Working with Flash .SWF files
SlideRocket allows you to embed Flash content, giving you the ability to create presentations that look better and contain more interactivity than PowerPoint. The system is extremely powerful and flexible, and allows you to design high-quality rich media slides. Here are some things to be aware of when authoring .SWF files for SlideRocket:
- SlideRocket accepts .SWF files up to Flash 9.
- Flash 9 .SWF files will play at their correct frame rate. Flash 8 and earlier .SWF files will play at a very fast frame rate which cannot be slowed unless you re-save the .SWF file from Flash 9.
- SlideRocket currently allows you to author slides at 800x600 pixels, so please design your .SWF files accordingly.
- Flash animations can tax your computer's processor, so it's best practice to limit the pixel dimensions of your .SWF files to the smallest possible size that will achieve the desired effect. If an animation will only be playing on part of SlideRocket's 800 x 600 canvas, then it's best to make a smaller Flash movie that's only as large as the animation (400 x 100 pixels, for example).
- The background of any .SWF files will be transparent in SlideRocket. Any elements in the .SWF file with alpha settings will be partially transparent.
- Most SlideRocket presentations are viewed and authored over the Internet, so be sure to keep the size and bandwidth requirements of your .SWF within reason (just like you would with any other Web-based Flash animations).
- Each Flash movie has a checkbox that allows you to determine if SlideRocket or that particular .SWF file will handle mouse clicks. If you have an interactive .SWF movie that responds to mouse clicks, you will want to check this box. To see this checkbox for a particular .SWF, simply select the Flash element on the slide and choose the Flash tab in the top right properties panel (right before the Styles, Effects, and Builds tabs). In all cases SlideRocket will steal all keystrokes before the .SWF sees them.
- SlideRocket will play any sounds embedded in your .SWF files.
- SlideRocket supports dynamic and embedded Flash content, but will not automatically carry external support files (.XML, .FLV, etc.) along with the .SWF file.
- SlideRocket currently uses the last frame of the last scene of each .SWF file when printing (this is usually the last frame of the main timeline). SlideRocket will ignore any “loop” or “stop” actions in the timeline and literally use the last frame, which gives you the option to print something that does not appear on screen. Please test exporting to PowerPoint or printing from SlideRocket after you have created just a few Flash movies so that you understand how this works. Otherwise, you may have to go back and re-edit all of your Flash movies at the last minute to get them to print properly. Remember that just because a .SWF file looks right on the screen doesn't mean that it will print properly (this issue is similar to having to test your Web site in different browsers to ensure compatibility).
- Flash runs at different speeds on different computers. If performance is vital, you will need to test your presentation on the exact machine and Internet connection that you will be using for delivery.
