There are lots of websites around where you can get free or low priced flash files (SWF files) for enhancing the look of your web pages.  Often times these files provide features or animations that are very close to what you need but could have areas where you would like to make changes in order to integrate closer with the look and feel of your web page.  In this posting I would like to outline a few of the more common ways flash projects can be configured or built.  Knowing a bit about how SWF files can be modified can also be helpful in the planning stages of any project because often times changes will need to be made in the future.

Changes through XML

If the project provides an XML file or other configuration file for making changes in the way the flash SWF displays the data, this is the most convenient way to make updates – you can make changes with any text editor such as windows notepad.  When looking for a flash file to put on your web page, or having something custom built for you, this is a nice feature to have.  By reading the XML file the flash SWF file can find out things like what type of pictures to display in the SWF or what colors to use when showing it.  If you want to change anything later this will make it easier to do because you will not need to rebuild the SWF.  For example the cube displayed on the top of this website uses an XML file to define which graphics to display on each side.

The drawbacks to using this technique is that the flash file must be able to find the XML file and any paths to pictures or other resources must be set correctly in the XML file.  When displaying a SWF on a blog page like Wordpress this can make it more difficult to get things working right, and more prone to breaking if files or paths are changed around.  Being able to pass the location of the XML file in flashvars can be helpful if you need to get the SWF displaying in a blog.  Another drawback is that it is a bit slower for the SWF to request the XML file and then request additional files based on what it reads from the XML.  Loading one file with all the picture resources placed inside of it performs better, however, if this turns your project into one really big file, you have to realize that the user will not see anything until the flash finishes loading (unless the flash SWF contains a loader bar)

Changes through FLA

If the project provides an FLA file, and the licensing allows modifying it, you can make changes and rebuild a new version of the SWF file for your specific use.  The FLA file usually contains all the graphic assets that will be used by the SWF and the action script code for the project.  (Actually it is better to organize the code in separate AS files for larger projects, so you may have this type of file too)  Adobe provides free 30-day trails to Flash Professional that you can use to make minor changes to the project with.

The advantage here is that once all the graphics and code are combined into one SWF file it is easier to put on a blog page and it loads faster.  There are also some nice features in Flash Professional for working with graphics and animations.  The disadvantage is that future changes are going to require some proprietary software or the support of a professional with access to it. (ie. Light Splasher Graphics)

Changes to a Flex Project

If you are lucky enough to have all the action script code and resources for the project you can probably rebuild the SWF using the free Flex SDK and the open source FlashDevelop code editor.  This way you can make any changes you want to the code or graphic resources without spending any additional funds on software.  FlashDevelop is a great development environment and comes with its own integrated debugger for finding problems in the code.  There are several nice tutorials with instructions for getting started at the FlashDevelop website.  I recommend checking this program out if you are interested in getting a feel for what action script flash programming is like.