Original SWF size distortion on import

There is a particular problem when adding any media, including static images, to a specific location on a PDF. The viewed size of the PDF changes all the time. The flash isn't 25% larger, you have the PDF zoomed to show it 25% larger. Since the RichMedia Annotation is part of a PDF page it has to scale with the PDF as the User zooms in and out of a page. Whether or not the Flash content inside the annotation scales, or scales well is a different story.

Try this, instead of resizing the RichMedia annotation, zoom in and out of PDF page. If the Flash content is vector based and set to scale with it's container then it should look and act just like any other part of the PDF page. i.e. the Flash should implement this code:

stage.scaleMode=StageScaleMode.EXACT_FIT;

If the Flash content is pixel based or just doesn't scale well, then it'll look ugly as you zoom in and out. In this case you are better off displaying it in a floating window.

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
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Thanks for a quick reply thomp.

I'm well aware of the fact that flash scales with the PDF as the user zoomes in and out. My problem (or misunderstanding) is that I thought when the PDF is set to 100% it would show the flash in the right size. But it doesn't. The closest I get is when i zoom the pdf to around 64%.

As you said it's a problem with all media. Add any media, take a screenshot at 100% in PDF and measure it. You'll see that the media is enlarged atleast 25%.

I made a new document in indesign CS4 at 1280x800, exported to PDF and measured the page. At 100% it's now well over 1700 px. Why is that? Can it be a problem with resolutions? That my screen shows 72dpi while the pdf is using 96dpi?

This is ABSOLUTELY correct. Whether you drag and drop a flash file or choose the place command, or perform the action on a PC or a Mac, or do it in CS3 or CS4, it does't matter. It always makes the flash file too big.

Here is the problem:
1) Make a new InDesign document.

Add your 1st swf (it will be too big)
2) Drag and drop a swf onto the document.
3) Right click it and choose:
- Interactive --> Movie Options
4) Choose "Embed"

Add your 2nd swf (this will be correct, but not on the page)
5) Drag and drop the same swf onto the document.
6) Right click it and choose:
- Interactive --> Movie Options
7) Choose "Embed"
8) Also choose "Floating Window"

Now, export as a pdf, and make sure to click the box for interactive content. When you open the document, make sure that your zoom is set to 100%. Now click the 1st swf you added... it will be too big... now click the 2nd swf you added. It should pop up in a floating window, and it is the correct size. Compare them. You'll see that the larger one is about 156.25% of the size of the correct one.

Any help here would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thank you,
Gery

Also, if you measure out exactly the right number of inches or points (because it says it's 72pt/inch), and draw a box (fill it black so you can see it), then do your movie as a floating movie, you'll see that it is exactly 66.6666666...% of the box, or that the box is 150% of the movie... just one other fun calculation.

I will do my best to clarify a few things. The "Richmedia/Flash" annotation is a new annotation in Acrobat 9. Multimedia (video, flash, or audio) embedded in Acrobat versions prior to 9 (or multimedia added in a Creative Suite product and then exported to PDF) is not creating a Richmedia annotation, it creates a "Legacy Multimedia" annotation. The two are very different things. I do not know much about Legacy annotations but can give feedback on Richmedia. By the way: You can also create the "Legacy" annotation in Acrobat, in the "Insert Flash/Video/Audio" dialog clicking the "Create legacy multimedia content..." link creates the Legacy multimedia annotation.

The comments about size in this thread are true for the Legacy annotation (I tested it and confirm but do not know how to fix it) but NOT for Richmedia. IF YOU USE ACROBAT 9 TO EMBED THE SWF THE SIZE IS CORRECT (all caps is not to be annoying, just want to make sure this line is read) AT 100% ZOOM (as Thom mentions).

Any SWF that I embed in a PDF using Acrobat 9 (Pro or Pro Extended) with the following methods is the same size as the SWF in Flash Player:
1) Open Acrobat and select "Create new PDF from File" and browse to SWF. I leave the default settings in the "Insert Flash" dialog and click "OK". With the zoom setting at 100% my SWF is the exact size in my PDF as when I open the same SWF in Flash Player 9 (I have Flash Player outside the browser so I am able to put the SWF in Flash directly over my annotation in the PDF and can observe that they are the same
2) Open a PDF to embed the SWF into, select the "Flash Tool" and double click on the page (as opposed to dragging/drawing out a rectangle) and the click "Browse" in the "Insert Flash" dialog, select the SWF and click "OK". Again, with the page at 100% my SWF is the right size (the exact same size as I see in Flash Player).

The only recommendation I have is to use Acrobat 9, if you are using Creative Suite you can create a placeholder for the SWF (have to know the dimension), export to PDF and then use the Flash tool to add the SWF in Acrobat 9.

InDesign CS4 exports up to Acrobat 8 PDF compatibility (default is Acrobat 5). Hopefully in CS5 all CS products will export Acrobat 9 PDF and this will be fixed:-)

Maybe someone who knows more about the Multimedia annotation prior to Acrobat 9 can help with embedding in InDesign CS3 or CS4 while maintaining the size...

Yes, I am aware of this solution, but the problem is two fold:

1) Creating pdfs from InDesign that include interactivity and Flash... thus the non-acrobat pro, or extended work-flow.

2) Creating pdfs that must work for reader 8.

So, I see your comments about working in InDesign and then working in Pro, but the problem is we have images that are to be over the top of the movie (for print purposes) and then swapped if the user wants to see the animation.

thx,
Gery

Be sure to check the "Use system setting" checkbox in Acrobat's Preferences > Page display
(Default is "Custom resolution")

JR