reference

struct swf_import {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 57 or 71  */
	string			f_url;
	if(version >= 8) {
		unsigned char		f_version;	/* must be set to 1 */
		unsigned char		f_reserved;
	}
	unsigned short		f_count;
	swf_external		f_symbol[f_count];
};

WARNING: in a Version 8 movie you MUST use an Import2 tag instead of Import or it just will not work (Import tags are ignored in version 8 movies).

struct swf_export {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 56 */
	unsigned short		f_count;
	swf_external		f_symbol[f_count];
};

The Export tag works in conjunction with the Import and Import2 tags. The Export tag gives a list of definitions made visible to the external world. Thus these definitions are in effect available to be imported by other movies.

Intended to name objects so one can reference them in an ActionScript. Instead, PlaceObject2 was used which is better since one object can be placed multiple times in your display list and each should have a different name. With the PlaceObject2 tag, it works that way.

Dec 2, 2009

Moved the monolithic documentation to a multi-page hierarchical document that includes everything we had before plus many links, many terms attached to all pages (tags, English words.) And revision of most of the text for better English and clarification in some places.

Strengthen the formatting with CCK fields so all declarations look alike.

Broken up the actions from one large table to a set of pages.

Dec 14, 2008

Started work on the Load() feature of the SSWF library. This helped fixing several small mistakes in the documentation.

May 18, 2008

Fixed the ...

The SWF Reference by Alexis is part of the free SSWF project.

This documentation is intended for people who want to program a Flash player, editor, or some similar tool handling Flash data.

The project comes with a complete C++ library that is designed to greatly simplify the generation and loading of Flash files.

struct swf_soundinfo {
	unsigned short		f_sound_id_ref;
	unsigned		f_reserved : 2;
	unsigned		f_stop_playback : 1;
	unsigned		f_no_multiple : 1;
	unsigned		f_has_envelope : 1;
	unsigned		f_has_loops : 1;
	unsigned		f_has_out_point : 1;
	unsigned		f_has_in_point : 1;
	if(f_has_in_point) {
		unsigned long	f_in_point;
	}
	if(f_has_out_point) {
		unsigned long	f_out_point;
	}
	if(f_has_loop_count) {
		unsigned short	f_loop_count;
	}
	if(f_has_envelope) {
		unsigned char	f_envelope_count;
		swf_envelope	f_envelope[f_envelope_count];
	}
};

Information on how to playback a sound effect. These are found in a StartSound and a DefineButtonSound.

The f_sound_id_ref is a reference to an earlier DefineSound tag.

The f_stop_playback can be set to 1 in which case the sound stops as soon as the next ShowFrame is reached. All the other flags should be set to 0 when this one is 1.

The f_no_multiple flag indicates whether the same sound effect can be played more than once at a time.

The f_in/out_point indicate the start and end points where the sound should start playing and where it will end. f_in_point should always be smaller than ...

struct swf_external {
	unsigned short		f_object_id;
	string			f_symbol_name;
};

An external reference is a per of entries: an identifier and a name. The name is called the external symbol and is used to match the necessary definitions between two movies using Export, Import and Import2

struct swf_button {
	char align;
	unsigned		f_button_reserved : 2;
	if(version >= 8) {
		unsigned		f_button_blend_mode : 1;
		unsigned		f_button_filter_list : 1;
	}
	else {
		unsigned		f_button_reserved : 2;
	}
	unsigned		f_button_state_hit_test : 1;
	unsigned		f_button_state_down : 1;
	unsigned		f_button_state_over : 1;
	unsigned		f_button_state_up : 1;
	if(any f_button_state_... != 0) {
		unsigned short		f_button_id_ref;
		unsigned short		f_button_layer;
		swf_matrix		f_matrix;
		if(f_tag == DefineButton2) {
			swf_color_transform		f_color_transform;
		}
		if(f_button_filter_list) {
			unsigned char		f_filter_count;
			swf_any_filter		f_filter;
		}
		if(f_button_blend_mode) {
			unsigned char		f_blend_mode;
		}
	}
};

A button structure defines a state and a corresponding shape reference. The shape will be affected by the specified matrix whenever used.

There are many acceptable combinations. The object which is referenced is drawn when its state matches the current state of the button. If only the f_button_state_hit_test is set, then the shape is always displayed.

In order to define the area where the button can be clicked, it is necessary to set the f_button_state_hit_test flag to 1. Also, when this flag is set, only a shape can be referenced (no edit text, sprite or text object will work in this ...

struct swf_morph_shape_with_style {
	swf_styles		f_styles;
	swf_shape_record	f_shape_records[variable];
	char align;
	swf_styles_count	f_styles_count;
	swf_shape_record	f_shape_records_morph[variable];
};

The array of shape records starts with a set of styles definition and is followed by shape records. The list of shape records ends with a null record.

Note that f_shape_records_morph cannot include any reference to styles and lines, nor include new styles. It is likely that the f_styles_count will always be 0x11. Also, it is always byte aligned.

struct swf_placeobject2 {	/* and swf_placeobject3 */
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 26 or 70 */
	/* NOTE: the following flags can be read as one or two bytes also */
	if(version >= 8) {
		unsigned	f_place_reserved : 5;
		unsigned	f_place_bitmap_caching : 1;
		unsigned	f_place_blend_mode : 1;
		unsigned	f_place_filters : 1;
	}
	if(version >= 5) {
		unsigned	f_place_has_actions : 1;
	}
	else {
		unsigned	f_place_reserved : 1;
	}
	unsigned		f_place_has_clipping_depth : 1;
	unsigned		f_place_has_name : 1;
	unsigned		f_place_has_morph_position : 1;
	unsigned		f_place_has_color_transform : 1;
	unsigned		f_place_has_matrix : 1;
	unsigned		f_place_has_id_ref : 1;
	unsigned		f_place_has_move : 1;
	unsigned short		f_depth;
	if(f_place_has_id_ref) {
		unsigned short		f_object_id_ref;
	}
	if(f_place_has_matrix) {
		swf_matrix		f_matrix;
	}
	if(f_place_has_color_transform) {
		swf_color_transform	f_color_transform;
	}
	if(f_place_has_morph_position) {
		unsigned short		f_morph_position;
	}
	if(f_place_has_name) {
		string			f_name;
	}
	if(f_place_has_clipping_depth) {
		unsigned short		f_clipping_depth;
	}
	/* 3 next entries since v8.0 */
	if(f_place_filters) {
		unsigned char		f_filter_count;
		swf_any_filter		f_filter;
	}
	if(f_place_blend_mode) {
		unsigned char		f_blend_mode;
	}
	if(f_place_bitmap_caching) {
		/* WARNING: this is not defined in the Macromedia documentation
		 * it may be that it was part of the blend mode whenever the person
		 * who defined this byte was testing (I copied that from somewhere else!).
		 */
		unsigned char		f_bitmap_caching;
	}
	/* since v5.0 */
	if(f_place_has_actions) {
		unsigned short		f_reserved;
		if(version >= 6) {
			unsigned long	f_all_flags;
		}
		else {
			unsigned short	f_all_flags;
		}
		swf_event		f_event[<variable>];
		if(version >= 6) {
			unsigned long	f_end;	/* always zero */
		}
		else {
			unsigned short	f_end;	/* always zero */
		}
	}
};

This tag will be used to specify where and how to place an object in the next frame. The PlaceObject is much different and is presented separately.

The f_depth field is used to indicate at which depth the character is inserted in the current frame. There can be only one object per depth value (thus a maximum of 65536 objects can appear on a single frame).

The f_place_has_move and f_place_has_id_ref flags are used to indicate what to do at the given depth. The following table presents what happens depending on the current value.

f_place_has_move	...