GIF2SWF v1.0.2 for Win32 / 30-4-2001 Copyright(c) 2001
by Ivan Daunis

GIF to SWF converter. Freeware

INTRODUCTION
------------
This application lets you convert your animated or static GIF files to
SWF (shockwave format). This allows you to optimize filesize while mantaining
image quality (for use in Banners, Icons, Intros, etc.)

PACKAGE CONTENTS
----------------
The ZIP archive contains these files:
1.) gif2swf.exe: GIF to SWF converter in graphical mode.
2.) gifswfsh.exe: GIF to SWF converter in text mode.
3.) readme.txt: This file.

INSTALLATION NOTES
------------------
Extract the ZIP file to your program directory (eg. create a separate folder
called Gif2Swf in C:\Program Files). To create a desktop shortcut, right
click "gif2swf.exe" and choose Create Shortcut then move the shortcut to
the desktop or toolbar.

HOW TO USE GIF2SWF
------------------
a.) Launch gif2swf.exe, then open [File]/[Add Files] and get the files you
    wish to convert.
b.) Select the options you prefer (for details see technical notes below).
c.) Press convert button, your Shockwave files will be created and saved
    in the same directory as your source files.

HOW TO USE GIFSWFSH
-------------------
a.) Launch a command shell and go to your GIF2SWF folder.
b.) Run "gifswfsh [filespec] [options]" where:
    [filespec] is the path and name of the file or files you want to convert.
    [options] are one or more of the following parameters:
    /C optimize canvas size
    /B border correction for bug in flash player
    /G use GIF background
    /2 tag version 2.0 (*)
    /3 tag version 3.0
    /Q quite mode
    
    (*) the option /2 is set as default.

c.) Example:
    gifswfsh "c:\My Banners\*.*" /c /b
    (it converts all GIF files in folder called C:\My Banners, optimizing the
    canvas size /C and border correction /B.)

TECHNICAL NOTES
---------------
a.) Description of the Options:
    1.) Optimize canvas size: In an animated GIF the first frame has always
    the size of the canvas, otherwise in SWF format all the bitmaps have
    an independent size, optimizing in that way the archive size.
    If you enable this option all the pixels around the image that have the
    same colour will be removed. In addition, if you use the option GIF
    background, only the pixels around the image that have the same colour as
    the background will be removed.
    2.) Border correction for bug in flash player: for the moment all the
    players I have seen, including Flash 5 program, have a bug in the zoom,
    when you want to see the animation at 100% of zoom, you've actually seeing
    it at 99.9%. This option makes a transparent border around all bitmaps
    correcting the bug.
    3.) GIF background: if you activate this option, the Shockwave background
    will be the same as the background defined in GIF file, also this option
    give a different result when it is active at the same time as option 1.)
    see it above.
    4.) Tag version: a "tag" in the Shockwave format is a binary label, there
    are two categories of tags: definition and control.
    Definition tags manage a dictionary of resources such as shapes and bitmap,
    and Control tags administer the display list. The tagged format allows you
    to create new features adding new tags and so new versions.
    If you choose either version 2.0 or 3.0 this means that all the tags used
    to create the SWF will be of this version. 

COPYRIGHT
---------
This program is Copyright (C) 2001 Ivan Daunis, but I use the zlib compression
library and an algorithm to read GIF files that is patented.

The Graphics Interchange Format(c) is the Copyright property of CompuServe
Incorporated. GIF(sm) is a Service Mark property of Compuserve Incorporated.

Macromedia is registered trademark of Macromedia, Inc.

The zlib compression library is Copyright (C) 1995-1998 Jean-loup Gailly and
Mark Adler.

RELEASE HISTORY
---------------
22-04-01  ver 1.0   - the first stable version of GIF2SWF
30-04-01  ver 1.0.2 - corrected two little bugs in "RemoveObject" and "Delay Time"

GREETINGS
---------
Thanks to: 

   Rob Borgers
   Oriol Magrane
   Antoni Masso
   Tom Resnick    'for helping me find the above bugs'

If you have any questions or comments,
please direct them to me at daunis@terra.es
