Is Flash a usable format?

Labatt50 wrote on 7/21/2003, 1:25 PM

I'm making a birthday video for my grandson, and came across a neat animated cartoon on the net which would fit in perfectly. It's an exe file which opens the cartoon in Flash4 format. Is there any way, other than shooting the screen as it plays (???), to extract the video in a usable form?

Comments

kameronj wrote on 7/22/2003, 6:45 AM

There are programs you can use to do a screen record - that is one way to grab the action.

I would do a search (at google or yahoo or any other engine you like) to see if you can find a converter that could/would convert the flash to (say) AVI. Then, of course, you can import the AVI into vegas to your hearts content.

Or, of course, you can see if you can track down the author of that video and see if they can export the SWF file to AVI and then send you the AVI.

mikkie wrote on 7/22/2003, 8:16 AM

Assuming you get copyright clearance and resolve any legal issues, there are a few prog. that take a flash movie appart, allow you to save the video and audio as separate files.

Jsnkc wrote on 7/22/2003, 10:57 AM

OR if you happen to have a LCD monitor on your computer you can shoot it with a MiniDV camera and get pretty good results. Don't try it with a CRT monitor though, it won't work.

[r]Evolution wrote on 7/22/2003, 7:58 PM

Or if you can get a hold of a copy of FLASH, you can open it in FLASH and export to AVI. I'm not sure which versions of FLASH will do it, but I know that my FLASH MX will export to AVI and I have done exactly what you are talking about doing.

Lamont

Labatt50 wrote on 7/23/2003, 1:00 AM

Thanks, all. Some very good suggestions. I shall try several in due course.

kameronj wrote on 7/23/2003, 6:52 AM

I just did a quick search at Google.com and came up with a bunch of sites for Flash converts to AVI (Searched for: "Convert Flash to AVI").

Here is one that is suppose to be Freeware.

http://www.webattack.com/get/swf2avi.shtml

Labatt50 wrote on 7/23/2003, 8:02 AM

Now THAT'S service. :-) Thanks, cameronj...very much appreciated.

seeker wrote on 7/23/2003, 3:22 PM

Labatt,

Some people have had problems with SWF2AVI. For example, see this recent message in the SWF2AVI forum, Problems with SWF2AVI

Apparently SWF2AVI was intended to become a commercial product. See the box design on this page: SWF2AVI info

A hint that SWF2AVI isn't "fully baked" is its version number, 0.3, but for more information see The SWF2AVI message board

-- Seeker --

slambubba wrote on 7/23/2003, 4:39 PM

here's a flash product that might be cool to use for text, credits, etc.

http://www.wildform.com/wildfx/

seeker wrote on 7/23/2003, 9:35 PM

Slambubba,

Interesting post. I think I want that. Also, it looks like Wildform will be getting some more of my money for Vector Video with WildForm Flix Pro

-- Seeker --