Any news on SWF file alternative solution?

[alanball]

I have a couple of older videos using Instant Projects I did in VS2018 that I would like to re-edit. As any solution been found to convert to another file type with Alpha channel?
I quite liked the Instant Project, FINAL BOARDING-MOH using T-03-M1.swf to M7. It's frustrating that I still can't use it in VS2021.
I know that it's Window's that has caused the problem by not supporting the file type any longer, but I had hoped Alludo would have come up with an alternative solution.

[lata]

I believe the Final Boarding is part of the Fair and Square template, that came bundled with 7 more templates. Fair and Square is the only one to use SWF.
I did convert a lot of Swf to Mov alpha channel just before Microsoft stopped using SWF, unfortunately I missed that pack.
Generally the SWF’s were background effects, a few stars moving about the background.
Delete those SWFs to compare the effect with the earlier ones you created, you may find them acceptable.
However you may find that the templates will no longer work using the latest VS versions? I have not tried.

[asik1]

SWF is flash, flash is dead.
I see this T-03 in my archive data base, it has 7 swf's and it's from 2013. Is it HD ?
One solution was to set date back in the bios, I don't recall to what, 2020??

Hey... it's nuts, I just see that during my tests I converted those T-03 SWF's to webm but... only up to M6, sorry.

HEY2... My database shows that indeed it was part of VS2021.

[alanball]

Thanks Trevor and asik1 for your replies and comments. Do you still have those webm files asik1, and if so can they be used in VS? If so I could perhaps use them to create my own template file.
I am looking at programs that can convert swf to another usable format, but no luck yet.

[HanawaMica]

I discovered a way to use Flash contents in VideoStudio after EOL. Use at your own risk.
Tested on VideoStudio 2022 25.3.0.584 and it should works on 2021 too.

First, you need a ActiveX Flash Player binary for Windows 8 or 10.
There's a Github project called "clean-flash-builds". It provides latest Flash Player binaries without any limitation.
You should have a zip file. In the file there's a folder called "flash64".
We need the ocx file but don't use the "win7-and-older" one.
Now you should have a ocx file and the file name is similar with "Flash64_xx_x_x_xxx.ocx".

Second, open the installation directory of VideoStudio. Create a new folder called AdobeFlash.
Then copy the ocx file to the new folder, and rename the ocx file to "Flash64.ocx".

Third, back to VideoStudio installation directory. There's a folder called "Ulead.dat".
In that folder we have a config file called "GG_App.ini". Make a backup of this file.

Finally, use a text editor to open "GG_App.ini". Use search function with keyword "FLASHVIO".
You can see a option like this: "PRIVATEOCXPATH=VIO\FLASH\Flash10a.ocx".
Change it to this: "PRIVATEOCXPATH=AdobeFlash\Flash64.ocx".
And don't forget to save the file.

Now launch VideoStudio and you will able to use Flash Contents again!

[asik1]

Here, try the gifs for video masks

[canuck]

Thanks Trevor and asik1 for your replies and comments. Do you still have those webm files asik1, and if so can they be used in VS? If so I could perhaps use them to create my own template file.
I am looking at programs that can convert swf to another usable format, but no luck yet.

I have used VLC to convert swf files to mp4.

[rwernyei]

Canuck,

MP4 does not support alpha channel. MOV and WebM do support alpha channel transparency. I guess your input on VLC being used for media encoding can help others but not Alan in this case.

[alanball]

HanawaMica
Thanks, very much for your input, and thanks for the detail explanation, but It’s a bit too tech for me I’m afraid.

Aski
Wow, great that you have the webm file conversions. With a little bit of adjustment with the gamma and speed, I’m sure I can use the six you have provided to upgrade my video from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4, many thanks

canuck
Thanks for your input, but as rwernyei has said, VLC does not support the alpha channel. (I did try VLC)

Thanks all again, I am still looking for a suitable free program to do the conversion, I have tried the online ones and they don’t do Alpha. If I find a suitable program, I will post it here.

[Candive]

I followed HanawaMica's instructions and can confirm the SWF work in VS2023. Again do it at your own risk. The SWF were a bit of icing on the cake for the template. You can still use the template; just delete the SWF's once you place the template on the timeline and you're good to go.