SWF & FLV file format specification version 8
Emmy Huang just posted on the update of the Flash File format specification documentation. This new documentation contains all of the changes we made for Flash Player 8, along with various corrections based on internal and customer feedback. Note, due to the fact that we are using some newer dynamic features in this .PDF file we published (to handle the license dialog), this will neither display using the built-in OSX PDF viewer or xpdf. You have to use Adobe Reader 6.x or newer.
The most important changes are probably the better documentation on the FLV file format, now including the data packet format which we had not publicly disclosed in earlier releases. Interestingly this was not because of our unwillingness, but simply because nobody thought of it. You'll notice the format is essentially AMF.
There will probably be some disappointment that NellyMoser and the On2 VP6.x bit stream formats are not documented. Unfortunately there is not too much I can do about this, despite my personal belief that we should document everything. Here is hope though that in the future we will adopt the same policies and resources as Adobe has done for PDF, which has excellent file format documentation. Currently it is basically the engineers on the Flash Player team who maintain this document, which is also the reason there is always such a large delay after a release of the Flash Player.
My own contributions in this document are the PlaceObject3 documentation (including the filter descriptions), the FLV file format description, the video section, the changes to the shape structures and various other clarifications and notes. Spot my terrible English writing none of our reviewers did spot. :-) I already found a couple of grammatical 'glitches' after re-reading my own writing tonight. Time to update our internal errata with this so we can fix this the next time around... ;-)
The most important changes are probably the better documentation on the FLV file format, now including the data packet format which we had not publicly disclosed in earlier releases. Interestingly this was not because of our unwillingness, but simply because nobody thought of it. You'll notice the format is essentially AMF.
There will probably be some disappointment that NellyMoser and the On2 VP6.x bit stream formats are not documented. Unfortunately there is not too much I can do about this, despite my personal belief that we should document everything. Here is hope though that in the future we will adopt the same policies and resources as Adobe has done for PDF, which has excellent file format documentation. Currently it is basically the engineers on the Flash Player team who maintain this document, which is also the reason there is always such a large delay after a release of the Flash Player.
My own contributions in this document are the PlaceObject3 documentation (including the filter descriptions), the FLV file format description, the video section, the changes to the shape structures and various other clarifications and notes. Spot my terrible English writing none of our reviewers did spot. :-) I already found a couple of grammatical 'glitches' after re-reading my own writing tonight. Time to update our internal errata with this so we can fix this the next time around... ;-)
posted by Tinic Uro at 9:18 PM
8 Comments:
I assume this does not include the new bits from Player 8.5 (in beta), right? The specification for AVM2 for instance..
How do you build and test this stuff without a spec?
Sadly the license terms have not changed:
> This license does not permit the
> usage of the specification to
> create software which supports
> SWF file playback.
The docs are of no use for people trying to write SWF players. :(
Have you ever thought of replacing Nellymoser audio codec with speex, which is open source, whithout patents, has a liberal licencse, sounds and performs better (I believe) .
I'm sorry that I won't be able to read it. If I did, then I would probably exlude myself from a host of open source projects. shrug. Please tell me I'm wrong :(
same here- the license terms are really frustrating; i will also not read it.
also, please consider using theora or dirac. the short term profit you make from the licensing obfuscation (spark aka soerenson aka ~h263 then and whatever now) and thus increased sales of fcs (or whatever other money-making machine supposedly depends on closed formats) just doesnt justify annoying us *so much*.
It is really sad that the spec license is SO restrictive... It is probably the only reason why Linux does not have a Flash Player executable that is opensource.. I don't think there is one that is proprietary either! Why do you have to use SUCH a restrictive license? Flash is good, the licensing of the specification is not good at all! It definitely needs to be changed! Why haven't you looked at the possibilities of changing the license!?!
If you're going to post it, why not use some readable format, such as PDF/A? As it is, most people won't try to read it. I won't.
I like articles like this. Thanks!
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