I have lost my flash file, how do I get it back? What is a decompiler? How do I turn .swf files into .fla files?

Posted February 27, 2005

Rothe Blog Design Flash Sothink Decompiler
Now, Chris and I differ on our opinions about this.

For $79.99, you can but this program called Sothink Decompiler. You can download a Flash movie off the internet, put it in this program, and it will make it into a Flash file for you to view the work of any developer around the world, including their script.

Now, for me, having no training in Flash on my own, I have to learn everything on my own. I do no know anyone to talk to Flash about, and so my experience with moving Graphics is one I have to gain on my own. Then, there is the problem that no matter how hard I try, and the fact that I don’t do it day in and day out and probably never will, I can’t seem to just sit down and write really complex programs.

For me, this program lets me see how it is done. I am not taking graphics out of the files, and more than likely, I will rewrite a script to fit my needs, using the original for a basis of what I need. So this is a great tool to learn. I actually used it for a project where there were these burning spark effects, and I wasn’t sure how it was being done. So I took a look at the file where I viewed it, and then was able to see how they did it, and created from scratch my own interpretation for my needs.

But it’s a double edged sword that is up to the individual to use wisely. There are many downsides to using it, becoming creatively lazy, alienation from the design world for what they view as “stealing”, and possible even problems at a job if you judiciously copy another piece of work from somewhere that comes back to reflect badly on your company.

So, it is one of those things, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”. It is a good learning tool to be a passive observer, but can be a terrible tool in the hands of an unscrupulous person.