It seems there a few newbies here who want to know how to export some 3D stuff into Flash. Well, I thought I'd just make a quick tutorial outlining how to do exactly that.

First, it is not essential that you have Swift 3D, but it does come in handy, since it has a built in exporter used specifically for exporting to Flash. I HIGHLY recommend that you don't use Swift 3D for anything but rendering, since it simply sucks at just about everything; even the newest v5 is nothing special. The only reason you should use Swift 3D to export certain 3D models is for a turntable effect, that spins the 3D model all the way around to get every angle. Otherwise I suggest using something like Blender or 3ds Max . I personally prefer 3ds Max, because it has a simple intuitive interface/workflow which is perfect for beginners, but if you're into free stuff, try Blender.

Secondly, if you're not looking for a turntable effect (which I explain how to do in a second) then Swift 3D is not necessary. There is however a plugin for 3ds Max that allows you to do the same thing that you can in Swift 3D, but in 3ds Max, of course.


This first step shows how to get certain angles without the help of Swift 3D, and only the Swift 3D Max Plugin. Assuming you have 3ds Max and have now installed the above plugin, we're ready to start exporting. I will take a file that will be available as a resource later on as an example. First, we have the gun:

And the Swift 3D Exporter, which can be accessed by going to Rendering > Render:


I wont go into details, but in the newly opened Render tab, there are various, self explanatory options. I'll let you mess around with them and figure them out. For now, just save the file wherever you want, but be sure to keep the .swft extension. It isn't necessary to save the actual rendered image, but you can if you like(found in the "Common" tab near the bottom. It doesn't save by default). The .swft file is what you import into Flash. Here is the resulting render if the plugin were used:



Be careful when using certain options. I used Mesh Gradient Shading, and if you have multiple images like that, the .Fla and .swf files will be huge. You are warned.

Secondly, suppose you want to take a view all the way around the gun rather than a simple angle of it. This is done more easily in Swift 3D than 3ds Max, ironically, but that's just about the only thing Swift 3D has over Max. For now, with the gun file opened, go to File > Export and save it as a .3DS (default). This can now be imported into Swift 3D. (Do not worry about the prompt for texture coordinates; it doesn't matter when it comes to this particular render setting)

Now, with Swift 3D open, go to File > New from 3DS and browse for your exported gun. Here's the gun in Swift 3D v5:

Because Swift 3D is gay, it adds a lame default brownish texture. Change it if you so choose.

Now, like the screenshot shows, in the animation tab at the bottom, there are pre-animated animations at your disposal. The first two are Spin Left and Spin Right. Choose whichever one you want by selecting the logo, and dragging and dropping it onto the object. This will result in the aforementioned turntable effect.

This next step is not necessary, but it will result in better quality, not to mention larger file sizes. At the animation toolbar at the top, with the gun selected, click the animate button and the grayed out area becomes clearer. Take the brown slider at the end of the pre-animated frames and drag it out to whichever frame you like. In my case I drag it out to 100 for a nice smooth spin:



If you like exact numbers, drag it out to 102, because for some reason it automatically chops off two frames when it's rendered. Just add 2 to whatever frame you want.

Next, we have to position it in the viewport. Like most 3D programs, what you see is what you get. In other words, whatever shows up in the viewport is exactly what shows up when it is rendered. To preview what the render will look like, press the play button at the top (if you have 100 frames like me, feel free to change the fps so it isn't so slow) and position it accordingly. When this is done, go to the Preview and Export Editor tab at the top. Here you are presented with similar options from the Swift 3D Max plugin. Again, they are mostly self explanatory, so I'll let you play with them. By default, all you have to do is press Generate All Frames and you can get a decent render right off the bat. For me, I chose Mesh Gradient shading again, and rendered all the frames:

When you're done rendering, select Export All frames on the top right and save the file. It can now be imported into Flash:

In the words of a cartoon pig, thats all folks!

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