Flash-generated AI file color accuracy

[Stee1962]

I'd like to figure out how to preserve accurate color when opening Flash-generated AI files in Fireworks. They'll open alright, with layers and everything, but the color is way off...

Thanks!

[bobajobrob]

not sure about this, but maybe flash converts the colours to CMYK when exporting ai (flash always uses RGB)

[Stee1962]

Thanks, bobajobrob...

I'm guessing that that may be the case as well.

Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any other way to preserve layers within a Flash file (targeted for Fireworks) than to export as an AI file. So if I want to bring a Flash file with layers intact into Fireworks, it looks like I'll have to adjust color "by hand"...

[Bendy_Branch]

These is only an idea . . .

I noticed that Fireworks mucked the colours up (so stopped using it)- and I'm wondering if because it is predominently a web device if it is restricted to the web palette . . .

[pixelwit]

Is your Illustrator document in the RGB colorspace? If not you might want to try converting it to RGB first, then bringing it into Fireworks.

[Stee1962]

Thanks pixelwit...

I don't think that one has the option of selecting between RGB and CMYK colorspaces when exporting a file from Flash in the AI format as one does in the actual Illustrator authoring environment. I believe the default setting is always RGB. The only option given at Save is the ability to choose which version of Illustrator to export as (up to 6.0)...

[Stee1962]

Thanks, Bendy_Branch...

I'm not sure about that either. The ultimate goal here is to find a way to preserve the layers of a Flash document in a file format recognizable by Fireworks (or Photoshop, for that matter). What my studio would really like to find is a way to selectively optimize animated GIFs authored in Flash by editing the layers of any given frame in either Fireworks or Photoshop. As a work-around, an exported AI file from Flash does preserve the editable layers of a file, but, as has been discussed here, the colors are generally off by a country mile, in a manner similar to the way that CMYK docs typically open in bitmap/RGB processors.

As I said, this is a work-around, an AI file isn't an animated GIF, but we're pursuing this route as a possible way to edit each frame independently...

[UpNorth]

have you tried publishing or exporting as a png?

[Stee1962]

Thanks, UpNorth...

Yeah, I've tried that, too. Layers of the original doc are flattened when exporting or publishing as a PNG.

Since my last post, I've discussed this again with our Art Director, and apparently the plan now is to create the artwork in Freehand. Freehand files seem to open up fine in Fireworks, layers intact, with little or no color shift...plus you can animate and save artwork as symbols, etc...

[UpNorth]

Another ides is maybe copying and pasting from Flash to freehand. In some versions there is a quality loss, but you can reassemble the layers in Freehand and then export to Fireworks

HTH

[Stee1962]

Thanks, UpNorth...

Good thought. I'll send it along...

[pixelwit]

What I was wondering is if Flash might be performing the conversion from RGB to CMYK automaticly. This is possible since the default colorspace for Illustrator is CMYK. If that were the case then you could export your files from Flash to Illustrator, open them in Illustrator, change the colorspace, save the file, then open it in Fireworks with the correct colors.

[Stee1962]

Thanks, pixelwit...

Not a bad idea, but in my tests Flash-generated AI files open up in Illustrator as RGB files by default, and the color is still way off...