SWF

swf icon

ShockWave Flash, Animated vector format for the Internet

File type: Vector graphic file, Digital video and movie file, Dangerous and malicious file, Internet related file

Files with sw extension can be commonly found as Shockwave Flash movies in animated vector format, used mainly on Internet web sites. 

Found 2 different file type records with the same swf filename suffix.

What is swf file?

File type category:
Vector graphic file
Digital video and movie file
Dangerous and malicious file
Internet related file

Date updated: January 8, 2025

File extension swf is associated with Adobe (formerly Macromedia) Flash movie file. ShockWave Flash, Animated Vector Format for Internet.
See also: fla file extensions

The Macromedia Flash (swf) (pronounced 'swiff' ) file format was designed to deliver vector graphics and animation over the Internet. The Macromedia Flash File Format (swf) was designed as a very efficient delivery format and not as a format for exchanging graphics between graphics editors. It was designed to meet the following goals:

  • On-screen Display—The format is primarily intended for on-screen display and so it supports anti-aliasing, fast rendering to a bitmap of any color format, animation and interactive buttons.
  • Extensibility—The format is a tagged format, so the format can be evolved with new features while maintaining backward compatibility with older players.
  • Network Delivery—The files can be delivered over a network with limited and unpredictable bandwidth. The files are compressed to be small and support incremental rendering through streaming. SWF is a binary format and is not human readable like HTML. Macromedia Flash (SWF) uses techniques such as bit-packing and structures with optional fields, to minimize file size.
  • Simplicity—The format is simple so that the player is small and easily ported. Also, the player depends upon only a very limited set of operating system functionality.
  • File Independence—Files can be displayed without any dependence on external resources such as fonts.
  • Scalability—Different computers have different monitor resolutions and bit depths. Files work well on limited hardware, while taking advantage of more expensive hardware when it is available.
  • Speed—The files are designed to be rendered at a high quality very quickly.

This platform is also often used in various web-based video games, such as Farville, Castleville, Settlers Online and other.

MIME types:
application/x-shockwave-flash
application/x-shockwave-flash2-preview
application/futuresplash, image/vnd.rn-realflas

How to open swf file?

You can not simply open *.swf files and edit them. Use software like Flash Decompiler or similar applications to extract contents of the file. Original editable source has FLA file extension.

How to convert swf file?

You can not simply convert or recover all information from this file type. Use software like Flash Decompiler to extract file contents or convert file into .fla Flash animation.

Suggested software to open swf file:

Associated software actions with the swf file

Software applications that can open swf files:

Adobe Animate CC icon Adobe Animate CC (Microsoft Windows)

Adobe Flash icon Adobe Flash (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available Revelation Natural Art (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available SWFTools (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available SWF and FLV Toolbox (Microsoft Windows)

Adobe Animate CC for Mac icon Adobe Animate CC for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

Adobe Flash for Mac icon Adobe Flash for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

Software applications that can edit swf files:

Adobe Animate CC icon Adobe Animate CC (Microsoft Windows)

Adobe Flash icon Adobe Flash (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available Flasm (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available Revelation Natural Art (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available SWFTools (Microsoft Windows)

Adobe Animate CC for Mac icon Adobe Animate CC for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

Adobe Flash for Mac icon Adobe Flash for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

Software capable of saving swf files:

Adobe Animate CC icon Adobe Animate CC (Microsoft Windows)

Adobe Flash icon Adobe Flash (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available Flasm (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available Revelation Natural Art (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available SWFTools (Microsoft Windows)

Adobe Animate CC for Mac icon Adobe Animate CC for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

Adobe Flash for Mac icon Adobe Flash for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

Apps designed for playing swf files:

Winamp icon Winamp (Microsoft Windows)

Elmedia Player icon Elmedia Player (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

Adobe Flash Player icon Adobe Flash Player (Multiplatform)

Software apps that create swf files:

Adobe Animate CC icon Adobe Animate CC (Microsoft Windows)

Adobe Flash icon Adobe Flash (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available Flasm (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available Revelation Natural Art (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available SWFTools (Microsoft Windows)

Adobe Animate CC for Mac icon Adobe Animate CC for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

Adobe Flash for Mac icon Adobe Flash for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

Software apps that convert swf files:

no icon available SUPER (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available Ultimate DVD Converter (Microsoft Windows)

FormatFactory icon FormatFactory (Microsoft Windows)

Icecream Media Converter icon Icecream Media Converter (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available VIP Video Converter (Microsoft Windows)

Adapter icon Adapter (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

no icon available Free Flash to HTML5 Online Converter (On-line services)

Software apps that import swf files:

no icon available Andaired Suite (Microsoft Windows)

ViewletBuilder icon ViewletBuilder (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available Articulate Presenter (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available AVS Audio Converter (Microsoft Windows)

TexturePacker icon TexturePacker (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available Free Flash to HTML5 Converter (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available SWF and FLV Toolbox (Microsoft Windows)

Adobe Acrobat for Mac icon Adobe Acrobat for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

FlashCode icon FlashCode (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

Movavi Video Editor icon Movavi Video Editor (Multiplatform)

no icon available Google Swiftly (On-line services)

Software apps that export swf files:

no icon available Video to Flash Converter (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available WinX Video Converter (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available EXE to SWF Extractor (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available FlashDevelop (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available print2flash (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available SWFTools (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available SWF and FLV Toolbox (Microsoft Windows)

Elmedia Player icon Elmedia Player (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

no icon available Pavtube HD Video Converter for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

Movavi Video Editor icon Movavi Video Editor (Multiplatform)

Software apps that extract swf files:

no icon available Flasm (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available SWFTools (Microsoft Windows)

Software applications that handle other tasks involving swf files:

Adobe Creative Suite icon Adobe Creative Suite (Microsoft Windows)

no icon available SWFTools (Microsoft Windows)

Adobe Creative Suite for Mac icon Adobe Creative Suite for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)

Adobe Creative Cloud icon Adobe Creative Cloud (Multiplatform)

Microsoft Sidewinder profile activator data

File type category:
Settings, options, themes or skins file

Date updated: December 30, 2024

The SWF file extension is also used by software and drivers for Microsoft Sidewinder force feedback joysticks

The swf file contains profile activator settings. Sidewinder joysticks are obsolete products.

SWF files are mainly used for Flash videos.

Suggested software to open swf file:

Associated software actions with the swf file

Software apps that manage settings for swf files:

Microsoft Windows icon Microsoft Windows (Microsoft Windows)