Flash is a popular graphics animation authoring application from Macromedia. Flash is also the common term for Macromedia's Shockwave Flash (.swf) file format, widely used on many web sites for animation. An .swf file can contain both vector and bitmap animation, as well as interactive elements.
Native Flash animation is in vector format; it is compact, scalable, and lossless. Flash files can also include bitmaps; these are not vectorized unless a bitmap tracing function is invoked from within the Flash application.
The Flash application can save images directly as a QuickTime movie, either as a movie with a video (bitmapped) track or as movie with a Flash track.
The Flash track retains its native format--Flash vectors are not converted into bitmaps or QuickTime vectors. Bitmapped graphics embedded in a Flash .swf remain bitmaps after import into QuickTime.
To convert the Flash track to bitmaps, export the movie in a QuickTime video format. The Flash vector images will be converted into cel animations. These movies are typically much larger than they would be if they retained the Flash graphics in their compact vector format.
One reason to create a Flash track in a QuickTime movie is to include graphics in formats that are not directly supported by QuickTime. For example, the Flash application can directly import vector graphics from Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand, and Autodesk AutoCAD (release 10 ASCII DXF). An easy way to incorporate these graphics into QuickTime is to import them into Flash and then import the Flash .swf as a new QuickTime track.
Another thing you can do with Flash is create animated sprite graphics.
Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only, and does not constitute Apple's recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.
The following document can help you search for a particular vendor's address and phone number:
Document 17159: "Locating Vendor Information"
Related Documents:
42635 "QuickTime Pro: How to Create a Movie With a Flash Track"
42634 "QuickTime Pro: Capabilities of Sprite Tracks"
42617 "QuickTime Pro: About Supported File Types"