FlashEx

XL6.3, 6CE+, XL7, XL8
Win, Mac, OSX

 

.Documentation

FlashEx exports single objects or entire scenes in Macromedia's Shockwave Flash format (SWF files). Using this format you can save entire animations for use on the Internet or in CD-ROM applications.

 
New in V1.3
- OSX / 6CE+ / XL8 Support

The most important reason for using the SWF format is to save and animate vector lines. Although you can also export SWF files with embedded bitmapped graphics, the main strength ist the vector output (for animations that include embedded bitmapped graphics, use .avi, .mov or .mgp instead of SWF).

When producing vector output, FlashEx converts the three-dimensional data to two-dimensional vector lines, optimizes them and saves them while maintaining the smallest possible SWF file size. Bitmapped textures and procedural shaders are ignored, as are bump maps, fog, transparencies and anything else that can't be displayed as vectors, such as Sky objects.

Camera settings such as zoom are supported. However, note that FlashEx supports the Perspective camera view only.

Wireframe Hiddenline Outline Solid
Gouround Comic Flat Comic Round

General tab

Duration, Frame Rate, File

On this page you'll find settings much like the ones on the Output page of the render settings. here you can set the duration, frame rate and choose the filename and save location for the SWF file that will be created. If you want to use the same settings as defined in the render settings, click the Render Setting button. These settings will then be loaded into the FlashEx dialog.

Generate HTML

In addition to creating an SWF file, you can also generate a HTML page which includes the SWF file. You can cut-and-paste the HTML code from this page directly into your own HTML pages or edit the code.

Optimize For

The Width and Height input boxes enable you to specify the optimum display size. When an SWF file is opened directly, most Internet browsers will display it in full screen mode but if you have enabled the Generate HTML option it will be displayed using this optimum size if possible. This size can be changed afterwards using any HTML editor. Optimize For settings are especially important for display of lines and the Gouraud and Comic modes.

Mode

This drop-down list enables you to change the render mode. The Wireframe, Hiddenline, Outline and Solid modes are rendered using vector lines. SWF files using these modes are fully scalable without loss of quality. The other modes are based on vectorized raster images and therefore loss of quality is possible when scaling them.

Wireframe
Objects are displayed as wireframe models. If backfaces should be drawn as well, set Polygons to All.

Hiddenline
This mode is very similar to Wireframe, except that hidden parts of the geometry will not be drawn.

Outline
Only the outlines are drawn.

Solid
This mode is similar to Outline except that each objects is filled with the color of its material (Color page). All other material channels are ignored. Procedural materials, plugin materials and textures are all ignored.

Gouroud Limited
This mode generates shaded surfaces based on vectorized raster images. The accuracy is limited to pixels and therefore not as clean as the vector-based modes such as Wireframe oder Solid. Just like a normal 2D picture, when you scale the SWF document there will be a loss of quality. To improve the quality of Gouroud output, increase the Width and Height values.

Comic Flat Limited, Comic Round Limited
These two modes draw the objects cartoon-style. The Flat mode is the more suitable of the two for angular objects. Since the Comic modes generate shaded surfaces based on vectorized raster images, the accuracy is limited to pixels and therefore not as clean as the vector-based modes such as Wireframe os Solid. Just like a normal 2D picture, when you scale the SWF document there will be a loss of quality. To improve the quality of Gouroud output, increase the Width and Height values.

Polygons

This setting determines whether all polygons are drawn (All) or only those facing the camera (Only Frontfaces).

Each polygon has a surface normal and two faces: a front and a back face. The direction of the surface normal defines which side is the front face and which is the back face. In general, all objects should be modeled with the surface normals pointing outwards. In this case, polygons whose surface normals point towards the camera are also at the front of the objects and those that are pointing away are at the back.

If you want to see the back faces in Wireframe mode, set Polygons to All. If instead you set Polygons to Only Frontfaces, only the front faces will be drawn.

For all rendering modes apart from Wireframe, you shold generally set Polygons to Only Frontfaces. This is because in most cases the front faces will cover the back faces and so you won't see the back faces anyway. Calculating back faces in these case is a waste of render time.

Background tab

The background color is defined on this page of the FlashEx dialog. When importing SWF files into certain applications such as Macromedia Director, this background color can be made transparent.

Lines tab

Outline

If this option is enabled, lines are drawn for all outer edges and intersecting lines.

Edges Angle

If this option is enabled and two polygons face each other at an angle greater then one entered, they are drawn as edges.

Width

This slider defines the vector line width and ranges from 0 to 20. A value of 0 creates a hairline which is still drawnas a hairline even if the SWF file is scaled larger in the Internet browser. When using values abaove 0, the lines ar scaled with the document. An SWF file with an optimal size of 320 x 240 pixels and a line width of 1 pixel will display a line width of 2 pixels if it is scaled to a document size of 640 x 480 pixels.

Color, Brightness, Transparency

These sliders control the color and opacity of the lines. Setting the line color to black and setting Transparency to 80% results in slightly visible lines which let the object color shine through.

HTML tab

These setting correspond to the Macromedia Flash settings and are saved within the HTML document. The HTML settings allow you to determine if the animations play repeatedly (Loop) or once only; if the animations are played as soon as they are loaded and whether the quality setting should adjust automatically according to the processor performance. These settings can still be adjusted afterwards using a HTML editor.

The default options should be fine in most cases. For example, a quality setting of Automatic Heigh results in the lines being antialiased. However, if the processor is unable to play back the animation properly with this setting, the Quality is reduced an the lines are drawn without antialiasing. The browser will do this automatically.

FAQ

In Wireframe mode, I can't see the backs of objects.
In the FlashEx dialog, on the General tab, set Polygons to All. Now back faces will be shown as well as front faces.
There are holes in the objects and I can see right through to the geometry inside.
Check if the surface normals of your objects are all pointing outwards. use the Structure > Reverse Normals or Structure > Align Normals commands from the main menu to correct this. Alternatively, in the FlashEx dialog, on the General tab, set Polygons to All.
My full screen SWF life looks awful. I'm using the Gouroud mode.
If you want to play back a SWF Gouroud file in full screen you shold adjust the values for Width and Height in the FlashEx dialog on the General tab to give you the desired size. To keep the file size compact, FlashEx merges lines which are visually at the same position. The Gouraoud and Comic modes are generally not suitable for scaling.
The FlashPlayer can't display my SWF file properly in realtime.
The scene is probably too complex. the player needs to draw all the vector lines in realtime and the processor speed determines how well it manages todo that. You need to simplify the scene. In 3D video games, characters often have less than a thousand polygons.
How can I make the lines a similar color to the object color?
Set the line color to black an in the FlashEx dialog, on the Lines tab, set Transparency to 80%.
The lines get thicker when I scale the SWF document. How do I get the lines to stay the same thickness?
Set the line width to 0 (hairline). The player will then always display a thin, 1-pixel line, no matter how much the SWF document is scaled.
Sometimes I can't see planes and single polygons from the side. How can I make them show up as lines?
In the FlashEx dialog, on the General tab, set Polygons to All. Now all polygons will be visible regardless of whether they point at the camera.

Demo version

The unregistered version runs automaticly in demo mode.

Restrictions:
- only 10 frames for animation
- only Wireframe and Solid
- Background color and line coler are fixed
- import into Flash are disable

Full version

Registration and Updates: www.cinemax4d.de

Registered updates

You can enter the old registration key or copy the file "register.txt" in the new folder.

  CINEMA 4D XL
Plugins
  FlashEx
        ...  
      register.txt <-- please copy this file into the new folder or enter your old registration key in the dialog box
    res  
    strings_de  
    strings_us  

Version history

V1.3
- OSX / 6CE+ / XL8 Support

V1.2
- faster
- need less memory
- save preferences

V1.1
- generate HTML page
- better quality
- lower file size
- User Break


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