What is Swiffy?

Swiffy converts SWF files (the file format for Flash) to HTML5. It allows Flash authors to make their animations available on modern browsers without the need for a plugin.

Do you have some examples?

You can view some examples in our gallery.

How can I use Swiffy's output on my website?

You can simply save the HTML file that is generated and include it on your website using an <iframe> tag, or you can embed the output directly into a page by copying the <script> tags from the output to your own page.

When using the "Save as" option of your browser, use the "HTML only" or "page source" save option.

Which browsers support Swiffy output?

Swiffy uses SVG, a standardised format for vector graphics. View an overview of the supported browsers.

Can I preview the output on a mobile device?

You can preview the output on a mobile device using the links provided. The preview is available for 15 minutes after converting your file.

How does Swiffy work?

A SWF file is converted in two phases: the Swiffy compiler (which you can use on this website) processes the SWF file and generates a JSON file. A client-side JavaScript runtime loads that JSON file and renders it using HTML, SVG and CSS.

How large is the output that Swiffy generates?

The JSON objects, when gzipped, are slightly larger than the input SWF file in most cases. For example, the increase in file size for the Chrome ad in the gallery is about 16%.

Which SWF features are supported by Swiffy?

Swiffy supports many common SWF features such as vector graphics, embedded fonts, images and timeline animation. Basic ActionScript 2.0 code is supported, but don't expect to convert your favorite Flash game yet. Blend modes and parts of the ActionScript libraries are not supported. The Swiffy compiler will warn you when unsupported SWF features are encountered. View an overview of the supported SWF features.

Does Swiffy support ActionScript?

Swiffy supports ActionScript 2.0 and classes such as MovieClip. Swiffy will inform you when unsupported ActionScript code is encountered. View an overview of the supported ActionScript features.

How well does Swiffy perform when rendering animations?

Performance for timelined animations is quite good in most cases. However, there are still many rendering optimizations to be done, so stay tuned.

Can I host the Swiffy runtime myself?

Yes, if you need to host the Swiffy runtime yourself, you can. However, we don't recommend this in general, because having one centrally hosted copy improves caching.

How can I support the clickTAG parameter?

Flash ads commonly use the clickTAG parameter to enable click tracking. You can pass this parameter to your Swiffy file in the URL like ?clickTAG=http://www.google.com, or by inserting the following code snippet in the Swiffy output, just before the call to stage.start():

stage.setFlashVars("clickTAG=http://www.google.com");

Will Swiffy be open source?

We're not sure yet.

How is Swiffy different to Wallaby?

Wallaby is an installable tool that converts .fla files, whereas Swiffy is a web-based tool that converts .swf files. Wallaby focuses on reusing parts of a Flash file in HTML, and thus produces code that can be edited by the developer, whereas Swiffy generates an efficient format that is not that easily editable.

What does Adobe think of Swiffy?

Adobe is pleased to see the Flash platform extended to devices which don't support the Flash player. The result is that anyone creating rich or interactive ads can continue to get all the authoring benefits of Flash Pro and have the flexibility to run the ad in the Flash Player or HTML depending on what's available on the system. Google and Adobe look forward to close collaboration around efforts like these.

The "Export to HTML5" option is not present in the Commands menu.

The Swiffy Extension will only be installed for the language of the Extension Manager. If the language of the Extension Manager is different to the language of Flash Professional, then the Swiffy Extension will not be visible. To make it available in Flash, open the Extension Manager from inside Flash Professional (Help > Manage Extensions...). The extension will be shown as installed but not enabled. Enable the extension to make it available for that language and then restart Flash Professional.

Using the Windows extension behind a proxy.

The Swiffy Extension for Windows will use your Internet Explorer configuration to access Swiffy. Make sure Internet Explorer is configured with the appropriate proxy settings.