| Full name | Macromedia Flash FLA Project File Format |
| Description | Authoring format for Macromedia application software. FLA files typically include vector image data for use in animations, timelines to control animation playback, and audio; they may also include "bitmapped" video content. FLA files may include or reference ActionScripts (similar to JavaScripts) to provide interactivity.1 FLA files are comparable to source code and are typically saved as Flash files for Internet delivery; see SWF_7 and SWF_8.
In 2005, Adobe Systems Incorporated acquired Macromedia. During this year,
under the Macromedia brand, the company published specifications for version
8 of the SWF file format (SWF_8) together
with documentation of the FLV format. It
is not clear to the compiler of this Web page if the specifications for
the FLA project format were revised, although in 2005 the creating application
was assigned number 8. In late 2006, commentators predicted the advent of version 9 (formats and application), which may be branded as Adobe.
Comments welcome. |
| Production phase | Used for initial-state content creation, or for middle-state archiving by producers.2 |
| Relationship to other formats | |
| May contain |
Sorenson encoded video.3 |
| May contain |
Screen video bitstream format and Screen Video Version 2, not documented here. |
| May contain |
On2 Truemotion VP6 bitstream format, not documented here. |
| May contain |
Raw PCM sampled audio content, not documented here. |
| May contain |
ADPCM (Adaptive Delta Pulse Code Modulation) audio content |
| May contain |
MP3_ENC audio content |
| May contain |
Nellymoser Asao (speech compression) audio content, not documented here. |
| May contain |
ActionScript as files as external resources1 |
| Other |
SWF_7 Macromedia Flash SWF File Format, Version 7. Explanatory note: SWF files are typically derived from a FLA file. |
| Other |
SWF_8 Macromedia Flash SWF File Format, Version 8. Explanatory note: SWF files are typically derived from a FLA file. |
| Disclosure | Proprietary, not publicly documented. Developed by Macromedia, Inc., now owned by Adobe Systems. |
| Documentation | None identified. |
| Adoption | Widely adopted by SWF creators. |
| Licensing and patent claims | Details unknown to the compiler of this document. |
| Transparency | Not transparent; proprietary binary format. |
| Self-documentation | Not investigated; likely to be proprietary and associated with the authoring application |
| External dependencies | None. |
| Technical protection considerations | None known to the compilers of this document. |
| Video elements | |
| Normal rendering for video | Good support |
| Clarity (support for high image resolution) |
FLA files feature vector graphics for which high levels of clarity (in some sense) are a given. The conventional video in SWF and FLV files may be compressed in various ways and presumably the same options exist for FLA files (see relationships above). The video quality in these encodings is expected
to range from good to very good. |
| Functionality beyond normal rendering for video | None noted. |
| Sound elements | |
| Normal rendering for sound | Good support |
| Fidelity (support for high audio resolution) | The SWF specification (and hence the presumed inclusions within FLA files) limits uncompressed audio to 44 kHz sampling and 16 bit words, thus providing very good fidelity. The use of compression will reduce fidelity in accord with the specific encoding and settings selected. |
| Support for multiple sound channels | Stereo only. |
| Support for downloadable or user-defined sounds, samples, and patches | None. |
| Functionality beyond normal rendering for sound | None noted. |
