Knowing the File Formats for Import to Flash

You can import a variety of assets (in compatible formats) directly into your Flash project Library, or you can import or copy and paste from another application into the Flash Document window. Assets can also be dragged from one Flash Document window or library to another. Files must be a minimum size of 2 pixels by 2 pixels for import into Flash.

Caution 

Copying and pasting bitmap images into Flash from other applications does not always transfer transparency settings, so it may not be the best workflow for some assets. Using the Import dialog box and specifying that the artwork be imported as an editable object will preserve transparency settings from Macromedia Fireworks .png files.

The import menu (Ctrl+R or z+R) gives you the option to limit imports to a specific format or to choose broad media categories. Unless you find it helpful to have some files grayed out when you dig through lists to find items to import, you will most likely be happy just using the most inclusive menu setting: All Files.

New Feature 

One setting that may not be self-explanatory on the Mac is the All PostScript setting that was added to Flash MX 2004 to include .pdf (as well as .ai and .eps) files created in Adobe Illustrator 9 or higher. We describe the specific options available for integrating PDF files into your Flash documents later in this chapter.

Cross-Reference 

For a full discussion of importing and handling sound assets, refer to Chapter 15, "Adding Sound." Flash-compatible video formats are documented in Appendix D, "Digital Video Basics," which is included as a PDF file on this book's CD-ROM. For coverage of other bitmap and vector applications, refer to Chapter 36, "Working with Raster Graphics," and Chapter 37, "Working with Vector Graphics," also included as PDF files on the CD-ROM.

For now, let's focus on a brief summary of the image formats for Flash import, as shown in Table 16-1.

Table 16-1: Image Formats for Flash Import

File type	Extension	Description	Platform
Adobe Illustrator (v. 9 or 10 files are most compatible)	.ai, .eps	Adobe Illustrator files are imported into Flash as vector graphics (unless they contain bitmap images). The importer plug-in is required to import files from Adobe Illustrator 8 and earlier. The importer for Flash MX 2004 and Flash 8 does not preserve layers in EPS files. To preserve layers, import in AI, PDF, or SWF format.	Windows Macintosh
AutoCAD DXF	.dxf	Drawing eXchange format is the original inter-program format for AutoCAD drafting software. Because this format does not support fills, it is mainly used for drafting plans or schematic drawings. This format is used by most CAD, 3D, and modeling programs for transferring drawings to other programs.	Windows Macintosh
(Windows) Bitmap	.bmp, .dib	Although Bitmap is a Windows format for bitmap images, don't be confused by the format name — not all bitmap images are Windows Bitmaps. Bitmap can be used with all Win and some Mac applications. It allows variable bit depths and compression settings with support of alpha channels, and supports lossless compression. It is ideal for high-quality graphics work.	Windows Macintosh
Enhanced Metafile	.emf	Enhanced Metafile is a proprietary Windows format that supports vectors and bitmaps internally. This format is occasionally used to import vector graphics, but for most professional graphics work, this is not a recommended format.	Windows
Flash Movie	.swf, .spl	Flash Player files are exported Flash movies. The movie is flattened into a single layer and scene, and all animation is converted to frame-by-frame animation.	Windows Macintosh
FreeHand	.fh	This is the vector-based format of Macromedia FreeHand (v.7 or later).	Windows Macintosh
GIF image or animated GIF	.gif	Graphic Interchange Format (GIF) was developed by CompuServe as a bitmap image type that uses lossless compression. It is limited to a 256-color (or less) palette, and is not recommended as a high-quality Flash export format, even for Web use.	Windows Macintosh
JPEG image	.jpg	Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) images are a bitmap type that uses lossy compression. Supports 24-bit RGB color. Recommended for Web-friendly compression of photographic images. Because of small file size, JPEG is often the native format for digital still cameras. No support for alpha channels.	Windows Macintosh
MacPaint image	.pntg	This is a legacy format for the old MacPaint program.	Windows Macintosh
PDF file (included in the All PostScript import menu option)	.pdf	Portable Document Format is a multipurpose, cross-platform format that preserves fonts, formatting, vector graphics, and bitmap images. Compression is variable and can be chosen when the file is created. PDF files are generally created or edited with Adobe Acrobat and read with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop also support PDF import and export. The importer plug-in for Flash 8 uses the GhostScript technology to support PDF files from Adobe Illustrator, with options for handling layers and multipage documents. Photoshop PDF files can also be imported, but text is converted into masked shapes.	Windows Macintosh
PICT image	.pct, .pict	PICT image is compatible with many Win and all Mac applications. It enables variable bit depths and compression settings with support of alpha channels (when saved with no compression at 32 bits), supports lossless compression, and can contain vector or raster graphics. PICT image is ideal for high-quality graphics work.	Windows Macintosh
PNG image	.png	The Portable Network Graphic (PNG) format is another type of bitmap image that supports variable bit depth (PNG-8 and PNG-24) and compression settings with alpha channels. PNG files imported to Flash from Macromedia Fireworks as editable objects (unflattened) will preserve artwork in vector format. Lossless compression schemes make it ideal for high-quality graphics work. It is the recommended media type for imported images with alpha channels or filter effects	Windows Macintosh
Photoshop image (2.5 or higher)	.psd	This is the layered format for most versions of Photoshop — from version 2.5 through version 6. Although Flash 8 supports PSD files, in our experience, PNG files gave more consistent results for imported files with transparency.	Windows Macintosh
QuickTime image	.qtif	This is the static raster image format created by QuickTime. It is not commonly used.	Windows Macintosh
Silicon Graphics image	.sgi	This is an image format specific to SGI machines.	Windows Macintosh
TGA image	.tga	The TGA, or Targa, format is a 32-bit format that includes an 8-bit alpha channel. It was developed to overlay computer graphics and live video.	Windows (with QT4) Macintosh
TIFF image	.tif or .tiff	TIFF is a lossless, cross-platform image type used widely for high-resolution photography and printing.	Windows Macintosh
Windows Metafile	.wmf	Windows Metafile is a proprietary Windows format that supports vectors and bitmaps internally. This format is generally used to import vector graphics.	Windows
Toon Boom Studio file	.tbp	This is the vector format for files created with Toon Boom Technologies proprietary animation software. It preserves layers, scenes, sound, and so on, and is imported with support from the Toon Boom Studio Importer plug-in (TBSi) shipped with Flash MX 2004.	Macintosh (with TBSi) Windows (with TBSi)

Note 

The QuickTime warning dialog box that would pop up when bitmap images requiring QuickTime support were imported to older versions of Flash no longer appears. Although QuickTime support is still needed for some file types, the warning has been retired to make the process more seamless.

Tip 

Although you can export to the GIF format from Flash, this should be considered an option for raw-information transfer only, not as a means for creating final GIF art. For optimal quality and control, GIFs exported from Flash should be brought into Fireworks for fine-tuning and optimization. A preferable workflow is to export a PNG sequence from Flash that can be brought into Fireworks for fine-tuning and final GIF output.