Working with video overview

Macromedia Flash MX 2004 and Macromedia Flash MX Professional 2004 provide a variety of ways for you to include video in your Flash documents:

• You can import video clips into Flash as embedded files in MOV, AVI, MPEG, or other formats, depending on your system. Just like an imported bitmap or vector artwork file, an embedded video file becomes part of the Flash document. For information on file formats supported for importing embedded video, see About file formats for imported video.
• You can import video clips in Macromedia Flash Video (FLV) format directly into Flash. When you import FLV files, you can use the encoding options already applied to the files. You do not need to select encoding options during import. See Importing Macromedia Flash Video (FLV) files.

  Note: You can export video clips in FLV format from Flash, for use in Flash documents or other applications. See Macromedia Flash Video (FLV).

• You can play back external FLV files in a Flash document at runtime, using the NetConnection and NetStream objects in ActionScript. See About playing back external FLV files dynamically.
• You can import video clips in QuickTime format as linked files. Flash documents that contain linked QuickTime video must be published in QuickTime format. A linked video file does not become part of the Flash document. Instead, the Flash document maintains a pointer to the linked file. See Importing linked QuickTime video files.
• If you have Macromedia Flash MX Professional 2004, you can use the FLV file format to create and import video in a streamlined workflow. You can export FLV files from video-editing applications using the Macromedia Flash Video (FLV) plug-in. See Exporting FLV files from video-editing applications (Flash Professional only). You can play back FLV files using the streaming media components. See Playing FLV video clips with media components (Flash Professional only).

There are a couple options for controlling playback of imported video files:

• You can use video behaviors (prewritten ActionScript scripts) to control video playback. See Controlling video playback using behaviors.
• If you are comfortable with ActionScript, you can write your own ActionScript to control video playback. You can play or stop a video, jump to a frame, and control video in other ways. You can also display a live video stream from a camera. See About controlling video playback using the Timeline.

Note: You can preview frames of an imported video by dragging the playhead along the Timeline. However, the sound will not play back. To preview the video with sound, you use the Test Movie command.

You can use the Property inspector and the Embedded Video Properties dialog box to modify embedded and linked video clips. The Property inspector lets you give the clip an instance name; change the width, height, and registration point; and swap a video clip with another video clip. The Embedded Video Properties dialog box lets you rename a video clip, update an imported video that you have edited in an external application, or import another video to replace the selected clip. See Changing the properties of a video clip.

For lessons on working with video, see Import and Edit Video on the Macromedia Flash Support Center at www.macromedia.com/support/flash/images_video/flash_video/.