Macromedia Flash SWF / Scaleform GFX

SWF, GFX

• Format Type : Animation / Container
  
• Endian Order : Little Endian
  
• Alternative Names : Adobe Flash / Shockwave Flash Object / Shockwave Flash
  

Format Specifications

// SWF/GFX file format

// little endian

// header
3 bytes (char) - signature  // "FWS" - uncompressed *.SWF file
                            // "CWS" - ZLIB compressed *.SWF file (SWF 6 and later only)
                            // "ZWS" - LZMA compressed *.SWF file (SWF 13 and later only)
                            // "GFX" - same as FWS, but used in *.GFX files
                            // "CFX" - same as CWS, but used in *.GFX files
1 byte (uint8) - version  //  e.g. 0x06 for version 6
                                   0x0F for version 15
                                   0x20 for version 32
4 bytes (uint32) - total file size in bytes
x bytes - frame size
2 bytes (uint16) - frame rate
2 bytes (uint16) - frame count

// tags
num_of_tags *
{
   2 bytes (uint16) - tag type and length   // upper 10 bits - tag type
                                            // lower 6 bits - tag length
   x bytes - tag data
}

MultiEx BMS Script

Not written yet.

Notes and Comments

• SWF file format has been created by FutureWave Software. In December 1996, Macromedia acquired the company. In 2005, Adobe purchased Macromedia and format has been rebranded.
  Read more about history on SWF wikipedia article.
• Files can be compressed with ZLIB compression (CWS signature) or with LZMA compression (ZWS signature).
• Scaleform GFX files share the same file format with the SWF Flash files.
• SWF is acronym for "Small Web Format" and it was designed to eliminate confusion with a different technology, Shockwave, from which SWF derived.
• SWF file is typically a compiled version of FLA file (Macromedia Flash Project File)
• Unreal Engine 3 uses containers for GFX files with SWFMOVIE extension.

Games

List of games using this format:

• Batman: Arkham Asylum (PC)
• Deadpool (PC) (signature: "GFX") (version: 8) (GFX files packed in *.SWFMOVIE container)
• Mafia 3 (*.GFX) (PC) (signature: "GFX") (version: 15)
• Star Wars – The Old Republic
• The Henry Stickmin Collection (*.SWF) (signature: "CWS") (version: 32)
• The Witcher 2

Compatible Programs

• Adobe AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime)
• Adobe Flash Player
• Flash Decompiler Trillix
• gameswf library
• Gnash
• JPEXS Free Flash Decompiler
• Sothink SWF Decompiler
• SWFTools

See Also

• SWF file format (adobe.com)
• SWF description (wikipedia)
• Macromedia Flash SWF File Format, Version 7 (loc.gov)
• SWFMOVIE file format (xentax wiki)