Back to DEB Tips

Flash MX : Import and Compress Video

One of the most exciting upgrades in Flash MX is the fact that you can now compress and playback video within Flash. In the previous version of Flash you could import but then could only export the video as a QuickTime movie. You did not have the ability to playback or compress the movie within Flash. If you want to incorporate video into your Flash movies, then Flash MX should be your tool of choice!

Flash can import the following video formats:

-AVI
-DV
-MPG
-MOV

Import Video into Flash MX

1.Choose File...Import.You will then be prompted with the Import Video dialogue. Video clips can be imported as either embedded or linked objects

Embedded video: Encoded using a compression method called the Sorenson Spark codec; can be played in the Flash player

Linked video: Exported as QuickTime movies with a Flash movie; can't be played in the Flash player (this option is like the old export as QuickTime movie publish option)

2. Choose the Embed video option and click OK.

3. Next, the Import Video Settings dialogue appears.

IMPORT VIDEO SETTINGS

Quality: controls the amount of compression (0-100)
-Lower quality=higher compression
-Movie trailers are typically recorded at a setting of 60

Keyframe Interval: By default, a keyframe is inserted in your video everytime there is a major change between frames. You can choose to have keyframes inserted after a specified number of frames (0-48). Because keyframes store all of the info for a frame, the lower the keyframe setting, the larger the file size.

0=no keyframes are added
1=inserts a keyframe for every frame of the video
48=inserts a keyframe every 48 frames

Note: A keyframe interval of 1 stores a complete frame for each frame of the video. This setting is recommended only for very small video files.

Scale=changes the dimensions of the video
-The smaller the scale the fewer the pixels that have to render
- This improves playback performance

Synchronize video to flash frame rate=selected by default; when selected, the movie playback will synchronize to the frame rate on the main timeline

-If the frame rate setting in the Flash movie is lower than the imported video's frame rate and the frame rates are NOT synchronized the video will playback slower

-If the frame rate setting in the Flash movie is higher than the imported video's frame rate and the frame rates are NOT synchronized the video will playback faster

Number of video frames to encode:
Select a value for Number of Video Frames to Encode Per Number of Flash Frames to specify the ratio of imported video frames to main Flash Timeline frames.

1:1=flash will play back one frame of the video for every frame on the timeline
1:2=Flash will play back one frame of the video for every two frames on the timeline

Note: QUALITY AND SCALE SETTINGS GIVE YOU THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF SAVINGS IN FILE SIZE

4. After selecting the appropriate video settings, click OK. If your timeline doesn't have enough frames for the video to play, another dialog box appears that gives you the option to expand your timeline. Click YES.

5. Preview the embedded movie either in the Flash editor or the Test Movie window.

Source: This lesson was developed especially for YOU by Debbie Berg :-)

WATCH FOR MORE DEB TIPS TO COME! STOP BY AND SEE MY NEW DEB TIP EACH MONTH...

Back to top

about debbie | debbie's clients | deb's schedule | deb's monthly tip
flawebdeb home | dreamweaver | flash | frontpage | photoshop
web seminar | digital design camp | dreamweaver/flash conference