Is this right, swf file is bigger than gif file?

[Ron Duke]

I've created the globe you see below (I've posted it before), but I don't understand why the swf export file is 1.3mg and the gif export file is 83k. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

ron

[Egg Bramhill]

Hi Ron, Not always. I've posted 2 swf's below of the same vector shape. If you look at the file size next to the file names you'll notice that they're similar in size 3.2Kbs - 3.7 Kbs. If you increased the size of theses swf's to 1000% the file size would remain roughly the same.

However for bitmap images this isn't the case. I've created 3 bitmaps of the self same image and produced 3 different sizes of it. Notice the big difference in the file sizes of the gifs.

Notice that the smallest gif image is in fact smaller than the swf. So for creating an animation at the small size you're using and persumably with no tweening, the animated gif will be smaller.

For instance if it consisted of 20 frames each of a gif of 2Kb's, the total size would be 40Kb's.
A swf file of 20 frames each of a vector shape of 3.5 Kbs, the total size would be 70 Kbs.

Of course it's once you start scaling the image up in size and use tweens that the vector swf becomes the winner.

Hope this makes sense?

[Ron Duke]

Thanks Eric.
ron

[gwpriester]

Ron

Was your SWF file made with bitmaps or with vectors?

Bitmaps even in Flash can increase file size very fast.

If there is a bitmap that appears the same on every frame then setting that bitmap on the first frame with B (Background) checked in the Frame Gallery will help some. But if you have a separate bitmap for each frame then sometimes a GIF animation might be better.

I really like the effect of your animation, by the way.

Gary

[Ron Duke]

Gary,
It's all vector.
ron