Google Launches 'Swiffy' Flash-to-HTML5 Converter

[MacRumors]

Google today announced the launch of Google Swiffy, a new Google Labs effort to produce a tool capable of converting Flash content to HTML5 for display on non-Flash devices such as the iPhone and iPad.

You can upload a SWF file, and Swiffy will produce an HTML5 version which will run in modern browsers with a high level of SVG support such as Chrome and Safari. It's still an early version, so it won't convert all Flash content, but it already works well on ads and animations.

Google has posted a small gallery showing examples of Flash content converted to HTML5 by Swiffy.

Earlier this year, Adobe released its own Flash-to-HTML5 converter known as "Wallaby". Neither Wallaby nor Swiffy is yet able to handle advanced Flash animations for such content complex interactive games, but both companies are obviously looking for ways to make it easy to move Flash content onto non-Flash devices. As Google notes in its Swiffy FAQ, Wallaby is designed to produce editable code by reusing some of the Flash elements in the HTML5 result, while Swiffy's focus is simply on presentation and yields a less-editable final product.

Article Link: Google Launches 'Swiffy' Flash-to-HTML5 Converter

 

[jackhdev]

WOW, this is such a great tool, and I can't believe it exists! Now I can make some websites in Flash (in my opinion, a much easier to use tool), and I can most likely easily convert all of it to HTML5. I can't wait to use it!

 

[nagromme]

I doesn’t really work with my own Flash creations (at least the couple I tested), but I like these new options that are evolving! There are no perfect solutions yet, but at least we’re seeing progress. I’m impressed by how much does work.

 

[baleensavage]

I shudder to think of the garbage code these automatic converters are going to create. IMHO a much better solution is to have a development environment that is able to output both Flash and HTML5 content rather than a basic converter that takes Flash content and shoehorns it into HTML5 output.

Now if this was an iOS app that could load Flash pages on the fly by converting them to HTML5, that would be another story...

 

[baryon]

WOW, this is such a great tool, and I can't believe it exists! Now I can make some websites in Flash (in my opinion, a much easier to use tool), and I can most likely easily convert all of it to HTML5. I can't wait to use it!

We all wish that were true, but the reality is that these tools are crap. They won't convert anything much more complex than 2 circles tweening from left to right, unfortunately. Adobe should just make it so that Flash outputs in HTML, if that's even possible.

 

[oheckyeah]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this does not make grammatical sense to me:

"Neither Wallaby nor Swiffy is yet able to handle advanced Flash animations for such content complex interactive games..."

I know what they are trying to say, and I don't mind the occasional mistake, but it has been a recent trend on MacRumors that there are grammatical and/or spelling errors in posts. Is there no editor? Or do those posting not at least read through what they have written before posting?

In an attempt to look professional and thereby increase credibility, I feel like some editing should be going on here.

 

[djrod]

WOW, this is such a great tool, and I can't believe it exists! Now I can make some websites in Flash (in my opinion, a much easier to use tool), and I can most likely easily convert all of it to HTML5. I can't wait to use it!

who in their right mind would design websites in Flash?

 

[charliex5]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this does not make grammatical sense to me:

"Neither Wallaby nor Swiffy is yet able to handle advanced Flash animations for such content complex interactive games..."

I know what they are trying to say, and I don't mind the occasional mistake, but it has been a recent trend on MacRumors that there are grammatical and/or spelling errors in posts. Is there no editor? Or do those posting not at least read through what they have written before posting?

In an attempt to look professional and thereby increase credibility, I feel like some editing should be going on here.

I have to agree. There have been tons of errors recently to the point that its getting annoying. What's happening to my MacRumors?!

 

[autrefois]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this does not make grammatical sense to me:

"Neither Wallaby nor Swiffy is yet able to handle advanced Flash animations for such content complex interactive games..."

I think it means that Wallaby and Swiffy can't do Flash yet for happy, complicated games that are also interactive.

But seriously, my guess is that MacRumors is just increasingly inundated with news and submissions. It's still tops IMHO. It must be difficult to balance speed, coverage, and accuracy. Apple and others in the industry just need to stop developing so much stuff!

 

[Anonymous Freak]

WOW, this is such a great tool, and I can't believe it exists! Now I can make some websites in Flash (in my opinion, a much easier to use tool), and I can most likely easily convert all of it to HTML5. I can't wait to use it!

Please don't.

The vast majority of Flash websites are crap. Even if the ones you create are the exception, don't use an automated tool to do what you should have done in the first place - program in HTML5.

If you're going to make an HTML5 website, take the time to learn to do it properly.

(Note, I have no basis of comparison for your Flash websites, you could very well be one of the people who designs them well, I have seen good Flash website designers. But even the best-made Flash website would suck ass when run through this converter. As Google admits, it works best on small things like ads.)

 

[emvath]

Swiffy? Isn't that the thing you use to sweep your hardwood floors? The swiffy quicky-picker-upper!

 

[The Phazer]

who in their right mind would design websites in Flash?

People who want many of the features that HTML5 doesn't offer? Or doesn't want terrible animation performance?

Phazer

 

[winston1236]

who in their right mind would design websites in Flash?

someone not interested in viewers on the mobile platform

 

[winston1236]

Swiffy? Isn't that the thing you use to sweep your hardwood floors? The swiffy quicky-picker-upper!

no thats swiffer

 

[winston1236]

Please don't.

The vast majority of Flash websites are crap. Even if the ones you create are the exception, don't use an automated tool to do what you should have done in the first place - program in HTML5.

If you're going to make an HTML5 website, take the time to learn to do it properly.

(Note, I have no basis of comparison for your Flash websites, you could very well be one of the people who designs them well, I have seen good Flash website designers. But even the best-made Flash website would suck ass when run through this converter. As Google admits, it works best on small things like ads.)

Ads are where google makes their money so they have a huge interest in their ads running on non flash devices

 

[Daveoc64]

People who want many of the features that HTML5 doesn't offer? Or doesn't want terrible animation performance?

Phazer

Quite.

If you look at the demos provided, you'll see that the Flash versions use less CPU % than the HTML5 generated alternatives.

I don't think any browser currently uses hardware acceleration to render SVG.

 

[jayducharme]

This seems to be an interesting move by Google, given that they've been advertising how Android can run Flash. Are they finally conceding that Flash on mobile devices might not give an impressive performance?

 

[DrNeroCF]

Uh, I just threw the simplest swfs that I had at it, and apparently it can't even getNextHighestDepth.

Finally I just made a squiggle and run _x ++ on it. Well, that worked...

Not sure how ScaleForm can fully rasterize a swf, but swiffy can hardly do anything.

I guess I'll have to fool with it later...

 

[adrianweller]

Adobe have already solved this problem

With PDF!
If you create a document in InDesign, you send it to the printer's as a PDF.
If you create a document in Illustrator, you send it to the printer's as a PDF.
If you create a document in Photoshop, you send it to the printer's as a PDF.
If you create a document in Word, you send it to the printer's as a PDF, and they throw it back in your face (there are some things even Adobe can't fix!!).

The point is, different software can create a common file type that is capable of delivering all of the content exactly as intended. The Postscript RIP at the printer's is the equivalent of the HTML 5 browser.

Adobe need to implement a similar solution with Flash on web browsers.
I'm not saying it's easy, but any company that came up with pure genius like postscript, PDF, and the incredible Transparency flattener (for the print-media people out there) can do it!

 

[Truffy]

WOW, this is such a great tool, and I can't believe it exists! Now I can make some websites in Flash (in my opinion, a much easier to use tool), and I can most likely easily convert all of it to HTML5. I can't wait to use it!

If you're developing in Flash, why not just use Wallaby?

Now if this was an iOS app that could load Flash pages on the fly by converting them to HTML5, that would be another story...

Presumably this would require the device to recognise Flash in the first place, and this does not conform to ecosystem rules. It's a bag of hurt man!

With PDF!
If you create a document in InDesign, you send it to the printer's as a PDF.
If you create a document in Illustrator, you send it to the printer's as a PDF.
If you create a document in Photoshop, you send it to the printer's as a PDF.
If you create a document in Word, you send it to the printer's as a PDF, and they throw it back in your face (there are some things even Adobe can't fix!!).

The point is, different software can create a common file type that is capable of delivering all of the content exactly as intended. The Postscript RIP at the printer's is the equivalent of the HTML 5 browser.

Adobe need to implement a similar solution with Flash on web browsers.
I'm not saying it's easy, but any company that came up with pure genius like postscript, PDF, and the incredible Transparency flattener (for the print-media people out there) can do it!

Converting all those web pages to PDF will take time!

 

[bocomo]

who in their right mind would design websites in Flash?

thank you!


i HATE visiting websites that are all flash--horrible experience

seems like artists and restaurants are the worst offenders

 

[Jeaz]

WOW, this is such a great tool, and I can't believe it exists! Now I can make some websites in Flash (in my opinion, a much easier to use tool), and I can most likely easily convert all of it to HTML5. I can't wait to use it!

Use Hype instead, makes them in HTML5 in a "flash way" natively.

 

[macUser2007]

Please don't.

The vast majority of Flash websites are crap. Even if the ones you create are the exception, don't use an automated tool to do what you should have done in the first place - program in HTML5....

Right....

Except that in our universe the majority of users will not be able to see your HTMP5 creations in their browsers, while virtually everyone can see the Flash versions.

Plus, for complex animation Flash is way ahead of HTML5....

 

[gregorypierce]

Use Hype instead, makes them in HTML5 in a "flash way" natively.

Unfortunately the tool is mostly Hype right now. Swiffy/Flash will allow you to create far more complex thing than you can with Hype today.

 

[rmwebs]

Right....

Except that in our universe the majority of users will not be able to see your HTMP5 creations in their browsers, while virtually everyone can see the Flash versions.

Plus, for complex animation Flash is way ahead of HTML5....

I think you'll find that every modern web browser can handle HTML5 perfectly fine

A prime example is the forum software, XenForo - its fully HTML5 and is even compatible with IE6.

--

Sidenote: I googled for a copy of flash pacman, downloaded the SWF and ran it through Swiffy. To my surprise, it actually worked and produced a fully functional HTML5 copy (all be it with fugly looking code and it ran pretty slow, but it was playable).