Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Optimizing Flash Movies

There are several measures you can take up front to make your .swf compress as small as it can. The following are just a few tips:

• Keep your artwork as simple as possible.

• Remove unnecessary points in vector drawings (choose Optimize from the Modify menu).

• Limit the number of gradients (choose flat color fills instead).

• Limit the number of fonts and amount of text.

• Use “tweens” and motion guide layers for animation rather than extra keyframes.

• Minimize bitmap usage and avoid setting bitmap images in motion.

• Use symbols and nested symbols whenever possible. However, do not allow symbols to be too large as they can slow down streaming playback.

• Optimize imported media (images, audio) prior to placement in Flash.

• Use MP3 compression for audio whenever possible. You can select MP3 compression in the library for each asset, or select it in the Publish settings for all audio assets.

It is a good idea to use Flash’s Test Movie functionality to check your movie’s performance. The Bandwidth Profiler simulates various connection speeds. You can also generate size reports to check the size of media components within the movie (it may reveal elements that could be optimized better).