Alternate Vector Support to .swf? - Feedback Tracker

Votes
17

Product:
Cartoon Animator 4

Version:
4.0

Status:
Assigned

Issue 6053

Alternate Vector Support to .swf?

With flash being phased out by Adobe in 2020 is there any plans to replace .swf file import in CA4 with another format?

As a suggestion, if it is possible, I would like to throw support behind .svg as being the alternate vector format for props and G1/G2 characters (maybe even G3 if it's possible to add vector support into those characters in addition to .psd).

I know .svg doesn't have the ability to add animated props like .swf but are they really needed now CA4 has the ability to create compound prop animations?

All most people are looking for from vector images is resolution independence. .svg can provide that as well as giving users options to create their vector graphics in a wider variety of applications than .swf currently allows.

I'd particularly like to see the G2 pipeline flash character template that exports to a .swf file be replaced with a .svg template that you can import directly to CA4's character composer.

Regardless, we really need an alternative .swf and, even if .svg isn't it, a format that is supported by a wider variety of applications than .swf would be appreciated.

Just wanted to throw the idea out there... if it hasn't been put forward already.

OS: Windows 10

10
3407

Suggestion Pipeline (PSD, SWF)

Submitted byetourist 2019/06/17 03:04:51

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COMMENTS (10)

_Eldar_ 2022/03/30 17:19:00

Becareful!!! the url c001mac gave for macromedia flash mx 2004 installs you some kind of virus or something. When I ran the setup windows gave warning the publisher is unknown but I ran it anyway. So instead of installing flash mx 2004 it installed and opened some mozilla web browser page, turning my desktop to blank white. I immediately plugged off internet, ran the windows deffender but it says no virus. Well I had turned off updates so now I installed the latest security patches. There is an app installed with blank icon "2.1.2.3" I try to uninstall but it says it is not found. So I am going to reinstall windows for satisfaction.

etourist 2021/06/22 03:21:38

Imagine the possibilities for a vector based character creator for CA4 along the lines of iClone's Character Creator. You could literally create character bases that you could adjust with sliders like CC3, and vector based clothing that also scales to body sizes etc. You can't do any of this with raster based characters. There's a whole new market for 2D character creation here that's just sitting there, waiting for someone to develop it.

c001mac 2021/03/26 01:15:49

Hello, I'm quite new here and only just learning to use CA4, but I totally agree that vector tools would be extremely useful, or better compatibility for apps such as Affinity Designer would be a massive help.

I too think Adobe's subscription charges are over the top, which I totally begrudge paying for. However, I found a free 'legit' work around today which I thought I'd share. I have only tested it briefly, but it seems to do the job okay. 

I exported a vector image from Affinity Designer as an EPS, then imported into Macromedia Flash MX 2004, added some tweens and changes in opacity, then exported a movie clip as an SWF and imported into CA4 Pipeline.

Flash MX was re-released for free by Adobe when it reached it's end of life in 2017, they even provide serial numbers which I used today when I installed it (see links below). It actually runs better than expected on Windows 10, though the select tool in Flash is a bit slow when going inside movie clips symbols, but overall it work's okay. Obviously, I won't be attempting to use the application for anything other than offline animation, but it is one way to avoid paying for Adobe's extortionate subscription charges. 

http://www.oldversion.com/windows/macromedia-flash-mx-2004

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/x-productkb/policy-pricing/macromedia-legacy-activation-error.html

I hope this helps someone :-)

etourist 2021/03/02 11:41:34

Just in addition to my original comment, apparently it is possible to create animations with SVG files that can be exported as Javascript or CSS (if using a cloud based app called 'SVGator.com').

I'm wondering if CA4 might be given the capability to import SVG animations that have been exported as Javascript?

The main point being that, if you can create animated SVG and import them into CA4 that is pretty much a complete alternative to .SWF imports.

Videodep-overbruggend 2021/03/02 10:25:00

Yes!!! Definitely change that old and worn out SWF format to a new generation. It's not a surprise that Affinity, by far the best software at present, doesn't support SWF. SVG will do the trick, I'm sure!!!

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