[ARCHIVED] Hope for Flash animations? Could Canvas integrate Ruffle to run .swf files?

[MsTia]

Like many instructors, I use excellent, interactive animations that were written in Flash or Adobe Shockwave or Adobe Flash as .swf files. These animations are now doomed by Adobe's ending support and textbook publishers taking down old textbook companion sites. Dozens of worthy biology animations that I've relied upon are now going the way of the dodo. As for running them anyhow, only some of my students are savvy enough to confidently download good ole Flash (even with instructions for doing it safely) and others use OS that just won't make Flash "go" without having to add other software. Too many barriers. Ding dong. Flash is dead.

Accepting my fate, I've tried to find worthy substitutions for each animation that will simply run on web browsers via HTML5. That's been a time-sucking task with little result.

Therefore, I was thrilled when I found out that archive.org is backing up jillions of .swf files and making them run easily for users via the open-source Ruffles emulator: http://blog.archive.org/2020/11/19/flash-animations-live-forever-at-the-internet-archive/  The focus there is games, though.

My question: could Canvas make Ruffles available for us? Or another solution?

If so, my students could just run the .swf files I'm able to dish up. Without getting too sticky over this . . . THAT WOULD BE PERFECTION. The founder effect dragonflies could soar again!

https://ruffle.rs/#what-is-ruffle

Meanwhile, if an instructor in a similar situation is reading this, you can test-run a .swf here to see if it will "go" in their emulator: https://ruffle.rs/demo/ That could be a work-around for you, while you figure out other things. I'm fiddling with that approach now.

[Chris_Hofer · Accepted solution]

Hello there, @MsTia ...

I have no real insights on this, but your posting sounds like a possible Feature Idea request.  If you wanted to do this, you'd want to click on the "PRODUCT" menu from any page here in the Community, and then select "IDEA CONVERSATIONS".  Then, click on the red "Suggest an idea" button.

I hope this will be of some help to you.  Sing out if you have any other questions...thanks!  Take care, stay safe, and be well.

[Stef_retired]

Thanks for suggesting that, @Chris_Hofer !  @MsTia has kindly created a new partnership request at Enabling an emulator to run Flash animations - Canvas Community