Webmaster Forum / Flash / General Flash Topics / October 2008

Flash is wonderful for e-cards. I've created hundreds of animated cartoon
e-cards in Flash.

Work created in Flash is ideally meant to output as Flash: SWF format. But if
the client is sending it by e-mail, there will be a problem, in that many
recipients won't be able to view it as a standalone SWF file, and will have to
drag it into a browser to view it (not everyone uses full bells-and-whistles
HTML compatible e-mail programs; I don't, and many of my clients don't). Most
people can't open a SWF file by double-clicking on it, since the Flash player
on their computers, in most cases, is only a browser plugin.

If you output it as a projector file (EXE, self-executable), many
spam-catchers and corporate firewalls will go on red alert and not allow it
through.

Your alternative is to output as AVI or Quicktime (MOV), and then possibly
convert to MPEG. But the disadvantages there are: first, some movie clips and
ActionScript won't work, in spite of claims that they will in Flash CS3 (if you
choose AVI or MOV as your final output, then play it safe by not using movie
clips or script!), and the file sizes are much much larger than a SWF
(usually). And if you use any sort of compression to keep the file sizes down,
you'll find noticeable dithering and jaggies in some of the artwork.

So either way you're screwed.

When I advise my own clients about this, I usually suggest they send a SWF,
and also place the same e-card on-line, on its own web page. SO, for those
unable to view it, they get the message: "Can't view the e-card? Try dragging
it into a browser or click here..." and then give them the URL.

You can't export to HTML format alone. You need to export to SWF and then place
code in an HTML file to access the SWF. This is automatically done for you when
publishing in Flash, if you choose HTML and SWF from the publish menu. Then
host the HTML file and SWF, plus the AC_RunActiveContent.js javascript file
which will be generated, on the company server.

As for your snowflake extension, there are dozens of those available, so I
have no idea which you're using, how it's set up, or how to control it. Ask the
person or company who supplied the extension for instructions. There is not a
snowflake template which comes with Flash.