How do I ask for this info from a flash website developer?

4 replies
Hello,

I started working with a new client today and they had their website developed completely within flash and now I need to modify that website and the actual flash content itself.

I asked them for the raw flash files for the site but what they gave me were the images on the site and the .swf file but nothing I can edit from within Adobe Flash.

What files do I need to ask for? For example, when I've had websites designed in the past, I always make sure to get the .psd files so I can modify them in Photoshop. What is the equivalent for Flash?

(As you can tell, I'm kind of a flash dummy, but I just need to get the right files so I can send them to a web designer who actually knows what they're doing.)

Thank you,

Gary
#developer #flash #info #website
  • Profile picture of the author Gary King
    Hi Gary,

    The "equivalent" of a Photoshop PSD file in Flash is a .fla file. That would contain all the flash symbols, action script, etc. that you would need to edit it.

    I hope you can get them - the times that I've taken over a flash site from someone, they didn't get the fla files from the previous, no-where-to-be-found designer.

    Hope it helps!

    Gary
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    • Profile picture of the author grin
      Interesting post,

      I used to work in Flash awhile back. Not much has changed in the file system. Gary, is spot on. What I am curious about is this: Why did the designer not hand over the FLA files? Any Flash person knows that it is just horrible to try and reverse engineer SWF files, so this seems a bit militant. Secondly the company that hired you to take over should have rights over the FLA files.

      If this is not actually the case, then they can not expect you to start where the last guy left off. It sounds like they parted ways on bad terms, since good programming allows for the next guy to have access to the code as well as the media. Its of course common for that not to be the actual case. The thing is that you can find scripts that will not only pull the media out of a SWF file, but also the Code. But its just not even worth the hassle. Either someone coughs up the resources (more money or actual files) you need or I would not deal with it. It is just unfair for anyone to expect you to start pulling rabbits out of your hat.
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      • Profile picture of the author gravtex
        Thanks so much for the info - I really appreciate it.

        Gary
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary King
    Agreed with grin - if they won't give the fla files, it's typically a huge mess to deal with the extracted stuff - normally just a nightmare (all the organization -if it existed- naming of things, etc. is usually lost, so it's like "symbol1", "symbol2", etc.)

    Originally Posted by grin View Post

    What I am curious about is this: Why did the designer not hand over the FLA files? Any Flash person knows that it is just horrible to try and reverse engineer SWF files, so this seems a bit militant.
    My experience is that they don't have access to it - as you suggested, parting on bad terms OR in the last case I dealt with - the client hired a graphic designer. Her firm outsourced the flash splash page and navigation. The person that actually did the flash work didn't keep a copy and the client-facing designer didn't know that she should get a copy (since she didn't know flash at all).

    Any Gary - get the fla or make sure the client knows it's a re-do. Just my 2cents.
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