This situation gave rise to a lot of programs, such as: Sothink SWF Decompiler, Eltima Flash Decompiler Trillix, Power Flash Decompiler and a great many other utilities. In this article we will give examples and parameters of some decompilers, and also consider the decompilation process itself using the example of the Sothink SWF Decompiler program.
Sothink SWF Decompiler is a program for capturing and decompiling a SWF file into FLA, as well as extracting various resources from it. The program allows you to extract images, fonts, sounds, etc. from ready-made SWF files and is considered one of the best decompilation programs.
For a person familiar with such a system, it will not be difficult to “disassemble” and then “assemble” a SWF file using a program. For amateurs, this can be a very difficult task. So, what does the decompilation process look like in Sothink SWF Decompiler?
Let's start with the interface. Actually, the main program window looks like this:
Cost: $79.99
Possibilities:
- Searchable Action Script source code - Convert SWF to FLA and FLEX
- Extracting SWF from EXE
- Preview and export file assets
- Export ActionScript file to AS and HTML formats
- There is a player for playing flash files
- Detailed viewing of element properties in a Flash movie
- Support scanning IE cache and listing all Flash files you've viewed
Cost: $79.95
Possibilities:
- Supports Action Script v. 2.0 and v.3.0
- Ability to export flash videos to formats such as AVI, MPEG, etc.
- Possibility of detailed customization of SWF to FLA conversion
- Ability to decompile and convert multiple Flash videos at the same time
- Ability to edit file objects without converting to FLA
- Extract file resources into various formats
- Has a built-in Flash file player
- Ability to save Flash videos online
- User-friendly interface: scalable, toolbar ribbon
Cost: $44.95
- Convert SWF to FLV and EXE
- Ability to export data from a flash file to a FLA file:
- Export sounds and videos from a flash file
- Export text, shapes, buttons, images, fonts and frames from a flash file
- Exporting scripts from a flash file
- Review and preview assets before export
- Support for editing dynamic text in flash file
- Support moving images in flash file
- View detailed information about each object from the flash movie
What else would you like to add about flash decompilers? At first glance, working with them is quite simple, and to a certain extent it is so. However, difficulties may arise when decompiling SWF files, since when using such programs, errors may occur in the code that will have to be corrected manually. And for a user unfamiliar with the Action Script language, this can be a very difficult task.
A free program for creating flash videos of almost any degree of complexity! Includes almost all the necessary tools for everyday work with flash and can be used by both beginners and professionals. The main difference and advantage of this program is its support for ActionScript 2.0, without which it is simply impossible to imagine creating professional Flash content.
It seems that Dima Bilan is right when he says that the impossible is possible :). Until recently, web developers had to either pirate or pay quite a lot of money for the opportunity to work with Flash animation. And now, finally, the hour has come when a third full-fledged option has appeared - to use a free flash editor.
Previously, there was already one similar program on our site, but its disadvantage was that it was somewhat outdated, had a limited set of tools, and lacked support for the ActionScript programming language, which is so necessary for creating somewhat functional websites, games, etc.
Today I will introduce you to a completely modern flash editor, which can compete almost on an equal footing with the famous Adobe Flash - Vectorian Giotto.
Comparison of Vectorian Giotto with a paid analogue
As you can see, the developers of Vectorian Giotto did their best and tried to fit into their program the maximum possible set of functions similar to Adobe Flash. In addition, most of the hotkeys are also the same, so those who are used to working with the Adobe editor will not have much difficulty switching to the free Vectorian Giotto platform!
Well, for dessert, the free editor also has something that its “big brother” sometimes lacks - a built-in library of animation effects that will appeal especially to those who create flash banners.
Preparing for work
To start working with Vectorian Giotto, we need to download the archive with the installer, which, by the way, weighs only 8 megabytes! When the archive is downloaded, open it and run the file VectorianGiotto.exe.
Despite the fact that the installation (and the program itself, unfortunately :)) is in English, it should not cause any difficulties, since it is not necessary to change anything in the default settings. Just click the “Next” button several times and wait for the installation process to complete;).
First acquaintance with the interface
Upon completion of the installation, if we did not change anything in the standard settings, the Vectorian Giotto working window will appear in full screen:
As I already said, the program interface is in English, so in order to avoid misunderstandings and misunderstandings when performing further actions described in the article, I would like to introduce some conceptual apparatus :). Let's start, as usual, from top to bottom and left to right.
Menu bar. This is the panel on which all the menus of the Vectorian Giotto program are located. When working with animation, you may need sections such as “File” (for saving and exporting your animation to SWF), “View” (for setting the workspace display parameters), “Modify” (for managing the parameters of the current document and working with the library effects) and “Window” (for customizing the displayed modules and program panels).
Main toolbar. Here are buttons for managing project actions and an animation playback panel.
Drawing panel (occupies the entire left side of the program window). Here you will find all the necessary tools for creating any desired objects of your animation, as well as buttons that allow you to configure the parameters of the necessary tools.
Storyboard (or timeline). Allows you to manage frame cells and created layers.
Color control panel. With its help, you can quickly change the color of previously created shapes. It is also used to select the type of fill for your animation objects (solid, gradient, etc.).
Workspace. It is a virtual sheet of “paper” designed for drawing your animations :).
ActionScript editor. If you need to create not simple banners, but something more complex, including buttons and all kinds of interactive objects, then you cannot do without a script editor.
Clip structure panel. Displays all the shapes that are “in the frame” and allows you to quickly switch between them and manage their sequence.
Properties panel. Each object in flash has certain properties. This panel is used to manage them.
Transformation panel. Allows you to quickly change the size and position of the selected animation element.
Library of elements. Represents a list of created or imported objects that can be (and are repeatedly!) inserted into an animation.
Animate can import the SWF file format. However, SWF files are processed and many types of data within a SWF file cannot be re-imported into Animate.
SWF format
The SWF format is a special compressed format designed for small file sizes and scalability. To keep the file size small, several elements from Animate's original format are compressed into such data that Animate cannot re-import them.
If you select the "protect from import" option when creating a SWF file, Animate will not allow you to re-import the file. Trying to import a protected SWF results in an error message.
Opening and Importing
Opening a SWF file (File > Open) opens the clip in Clip Test mode.
Importing a SWF file (File > Import) produces the following results:
- Sounds are not imported.
- Graphics containing animation are imported with each animation keyframe in a new keyframe. The contents of each frame in the source animation are converted into a new graphic symbol, one for each frame in the source symbol.
- The entire layout is lost. Import adds keyframes to the layer that was active when you chose File > Import, but the original layout structure and layer names are not preserved.
- Clip timelines are not imported. Individual elements from the first frame of the clip's timeline are imported, but converted to graphics. All other frames of the clip are lost.
- Buttons are now treated as clips. Graphics in the Unpressed keyframe state are converted to graphic symbols. Everything else is lost.
- Animation is not imported.
- Motion paths are not imported. However, images from each tween frame of the motion path are imported as separate images in separate keyframes.
- The imported bitmaps used in the clip are imported successfully, but their original library names are not preserved. They are renamed "Bitmap 1", "Bitmap 2", etc.
Probably everyone has seen some kind of advertising animation on websites, when you hover the mouse cursor over it, something begins to change in it. Or played online applications/games on websites (social networks or others). Even if you go to this site using a non-existent link like this, you will be taken to approximately the same page, created based on flash animation technology. And their file has a SWF extension. This article describes what this file is, how to open it (for example, play a toy offline) and how to change it (for amateurs).
What is this .swf file?
SWF file - Flash animation created using Adobe Flash or other program for developing flash applications. Flash videos can contain both plain text and vector, raster images, 3D graphics (limited), audio, video, and scripts in ActionScript.
The Flash platform has become very widespread in the field of creating interactive applications. These can be flash cartoons, games, videos (.FLV files), websites created in whole or in part using this technology.
Well, then follow the instructions from the site.
To open, launch the browser (it is advisable to create a new tab in it), “take” LMB over your swf file and drag it into the browser.
Option 2
Through the program.
There are 2 good programs for opening such files - this (I couldn’t find the official site) and .
As for the second one - it’s free, but it’s in English and the developers have forgotten something and stopped releasing updates for it and it will only work for XP at most.
If you get lost on the manufacturer’s website and don’t find how to download this program:
select the Downloads tab in the top menu
SWF (Small Web Format) is a proprietary video format used for Flash animation, vector graphics, audio and video content on the Internet.
The advantage of the format is its small size; due to this, videos in SWF format load and play faster, and vector images are scaled without distortion.
The scope of use is quite diverse - banners, websites, lightweight games (for example, on social networks), presentations, cartoons.
Opening SWF files using a browser
Almost any browser can be used to open SWF files ( Google Chrome, , , Safari, etc.).
However, it is worth mentioning that the Flash player must be installed in the browser. In some it is installed by default, i.e. By installing a browser, you also install a Flash player.
Note! During the installation selection process, the installer will also offer to install free antivirus– McAfee There is nothing wrong with this, but if an antivirus is already installed on the system, installing another one may lead to unstable operation of the system.
To open a SWF file, simply drag 'n' drop it into the browser window. If the file does not open, you may need to update your browser's Flash player.
The advantage of opening SWF files using a browser is that you can quickly view the file without having to download special software (usually a Flash player is already installed in the browser).
The disadvantage of viewing SWF files in a browser is the relatively low functionality (the ability to pause, rewind, stop video sequences) compared to players.
Opening SWF files using Flash player
There are quite a large number of paid and free Flash players that can be found on the Internet. The functionality of free players is essentially no different from their paid counterparts.
Quite a popular program, although no, it’s not just a program, but a whole multimedia combine, from Korean developers, which, in addition to viewing SWF files, supports most modern multimedia formats.
This function is implemented thanks to an impressive library of codecs built into the player.
Gnash (the word is derived from GNU and Flash) is a player and plugin released under the GPL license, with the aim of replacing proprietary programs (Adobe Flash).
The goal of the Gnash developers is to bring the project’s functionality as close as possible to the proprietary player from Adobe.
Works in a UNIX environment.
Swfdec is a free file player distributed under the GPL license.
Presented as a plugin for browsers that support the NSPlugin interface (Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Konqueror) and a player. Works on UNIX and BSD-like operating systems.
Editing SWF Files
Editing SWF files may be necessary when making minor adjustments to a finished website page; in this case, there is no need to use the programs in which the file was created.
Using the free SwiX editor, you can make changes directly to the SWF file, without losing the original quality (only the edited component changes), all you need to do is open the file, make and save the changes.
The editor interface is quite simple and consists of a toolbar, a resource directory and an xml editor.
The key features of the program are the Russian-language interface, stability of work with large files, the ability to compile/decompile files, as well as the presence of an editor with syntax highlighting, code formatting and auto-completion.
Paid editor Flash Decompiler Trillix with a Russian-language interface.
In addition to the actual decompilation and editing of SWF files, it allows you to convert a SWF file into the FLA format, and SWF elements (audio, video, image, text, forms, frames) into various formats for the purpose of their subsequent analysis and modification.
The editor has a batch file conversion function that allows you to select a batch of files for conversion, and you can do more useful things.
One of the key features of this editor is the ability to view changes “on the go”; it does not require additional installation of Flash Studio and Adobe Flash.
The price for a single-user license is $80.
The SWF file editor Sothink SWF Quicker is a fairly powerful application that allows you not only to edit, but also to create colorful, animated banners, flash games, videos and much more.
Beginners can use the project creation wizard, with the ability to choose from numerous templates.
Using the editor, any element of a SWF file can be edited.
Features of the program include the presence of an editor with code highlighting, and the use of Flash filters to add special visual effects to objects.
As well as applying the morphing effect to photographs and text, the ability to create vector graphics and texts using the WYSIWYG environment, a large number of built-in animation effects.
The license price is $85.
SWF - how to open a file
How to open swf files? The Google browser extension will help, which can be found in the Google Chrome store