2008.trust me, the shitty screen capture camtasia is your best option.
- evilpeacock0
Oddly it's easier to render Flash content as video straight out of the latest Adobe Animate CC than it used to be with older versions of Flash Pro. I used to get crazy glitches and oddly aliased art with some projects, and I never built anything that complex, though I definitely nested timelines and used scenes a lot.
Still, for years I've known that Flash content doesn't scale well beyond being Flash content — screen capping it is definitely an option but certainly isn't going to be bullet proof.
- Hayoth0
Handbrake does it. Or did it.
- fyoucher10
Hey Cygnus, I gots ur answers. I do this all the time when creating my animation reels.
I do either of these. Sometimes one works and another time another one is a better option. Depends on if you have interactivity, etc.
A: Quicktime Screen Recording - This'll record at 60FPS, include interactivity and sound if you have it, even mouse clicks. The cons: You'll need to crop it and it doesn't record lossless. So if you have a red logo in the file, that red will be pixelated.
B: Flash Video Export: Obviously if you have the FLA, plus it'll do lossless video. Cons: You need the FLA, it doesn't do interactivity and really needs to be a timeline animation, can sometimes not work if your timelines or code are complex.
C: And finally, ScreenFlow. It's basically the exact same thing as a screen recording with Quicktime, except that it does have the option of recording lossless (ProRes).
Personally, I prefer Quicktime just because it's easiest.
To answer above, YES you can import a SWF into a FLA to be exported out as video again. You just need to load the SWF in a movie clip first (AS2) or use the movie clip loader class in AS3. I do this when I'm working on an old project that I need to export and I don't feel like trying to load fonts again. Doesn't matter how you code it or if it's timeline animation.
- of yeah, if you're loading the SWF into a MC, you may also need to set lockroot = true.fyoucher1
- fyoucher10
Oh yeah, the only time I use the FLA to export a video is when my computer is playing the animation back choppy. Quicktime or ScreenFlow will record exactly as you see it on screen. So if it's playing back choppy or slow in a browser or the standalone Flash Player, it'll record that choppiness or slowdown. However, exporting from a FLA (if it's a timeline animation), will record it without the choppiness.
This really isn't the case though nowadays, most computers (that we use at least) are able to handle this easily.
- CygnusZero40
The only time most of these options work is if you have a single timeline animation. I don't build anything that way. I have lots of sub movie clips, each of which has a section of animation, then I just out into other clips, so theres multiple levels, and that makes turning this into a video more complicated.
I tried using a free screen capture software but even though my animation is only 30fps, it really stutters a lot, so if Im going the screen recording route, I need something better. Really not looking to spend money on this though. Its just for personal use. Not something I can kick back to a client.
- For the quicktime option, you need quicktime pro for that?CygnusZero4
- Whatever comes with OSX...fyoucher1
- And no, they do everything, not just timeline animation. I do (done) some pretty complex coded stuff and never have any issuesfyoucher1
- Stutter may be your graphics cardfyoucher1
- And yes, many levels deep still work. You may want to try on a diff computer if ur having probs.fyoucher1
- I'm on a 2013 iMac and have no issues whatsoever, even at 60FPSfyoucher1
- Alright. I have a beefy new gaming PC. Ill try it there.CygnusZero4
- The thing runs no mans sky on ultra settings like a champ so if it doesnt work there its not working anywhere.CygnusZero4
- Well, you're using a PC and not a QuickTime screen recording. If doesn't work there, send to me to try....fyoucher1