Adobe ILLUSTRATOR CS2 User Manual page 458

You can save artwork in SWF format using the Export command or the Save For Web command. Options in the
Export dialog box give you more control over animation and bitmap compression options, while options in the Save
For Web dialog box give you more control over the mix of SWF and bitmap formats in a sliced layout. Although the
Save For Web dialog box doesn't let you set the Image options that are available for the Export (SWF) command, the
Save For Web command does use the Export command's last-used settings.
Keep the following information in mind when preparing artwork to be saved in SWF format:
•
To keep the file size as small as possible when using symbols, apply effects to the symbol in the Symbols palette
rather than to symbol instances in your artwork.
•
Using the Symbol Stainer and Symbol Styler tools results in larger SWF files because Illustrator must create a copy
of each symbol instance to maintain their appearances.
•
Mesh objects and gradients with more than eight stops are rasterized and will appear as bitmap-filled shapes.
Gradients with fewer than eight stops are exported as gradients.
•
Patterns are rasterized into small images the size of the pattern art and tiled to fill the art.
•
If a bitmap object extends beyond the boundaries of a slice, the entire object is included in the exported file.
•
Only rounded caps or joins are supported in SWF format. Beveled or square caps and joins are converted to
rounded when exported to SWF format.
•
Pattern-filled text and pattern-filled strokes are converted to paths and filled with the pattern.
•
Although text retains many of its features when exported to SWF format, some information is lost. When
importing the SWF file into Macromedia Flash, leading, kerning, and tracking are not maintained. Instead, the
text is broken up into separate records to simulate the look of leading. When the SWF file is subsequently played
in a Macromedia Flash player, the appearance of the leading, kerning, and tracking in the file is maintained. If you
wish to export text as paths, convert the text to outlines before exporting to SWF format, using the Create Outlines
command.
See also
"To optimize and save web graphics" on page 452
"About symbols" on page 170
"Macromedia Flash export options" on page 342
To create Flash animations
There are many ways to create Flash animations in Illustrator. One of the easiest is to place each animation frame on
a separate Illustrator layer, and select the AI Layers To SWF Frames option when you export the artwork.
Go to Adobe Studio (http://studio.adobe.com) for tips and tutorials on creating Flash animations.
1 Create the artwork you want to animate. Use symbols to reduce the file size of the animation and simplify your
work. (See "About symbols" on page 170.)
Create a separate layer for each frame in the animation.
2
You can do this by pasting the base artwork into a new layer and then editing the artwork. Or, you can use the Release
To Layers command to automatically generate layers consisting of objects that build up cumulatively. (See "To release
items to separate layers" on page 281.)
Make sure the layers are in the order in which you want to display them as animation frames.
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