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Thread: .swf vs flash and live motion limitations

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  1. #1

    resolved

    I know there are some things you flat out can't do in Flash - like set the depth of an object in action script. I was wondering if that was a limitation of the swf format, or if it was just a limitation of the flash program - something they didn't think to put in. Also, are there any things you can do with live motion that will export to swf and are impossible to do in flash? And visa versa...

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2000
    Posts
    124

    Flash / Live Motion

    You can... set the depth of a duplicated movie clip. In fact, depth is one of the fields that come up when you choose the duplicate movie clip action script.

    As far as the differences/advantages between Flash and Live Motion. First of all, Live Motion lacks almost all of the action scripting capabilities of Flash. The beauty of Live Motion is in setting up motion tweens especially along paths. Some things that would take 10 minutes in Flash can be done in 30 seconds in Live Motion. Also setting the various properties of an instance at different keyframes is much more intuitive in Live Motion since (like After Effects) the property keyframe icons are available on the timeline.

    Finally, Live Motion has a bezier tool for drawing and creating (and editing) motion paths. Flash 5.0 will have that but Flash 4.0 does not.

    Hope that helps,

    Generator

  3. #3
    Ahh, well, since 90% of what I do with flash is in action scripts, I guess livemotion wouldn't help me that much. I will often code movement in action script that way I can get things like acceleration and stuff - something shoots across the screen then slows down and stops, as well as randomized movement and stuff like that.

    Anyway, about setting the level of a moive clip. You can do that when you clone it, but that's it. You can't just bring an existing movie clip to the front of the others. I was wondering if that was a limitation of the .swf or just the flash4 program.

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2000
    Posts
    124

    Wait.

    You can specify a "level" within the Load Movie command. You have an almost unlimited number of levels you can address.

    Load Movie ("topmovie.swf", 2)

    Will load a movie into level 2.

    But maybe you should explain to me why you need to change the depth of an existing movie clip when there are many workarounds to get the same result.

    Please Advise,

    Generator


  5. #5
    There are workarounds (which tend to be a pain in the butt), but I was just giving that as an example. What I'm trying to ask is if there is anything the .swf is capable of that can't be done with the flash editor? Kinda like an .exe file - you can make almost anything, but there are a lot of limitations to the language and compiler you are using.

    ... now I've probably added more confusion than clarification. Oh well, I'm good at that :\

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