Flash is getting large

[Rob905]

I have a project done in Captivate 4 but it's almost 10GB in size and takes a while to load.

Is it possible that I create two smaller files and display one above the other so it still looks like it's one screen?

http://robertensing.com/help/Snow_Leopard_System_Prefs.html

Any other suggestions to brining the file size down?

Thanks

Robert

[Lilybiri]

Hello Robert,

10GB is enormous, think you are talking about the CP-file, not the SWF.

If that is the case, first try to delete all unused items from the library (will not have effect on the published SWF however). Use the right mouse button on the Library to select unused items.

Do you use a lot of FMR in your CP? If so is that really necessary, the default Automatic capture mode would result in much smaller files.

The size depends also on the resolution you choose: is this resolution necessary for the published SWF? If not you could rescale.

There are certainly more ideas, but first try those out.

Lilybiri

[Rob905]

I'm referring to the SWF file getting to be over 9GB and takes a while to load as you may have seen from the link I

posted.

Not sure what FMR is.

I can't use the capture portion of the program because they don't have a Mac version yet so I have to create the images on my Mac then send them over to my PC to use.

Resolution is important. If I go much smaller then what I'm currently using you can't make out the screens anymore.

That's why I originally asked if the image would need to be optimized for use in CP.

Thanks

Robert

[Lilybiri]

Hello,

Clicked on the link, but first time it did not load at all. Now could load, took some time but am very amazed that the SWF should be that big? What is the size of your CP-file then?

I do not understand your workflow, sorry it is perhaps due to the fact that English is not my native language. How did you create: you are telling that you did not use the capturing, but do you mean that you do create the CP, starting with individual images to import on different slides and then adding the necessary objects? Anyway: images will be compressed/optimized when publishing to SWF, I don't think that optimizing them yourself could make that big difference. But do you use the same image sometimes again and again? If so, did you import the image to the library and use it from there when necessary?

What is the resolution you are using for the moment? What is the video quality of the slides (right mouse menu on a slide in the Filmstrip)? And which settings for SWF size and quality (Preferences, Project)?

Sorry for the acronym: Full Motion Recording (FMR), do not think you used it but will lead to much larger filesizes.

Lilybiri

[Rob905]

The images are captured from actual setting screens on my iMac.

I'm trying to emulate the exact screens I would see if I was sitting at my Mac and be able to click on the items and should show me the options.

The screen size is set at the start of the project to the size of the largest slide, so if one image is a bit shorter, it will just be black for the rest of the screen, which blends in with the background. This way all the images are top alligned.

I create each slide and change the Quality to High (24-bit) because the 8-bit Low doesn't look that good.

I have now also removed the un-used slides from the library.

I changed the resolution to "Optimized" and now have a file slightly larger than the original 😞

My original SWF file was 9.31GB and the optimized one is 9.38GB

The CP file went from 11GB to 13GB??

As for your English, you're doing fine. I don't have any trouble following you and you're giving very good ideas.

I think I will try adjusting the different resolutions and see what happens.

Do you thinkg creating to separate files will work?

Create 1 file for the top 2 rows and another for the bottom 2 rows and just display them right above one another?

Thanks

Robert

PS, English isn't my first language either. 🙂

[Lilybiri]

Hello,

I do not know what you use for capturing, but try to take the smallest size possible, since the remaining space will be filled with the background color. Do not think 2 files could be placed on top of each other. But I think you are reusing the same images, please import them to the library and use them when necessary. Perhaps this could save some bits...

Lilybiri

[Rob905]

When I create the project I name most of the slides according to what they are so that if I have refer to them anywhere in the project I don't recreate the slide, just refer to the slide I need. I guess that's kind of the same thing?

If I import images, should I only import the images for that project or will all the images remain in the library no matter what project I'm working on.

I could see that library getting rather large in that case

The link I posted actually uses 119 slides.

BTW, I adjusted the Quality to JPEG and it chopped my SWF file down to just over 5GB.

Although the quality is somewhat less, it's still perfect for what I need.

The only files that were on top of each other was the one with a mouse-over effect and I didn't like the way that handled so I moved the secondary image to the main screen and just created a roll-over text effect.

Thanks again for all your help.

I'm hoping to have the manual soon so I can start looking up some of this stuff. 🙂

[Lilybiri · Accepted solution]

No, Library is not shared with other projects, so keep it as clean as possible.

Lilybiri

[Guest]

Just a thought...

When you transfer the images to your PC to use in captivate how are you putting the images into capitvate??

[Rob905]

First I create the slide

That I import the image onto the slide.

I've since found that changing the resolution from 24-bit to JPEG reduced the file size by about 1/3.

Thanks

Robert

[Lilybiri]

Hello Robert, Nik,

Hope you do not mind my adding some comments? Images with their different formats and resolution/bitdepth are one of my favourite subjects, please be patient with me. I'm a Photoshop user since many years and teaching it. I believe, reading your posts, that there is some misunderstanding. Nik was asking about the compression of images before importing, Robert's reply is about the slide video settings in CP.

Thinking you are aware that in CP, and later on when publishing to Flash there is already a compression (will not go into details), so if you are doing some compression yourself before importing the images into CP this means that those images are 'treated' three times! Secondly: JPEG is a lossy compressing technique. Nik was asking if you were treating the images before importing, but I think you were answering about the slide settings in CP. Those settings control the quality/compression done in CP. It depends on the settings of JPEG how big the reduction is. You have to check out if the remaining quality is sufficient in the published SWF.

You can also import images to the library, BTW, and drag them from this library on the stage (interesting when using an image more than once).

Really hope you didn't mind

Lilybiri

[Rob905]

I don't mind at all, we're here to learn and help eachother.

Here is what I've been doing and I'm doing it wrong, please let me know.

The screen shots that I take on the Mac are made into .PNG files and are the size that I need them.

Based on the size of those screen shots, some are a bit longer than others but all have the same width, I create my project to fit the longest slide, knowing that the rest will just have extra space filled in by the background collor which in my case is set to black.

I then bring the files over to the PC.

I create the slide where I was creating the slide at the 24-bit resolution and finding the SWF file to become too large, I now make the slides JPEG quality and when the process is finished I have an SWF file is of decent enough quality for what I need.

The only slides that make smaller are the screenshots that I make on the Mac and are wider than 550. I use Photoshop to reduce their size but don't do anything else with them. (That's why in an earlier thread I asked if I should "Save for Web" or anything like that.)

I hope that all makes sense but if I'm doing something wrong, I'm in the right place to find out. LOL

Thanks again for all your help.

Robert

PS according to the FedEx shipping notification, my Captivate 4 should be here later today or tomorrow.

Looking forward to getting the manual and going through it.

[Lilybiri]

Hello Robert,

Fine that you have this positive reaction. I do remember that you asked if you should 'save for web', when you have been changing the captures in PS. It is not really necessary, because CP will compress itself, and once I heard from the Adobe team that internally PNG is used. You can also import a PS-image as it is, even with layers which is fine if once you want to edit the layers again in PS. You can compress them (save for Web) in PS, but prefer then PNG24 (there is also a 8-bit version of PNG) to JPEG.

If the same image could be used more than once, I would import it to the Library to be reused. And when you really do not want the image separate from the (black) background, why not merge it into the background once you have positioned it? Think it will save some filesize too.

You changed the quality of the CP-slides from 24-bit (which is mostly overkill) to JPEG: it is up to you to judge which setting leads to the required quality.

Glad that you will get CP4 soon, but sorry to say so: I did not get a manual, all is in the (AIR)Help online.

Lilybiri

[Guest]

Thanks again for a great tip.

I will try to merge the image with the slide.

I guess Adobe went "Green" also. Understandable given the size of some of the manuals.

It's sometimes easier to find something in a PDF anyway because you search for it. LOL

Have a great April 1.

(No, not a joke.)

Robert