Please help: Flash files and iPads/iPods

January 10, 2011 10:45 AM

What options are available for converting Flash (.swf) interactive files to something workable for iPods and iPads?

I have Flash files created in Adobe Captivate. They are used for computer-based training, and so they have a small measure of interactivity (clicking buttons to make a choice, for example). I want our users who have iPods and iPads to be able to view the videos and have the interactivity.

What is the best way to accomplish this? Do I look into HTML5, even though the video tag is not supported by Internet Explorer, and not fully supported by Firefox? Do I convert the .swf files to another file type, and will this mean I lose the interactivity? Does the interactivity requirement mean that I have to use the Apple SDK and if I do can I still use the same files for people using hardware with the Android platform? Are all of those options wrong, and there is an even better way?

posted by Houstonian to Technology (2 answers total)

You can use Adobe's Packager for iPhone to create apps from your training modules, but you'd have to provision your iPhones for corporate use or release them to the store at large, which may not be attractive options.

I'd say HTML5 is the way to go, personally, but you may have to go back and tweak here and there as the video standards shake out.
posted by Oktober at 10:56 AM on January 10, 2011

You don't need anything special to make an interactive website. Just use JavaScript. A few buttons for interactivity shouldn't be hard to get working in the vast majority of browsers, even mobile ones.

As for HTML5 video issues, you might look into a framework/script like VideoJS to help deal with the compatibility issues between different browsers.
posted by bcwinters at 11:21 AM on January 10, 2011