Insert flash

Aug 22, 2013

Hello everyone here,

I started to use Articulate Storyline from June. It's helpful to develop EL modules.

However, I met this error message when I inserted a flash:

If I chose "Yes", the flash would not be run.

Could you please give me some advices to resolve this problem?

Thank you very much!

20 Replies
HH Alizon

Hi Leslie,

Thank you for your reply in August.

I read what you suggested: flash movie best practices. As I'd like to insert a SWF file that contains interactive elements, could you please tell me how to modify my SWF file so that it can be inserted into Storyline with all interactive elements and without having the error message that I showed above?

Thank you!

Leslie McKerchie

Hi HH! I do not. As the article stated:

  • Don’t use references to _root or _level0
    If you use ActionScript 2.0 (not recommended—see above), note that references to _root and _level0 can cause issues with the Storyline player and should be avoided. For more information on how to avoid using _root and _level0 references, please visit Adobe’s Flash Support Center.

Perhaps some community members would be able to assist you as well.

Steve McAneney

Hi HH and Leslie. 

My solution to this problem is to use Sothink Quicker to edit out all interactive components and action script2 code from the source SWF, insert the swf into Storyline, then rebuild the interactivity using Storyline layers and buttons and variables. 

Luckily, most of the 'interactivity' on the original swf's is simply buttons which open up other menu's/swfs so this technique will work for me. For any swf's with higher levels of interaction (i.e. not just buttons) then I intend getting a 'proper' animator to convert the AS2 (which uses the _root reference) to AS3, which will work in Storyline. 

I have the source fla files, so I can send these off for editing using Flash. However, if you only have the swf file AS2 script can also be updated to AS3 in Sothink Quicker as well. To what degree of success I'm not sure.

I hope this helps, and please remember, I haven't actually done any of this editing yet as I am still trying to learn Sothink Quicker (using a book for adobe Flash 8 - close enough but pretty frustrating).

The Sothink SWF Quicker website is here --> http://www.sothink.com/product/swfquicker/

It costs US$85, but there is a free trial you can try out first.

HH Alizon

Steve McAneney said:

Ashley Terwilliger said:

Hi Steve,

Thanks for sharing that idea here, and I haven't heard of SoThink before, so I'll be curious how this method works out for you. I'm not certain that HH is still subscribed to this thread, so you may wan to send a private message with the same information. 

Thanks again!


Done.

Thank you Steve for sharing your solution and for sending me the private message!

Thank you Ashley for your idea about the message!

Steve McAneney

HH Alizon said:

Steve McAneney said:

Ashley Terwilliger said:

Hi Steve,

Thanks for sharing that idea here, and I haven't heard of SoThink before, so I'll be curious how this method works out for you. I'm not certain that HH is still subscribed to this thread, so you may wan to send a private message with the same information. 

Thanks again!


Done.


Thank you Steve for sharing your solution and for sending me the private message!

Thank you Ashley for your idea about the message!


Ashley,

Sothink worked fine pulling out AS2 'root' references and editing/deleting certain elements of the swf, but I had over 30 files to edit so ended up outsourcing the work to a graphic designer! Oh well...

Philip Varghese

Ashley Terwilliger said:

Hi Philip,

I wasn't able to get to anything on the link you shared, but Flash (SWF) files aren't supported in Articulate Storyline's HTML5 output.

For full comparison of Storyline's Flash, HTML5, and Articulate Mobile Player output, click here.


Ashley, thanks for feedback and link.

Its strange you cannot see it, as I can from my end. This is an interesting development.

Wondering what platform you were viewing it from.

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