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[challenge entry]

Click to play Flash

EDIT: Does anyone know much about getting Flash files into GIF format? I had this lined up but Flash doesn't play any movies within a movie (if that makes sense) so the frame doesn't move. hmmm...

From the Inside the factories. How do they really make X? challenge. See all 143 entries (closed)

(I helped save b3ta! Zak McFlimby Twibbling @McFlimby, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:34, archived)
# i likeee
doh just saw flash link ..
woot yar and a big fat hoola dancer wibbling about a bit
(I_am_B, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:35, archived)
# saving the environment
one tree at a time
(I helped save b3ta! Frumbert has no sig, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:36, archived)
# Peter Says
(ACuntLikeYou I'm hated for loving, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:36, archived)
# pure
genious
(I helped save b3ta! bilbobarneybobs I'll be 14 in b3ta years soon., Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:42, archived)
# nice!

I've never had any problems exporting
to GIF(other than pallete/colour problems).
(I helped save b3ta! Purple Onion, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:44, archived)
# well
if he cropped the flash file to that same size as above, the gif would be 'tiny', and would have a really great slow animated timing to it..
(I_am_B, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:48, archived)
# i usually do all the cropping and timing
stuff in ImageReady
(I helped save b3ta! Purple Onion, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:51, archived)
# no,...
I made this: www.wobshite.co.uk/b3ta/match_factory/match_factory_with%20frame.html

so that wouldn't be a problem
(I helped save b3ta! Zak McFlimby Twibbling @McFlimby, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:51, archived)
# thats v nice yea
but the thing with gifs, is, if its full screen changes, its much more information, ( as its not counted as vector)
this way would be a lot of nearly full screen different frames.. ( but could still optimise well as flat colour and worth trying)
but if it was cropped, only the match moving and painting 'area' changes ( smaler changed area) then the gif would come out as fantasticaly small in size and last for ages..
(I_am_B, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:58, archived)
# Leave the optimising to me ;-) I'm ok with that
...I just need to get it to export in the first place!
(I helped save b3ta! Zak McFlimby Twibbling @McFlimby, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:02, archived)
# i sometimes use as a workaround to things
print screen to get stuff about quickly ,
could be done for each frame, and pasted into potatoe shlop, as the screen doesnt change size the registration would remain the same for the frames.. and then play about with the zoom/pan move once u have the frames..
but it depends how many frames your playing about with
(I_am_B, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:09, archived)
# hehe
too many for that sort of carry-on!

Never mind... I'll stick to potatoshop
(I helped save b3ta! Zak McFlimby Twibbling @McFlimby, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:15, archived)
# Instead of exporting to GIF
you should export a PNG sequence, then animate and optimise in something better than flash (such as imageready if you have it).
(I helped save b3ta! Mystery_Bob, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:52, archived)
# I screwed around with PNG exports
a bit, but the results were terrible.
I must have been doing something wrong.
(I helped save b3ta! Purple Onion, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:55, archived)
# If you export
as 24-bit PNGs, it should preserve your frames perfectly (including any transparency).
(I helped save b3ta! Mystery_Bob, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:57, archived)
# cool
I'll try it again(transparency with
GIF exports is terrible).
(I helped save b3ta! Purple Onion, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:01, archived)
# In order to export a flash movie as a gif (or anything other than an swf)
I find you need to make all the objects you use a 'graphic', but this means you can't be as flexible with the master timeline.
(I helped save b3ta! Mystery_Bob, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:52, archived)
# flash has a gif exporter
theres an option in the publish settings of flash that exports as gif,
(I_am_B, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:53, archived)
# yeah I know... but it doesn't animate movies that are within movies
In the example above, the entire factory scene is a flash movie, and then I move that movie about within the frame to allow the camera to pan.

This works fine in Flash, but if I export ANY format (trust me, I've tried Quicktime, GIF, Image sequences of BMP, PNG etc.) then the movie pans, but there is no animation happening!
(I helped save b3ta! Zak McFlimby Twibbling @McFlimby, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 11:57, archived)
# easy peasy
just play the movie and film it with your
mobile phone.
(I helped save b3ta! Purple Onion, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:03, archived)
# I had to manually screen grab something I made ages ago to get the animation-within-the-animation working :(
I shall heed the wise words posted below
(I helped save b3ta! Reckless_Rik, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:23, archived)
# what do u have software wise?
have you only got flash?
(I_am_B, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:04, archived)
# yeah, and Photoshop etc.
I have tried some "free" SWF 2 GIF type converters but they have the same problem! They don't play the SWF as it plays in a browser etc.
(I helped save b3ta! Zak McFlimby Twibbling @McFlimby, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:09, archived)
# Have you tried saving it as a Flash movie (swf)
and then convertng that to an .avi and then sorting it from there?

Just a thought.
(I helped save b3ta! Lazlo Woodbine Panowie!, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:05, archived)
# I don't think my previous post explained very well
but try this:

* Open a new symbol, making sure it is a 'graphic' type.

* Import your animated gif to the stage of the symbol.

* Use the symbol on the main timeline in your animation, but remember to allow the same number fo frames as in the symbol - a graphic doesn't have an independent timeline like a movie clip.

That should export OK, in any format, I think.
(I helped save b3ta! Mystery_Bob, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:06, archived)
# It is quite possible I'm being a bit thick here...
but when you say "Import your animated gif" - I don't have one. It was all done in Flash.
(I helped save b3ta! Zak McFlimby Twibbling @McFlimby, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:16, archived)
# i think what he means is
making your existing movie clip into a graphic symbol - so it wont loop like a movie clip but will still animate
(I helped save b3ta! mutated monty, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:19, archived)
# The graphics clips will loop
but just not independently of the main timeline.

If the main timeline frames are not an exact multiple of the symbol frames, the loop won't be smooth (if that makes sense?)
(I helped save b3ta! Mystery_Bob, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:24, archived)
# makes sense perfectly
.. what about perfectly looping music then, seeing as you`re answering all the tricky questions today :)
(I helped save b3ta! Reckless_Rik, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:27, archived)
# If you mean the little gap you get
when the flash animation jumps from the last frame to the first frame, then I have no idea.

That really annoys me and I have yet to find a way around it - I'll let you nkow if I do though.
(I helped save b3ta! Mystery_Bob, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:30, archived)
# only thing I remember from somewhere I can`t remember (?)
is that you should use WAV files (mp3s have a little bit too much header information or something which creates gaps), but I don`t know the best way to make the song exactly the same length as the movie (if that`s the correct way to do it)
(I helped save b3ta! Reckless_Rik, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:33, archived)
# Sorry
I was adding an extra step to the process in my head.

Make sure all the animations within animations are 'graphic' symbols and it should export properly - that's the gist of what I am saying.
(I helped save b3ta! Mystery_Bob, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:20, archived)
# ah - i'll give that a shot
cheers!
(I helped save b3ta! Zak McFlimby Twibbling @McFlimby, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:23, archived)
# maybe they`re named by spastic
cos I always thought "graphic" symbols were just static, as the name would suggest

I shall heed Mr.Mystery also in future.. how very queer of Macrodobe
(I helped save b3ta! Reckless_Rik, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:24, archived)
# The £10 I spend on my "flash for beginners" book
wasn't entirely wasted.
(I helped save b3ta! Mystery_Bob, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:27, archived)
# *whistles*
em.. yeah books.. forgot about those :)
(I helped save b3ta! Reckless_Rik, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:30, archived)
# aha
i didnt realise graphic symbols could be animated - i'm assuming you can turn existing 'movie clips' into 'graphics' as well... i shall be trying this out
(I helped save b3ta! mutated monty, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:17, archived)
# i've had this problem too
I don't have an answer though, just offering some sympathy

Unless there was some software that could make a recording of whats on your screen...
(I helped save b3ta! mutated monty, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:08, archived)
# Some software called Fraps does this
but I think it compresses things and makes a mess.

The only hope of getting this small enough in a GIF was the nice flat colours.
Harumph. Maybe in the next version of Flash.......
(I helped save b3ta! Zak McFlimby Twibbling @McFlimby, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:16, archived)
# plus I think it only works
with directx 9 as well. It's designed for recording your game output.

www.fraps.com/
(I helped save b3ta! Lazlo Woodbine Panowie!, Fri 17 Jun 2005, 12:19, archived)