| ShockWave Flash, Animated Vector Format For The Internet | |
| Adobe Systems | |
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Files with the .SWF extension contain animations comprised of text, vector or raster graphics, interactive content written in the Action Script programming language, as well as audio and video. It is currently used mainly for placing animated content on the internet, and so an alternative expansion of the abbreviation is Small Web Format.
SWF files are created in the Adobe Flash software and can be played by Adobe’s Flash Player or a browser with the right extension. Due to the already complied interactive content code and the compressed multimedia data it contains, is usually not an editable format.
Windows
Mac OS
SWF (Small Web Format) file extension is used by Adobe Flash software for animation files. SWF files store such elements as text, graphical files (vector or raster images), and interactive applets written in ActionScript language, used mainly for basic internet applications.
SWF format was developed for efficent delivery of multimedia content (animations, videos, sounds) on the internet. The format is commonly used by browser games, for creating animated graphics or webpage menus (JavaScript steadily replaces it in this role).
The history of SWF shortcut
SWF is short for ‘Shockwave Flash’. The format was developed for Shockwave Player software, which was bought by Adobe in 2005 and renamed as Adobe Flash. Originally SWF format was limited in capabilities and supported only vector images and objects. Later developers added features such as support for audio tracks, interactive animations or movies.
Viewing SWF files
SWF file can be viewed after installing Flash plugin (available for free, courtesy of Adobe) in web browser or by exporting SWF to executable files (so called projectors).
No animation editing function
SWF files cannot be edited because they use compiled ActionScript code and compressed media data. In order to modify the animation file one must edit the original FLA file.
