Tutorial:Filetypes

From Anipedia

There are two types of flash files:

1. There are your red documents (fla)

     - They are the guts of your flash they have all your frames, layers etc
     - These are alot larger in size
     - These are not used for submitting at anytime

2. There are your silver documents (swf)

     - These are your exported versions all layers and frames have been merged 
     - Since all layers and frames have been merged the file size is very small
     - These are used for submitting on the internet or anyother place

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You can still open silver documents in flash however but everything will be flattened.

   -All objects will be made into graphic symbals
   -All layers will become one
   -All frames will become basic frame by frame keyframes
   -All movie clips will be disgarded and the 1st frame of them will be used in a graphic

• note* I find that if your patient and your file size is become to large that it will lag your computer you can import your swf document and go to your fla and begin bringing in you movie clips and relayering things since everrythign has been flattened your file size can be cut as much as 10x what the size once was.