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Safety Trainer Cam
Participant
March 18, 2014
Question

Convert FLASH .swf file to PDF

  • March 18, 2014
  • 2 replies
  • 18730 views

Hi there!  I have a contract to convert FLASH content consisting of PowerPoint based videos produced with Articulate Storyline into PDFs for a Learning Mgmt System.

When I try to use Acrobat 11 Pro, I keep getting a message ERROR: Could not open file '0_content/data.swf

I've tried all the options in loading, using different combinations of files, folders and directories under Advanced Options and the Resources tab. 

I hope I'm missing something.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Cam

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

A
Anonymous
March 18, 2014

You can convert the SWF to HTML5 and then try converting that HTML5 to PDF.

SWF to HTML5 using the Flash Pro CC extension Toolkit for CreateJS :  http://www.adobe.com/products/flash/flash-to-html5.html

Then HTML5 to PDF via Acrobat.

Your mileage may vary with both conversions.

D
Dave Merchant
Legend
March 18, 2014

Firstly you can't "convert" SWF content into a PDF file, you're simply embedding a copy and hoping that users will be able to open it - which is increasingly not the case given the prevalence of mobile devices and third-party PDF software. You may well be better working with native video files.

If you are embedding a rich media annotation (RMA) into a PDF file then the resources section behaves like a local folder structure - so every supporting file and folder required by the main SWF has to be inserted exactly as it was on disc. RMAs don't share resources, nor can the embedded SWF files access your local storage, so if a file is missing or a folder is wrongly-named then it won't run.

T
Test Screen Name
Legend
March 18, 2014

Also, confirm whether they are expecting you to make portable PDFs, i.e. ones to run with non-Adobe PDF readers (such as in Chrome and FireFox) and to work on Mobile apps such as iPad, Android. These do not support embedded Flash content, and you would need to reauthor, not press a button...

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