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Tips for Downloading Software Safely

An Apple Office with a Mac and an iPad.

If you are downloading software online, are you taking the proper precautions to ensure your safety? You may be tempted to find links for downloading programs that cost a lot, but there is always the danger of exposing yourself to malware and data theft. It's possible to keep yourself safe from these risks while scrolling for the programs you need. You just have to know exactly what it takes to beef up your defenses when you are downloading a PC game or graphics design software. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Check if the website is trusted

The first thing you will need to ...

Flash 64 bit under Ubuntu not letting you click?!

Use this excellent article if you are having difficulty clicking in your flash window (and you’re running Ubuntu 64 9.10):

64bit Java / Flash Deathroll | Speaking What We See. (unfortunately, that page was removed.)

He also rightly clears up the Java issue. This is a way to get native 64 bit installations for both Sun Java and Adobe Flash.

Sprite Properties

The following is the list of currently accepted properties or fields for the Get Property and the Set Property actions. Note that the properties can be specified with either an integer (type 7, requires V5.0+) or a single precision floating point (type 1, V4.0 compatible). And since strings are automatically transformed in a value when required, one can use a string to represent the property number (type 0).

DefineVideoStream

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
60
Tag Type: 
Define
Tag Flash Version: 
6
Brief Description: 

Defines the necessary information for the player to display a video stream (i.e. size, codec, how to decode the data, etc.). Play the frames with VideoFrame tags.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_definevideostream {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 60 */
	unsigned short		f_video_id;
	unsigned short		f_frame_count;
	unsigned short		f_width;	/* WARNING: this is in pixels */
	unsigned short		f_height;
	unsigned char		f_reserved : 5;
	unsigned char		f_deblocking : 2;
	unsigned char		f_smoothing : 1;
	unsigned char		f_codec;
};

This tag defines a video stream. To playback the video stream, one needs to add a list of VideoFrame tags.

The f_width and f_height are defined in pixels. This is rather uncommon in SWF so it is to be noted multiple times.

DefineSprite

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
39
Tag Type: 
Define
Tag Flash Version: 
3
Brief Description: 

Declares an animated character. This is similar to a shape with a display list so the character can be changing on its own over time.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_definesprite {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 39 */
	unsigned short		f_sprite_id;
	unsigned short		f_frame_count;
	...			<data>;
	swf_tag			f_end;
};

A sprite is a set of SWF tags defining an animated object which can then be used as a simple object. A sprite cannot contain another sprite. hHowever, you can use PlaceObject2 to place a sprite in another.

The following are the tags accepted in a Sprite:

DefineBitsJPEG

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
6
Tag Type: 
Define
Tag Flash Version: 
1
Brief Description: 

Define a JPEG bit stream.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_definebitsjpeg {
	swf_long_tag		f_tag;		/* 6, 21, 35 or 90 */
	unsigned short		f_image_id;
	if(f_tag == DefineBitsJPEG3 + f_tag == DefineBitsJPEG4) {
		/* sizeof(f_encoding_tables) + sizeof(f_image_data) + 2 when JPEG4 */
		unsigned long		f_offset_to_alpha;
	}
	if(f_tag == DefineBitsJPEG4) {
		unsigned short fixed	f_deblocking_filter_parameter;
	}
	if(f_tag != DefineBitsJPEG) {
		/* when DefineBitsJPEG, use JPEGTables instead */
		unsigned char		f_encoding_tables[<variable size>];
	}
	unsigned char		f_image_data[<variable size>];
	if(f_tag == DefineBitsJPEG3 || f_tag == DefineBitsJPEG41) {
		unsigned char		f_alpha[<variable size>];
	}
};
  • 1. JPEG4 optionally accepts the f_alpha field. [To be verified]

These tags define an image saved using the JPEG compression scheme.

DefineBitsJPEG (V1.0) does not include the encoding tables which are defined in the unique JPEGTables tag instead. All the DefineBitsJPEG of an SWF file use the only JPEGTables tag. Yes... This means you need a tool that is capable of reusing the same tables over and over again to make sure that all your DefineBitsJPEGs work properly (or use it just once.)

The other tags incorporate their own version of the JPEG encoding tables.

The DefineBitsJPEG3 and DefineBitsJPEG4 support an alpha channel bit plane (8 bits.) ...

FreeCharacter

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
3
Tag Type: 
Define
Tag Flash Version: 
1
Brief Description: 

Release a character which won't be used in this movie anymore.

Tag Structure: 

Unknown

This tag was intended to be used to delete a character that would not be referenced any more. The tag is not used in any movie and is not defined in the Adobe Flash documentation. 

About SWF

Brief History

At the very beginning, a company created the SWF format to generate small vector animations on the Internet called Shockwave Flash (hence the name of the format, SWF.) It also included images. This company was bought by Macromedia around 1997 (if I recall properly). This is when Flash v3 was created. Since then, Macromedia created a new version about once a year up to version 8. At that time (in 2005/2006), Macromedia sealed a deal with Adobe which wanted to use the SWF format in their PDF files.

Today (May 1st, 2008), the SWF format is available for free to all.

There was ...

Notes about Copyrights

SSWF™ name

The name SSWF™ is used by Made to Order Software to reference its SWF library. You are welcome to use this name in reference the SSWF library if you use it in your own software.

SWF Format

Please, note that there is no restriction in using this document. However, the SWF format copyright holders are Macromedia and Adobe. There may be limits in what you can do using this format. If you are not sure, I suggest you contact a knowledgeable copyright and Software attorney who can help you decide what you can do with the SWF format.

SWF File Format Reference

The Flash File Format Explained

The SWF file format is used for Flash. SWF stands for Shockwave Format1, the very first company that created the Flash animation format later bought by Macromedia and now owned by Adobe.

The following book is an attempt in describing the binary file ...

  • 1. There are many people who found other names for the acronym such as Shockwave Flash, Shock Wave File, Small Web Format, Serious Wow Factor, and SWIFF. History of man kind is confronted with the same problems, unfortunately. And no... it really has nothing to do with the Swiss Wrestling Federation!