Naming Files and Working Cross Platform

1. PC file names generally have a three-letter extension at the end. The extension for a FLA file is .fla, for example, mydocument.fla. What these three letters do is instruct the PC as to the type of file that it is referring to.

2. A Macintosh computer doesn’t work in the same way and doesn’t need the .fla filename extension to enable it to recognize the file type.

3. So, if you want to work cross-platform, you have to think about file naming conventions. If you create a Flash document on a Macintosh and have named it with a PC style three letter extension, for example, mydocument.fla, then it should open on a PC without a problem.

4. There are sometimes problems, however, the other way around. If you have created a Flash document on a PC and it won’t open on a Macintosh, then you need to do a search on the internet and get hold of a little utility called Flash Typer. This will give your Mac the information it needs to recognize the Flash file format.

5. Even though you may be working with the latest version of Flash –Flash MX 2004 – you may find yourself working with people who have the previous version of the program. If you save as a Flash MX 2004 file, you will only be able to open it on Flash MX 2004. However, you can choose File> Save As> Format> Flash MX Document. This file can then be opened on Flash MX, although certain MX 2004 features such as behaviors will not be preserved.

6. Finally, don’t forget to save your work regularly. Occasionally any program can crash while you are working and if you have saved recently this will only be a minor inconvenience.