best way toimport bitmaps -HELP

[hemigal]

I am developing a multimedia presentation in flash. The problem is that I have a ton of 800x400 photographic images that I need to import. The file is chugging. What is the best way to bring these files in to flash? I have tried importing and exporting, copying and pasting fireworks png files and photoshop jpg files, and the file size stays pretty much the same. Should I just optimize them all together when I publish the swf? Any advice?
HELP!!!!

[killabry]

I'm a flash idiot... This is what i do with bitmaps:

I import the graphic in flash... Trace it.. sharply, then i save the traced thing as an object, and go delete the bitmap from my library...

IF you want that crisp look, I suggest converting to JPG. IDK why it stays pretty much the same size :irked: If you don't have any deadlines to meet, just play around with it a bit, or maybe post the graphics here and we'll see what we can do to optimize them. Good Luck!
-Killabry

[dainbramaged]

Not to disagree with killabry, but offering an additional point of view...traced bitmaps can sometimes leave enormous file sizes, and react just as poorly, if not worse, than the raster images because of the incredible number of points the computer has to draw. When you say the file is chugging, do you mean the fla is responding poorly because of the enormous library, or the swf is playing back sluggishly.

1. If you mean the fla, I would suggest making several more manageable movies and using a main movie to load them into.

2. If you mean the swf is playing slowly, I can tell you that if the raster images are moving much or you have anti-aliased text or vectors moving excessively over the image, the computer's performance will be drastically challenged.

[ming]

I find trying to avoid applying 'alpha's on large bitmaps help speed up the animation (if that's what you're talking about). If possible, avoid using alpha, and try substituting it with brightness or tint as they seem to take a lesser toll on the processor.

[cobrein]

i would bring the imgaes into photoshop and try dropping as manny colors as possible without losing any detail in the image, also use the save for web option and paly with quality on the png and jpg settings to stike a compromise.

[ming]

hmm.. just a thought - is it better to optimise and save for web to import into flash, or better to use flash's jpeg compression? is photoshop's compression better?

[hemigal]

Ming- My question exactly! Optimize before or after? I have optimized the photoshop file and tested the flash. The swf file stays around the same size whether png, jpg or gif. when I optimize the bitmaps when I export the flash file both the quality and size change respectively.
On the note about text. What takes up more memory leaving text as text or breaking it apart in the library symbol.

[stevietat2]

i would usually optomize out of photoshop, but in the end there won't be a great difference which ever way you do it. unless the picture is a logo, don't convert it to vector because it becomes very stylized (unless you want that) and BIG in filesize. as for text, it is smaller to leave it as text. if you are having issues with big amounts of text making the file large, consider using device fonts (ie _sans, _serif) as these are much smaller, and will even make your movie run faster if the text is being animated (though you can't use alphas or masking with them)

[killabry]

Originally posted by dainbramaged
Not to disagree with killabry, but offering an additional point of view...traced bitmaps can sometimes leave enormous file sizes, and react just as poorly, if not worse, than the raster images because of the incredible number of points the computer has to draw. When you say the file is chugging, do you mean the fla is responding poorly because of the enormous library, or the swf is playing back sluggishly.

1. If you mean the fla, I would suggest making several more manageable movies and using a main movie to load them into.

2. If you mean the swf is playing slowly, I can tell you that if the raster images are moving much or you have anti-aliased text or vectors moving excessively over the image, the computer's performance will be drastically challenged.

Ur better at flash then me dude, tell me I'm wrong whenever you want . I'm a flash moron, and I havent opened it up for a week or so now. I know nothing beside tweening and what i learned on my own.

[dainbramaged]

Ur better at flash then me dude, tell me I'm wrong whenever you want . I'm a flash moron, and I havent opened it up for a week or so now. I know nothing beside tweening and what i learned on my own.


Not better Killabry, different. I'm self taught also, but I was lucky enough to have my company pay for me to go to FlashForward. They had a whole deal over this sort of thing. Anyway, I took metric buttloads of notes over all the lectures I attended, so when I see somebody like me who couldn't afford the astronomic ticket price, maybe they can still benefit. That's the only reason I offered it. Thanks for not takin' offense. I still say different, not better.