VSx4 to ? before converting to .swf

[Clevo]

Greetings...

I'll cut right to the chase.

I want to use VSx4 to create a custom sized .swf, flash file for a website. I plan to use a free program called Any Video Converter to covert my final VSx4 creation to the .swf as I hope that future versions of VS will have .swf output.

I'll be creating the video using stills with transitions in between.

Now I haven't tried this yet but...

I know how to change the project properties to custom frame sizes which is fine but what should I aim to be creating? I was thinking of an MP4 (H264) file but just wondering if you have other thoughts on what I should create as a video file before converting to .swf

The stills will be j-pegs. No audio will be involved

[skier-hughes]

What size are the jpegs?
What size and How compressed will the .swf be?
I wouldn't use too highly a compressed format before compressing again.
So be led by the input file sizes and the output file size, but don't compress too much in the middle

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Clevo

Given that Swf files are relatively small compared to other formats, I would expect a marked reduction in quality.
I have a small video of a “desert cat” this little critter on the endangered list, so I decided to make a short video I mean short as its only 13 seconds long.

Original footage Dv-Avi was reasonable quality at 46 Mb
Converted to :-
HD Mpeg 1280 x 720 at 30 Mb

I now converted these to SWF using AVS video converter at 4 Mb
As I said quality is not that good. I have uploaded to YouTube to show quality.
View the lynnandtrevor channel

So to answer your question, any good quality video will do, DV-Avi is as good as any, unless you need HD, but then you wouldn’t convert to Swf.

The question is why Swf?

[Clevo]

The jpegs are much bigger than the frame size the final .swf file will be.

I was surprised to see that VSX4 can actually open & display a current .swf file I'm replacing

the frame size I am working with is 403 x 285 pixels

I've chosen at this experimental stage to create a non-compressed AVI file at the frame size as above at 30fps. I'll report back with results.

@ Trevor: Why swf? Well I can go buy a swf creator for around $50 but why spend when I have tools that can do the job albiet unconvetionally.

the swf file will be embedded in a website i built:

to replace what is there now:

http://www.annalouisepaul.com.au/actor.htm

I can do a better job than what I have done.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

I see what you mean, the slide show is a bit basic.

I assume the existing show is a Flash Flv.
Have you considered using that format, at least VS will do the job in one go, without a third party program.

[Clevo]

I didn't consider a flash .flv. I suspect it'll do the same thing. (will try that nextime

But I went ahead and created a custom AVI - non compressed, custom frame size @ 30 fps.

AVC converted it nicely to a .swf and the whole process (excluding editing) took less than 2 minutes.

the final .swf file is roughly 2.5mb which is an OK file size