Hide Code in FLA

[ksfkay]

I have been asked for my FLA files, but I do not want to give them all the code I use and wrote in them. But I want to give them the FLA so they can make whatever updates they see fit to their website. What is the best way to hide code in the FLA file so that I can do this?

Thanks

[wiifanatic]

Simply, not possible.

[ksfkay]

How about nesting a SWF file with the needed code into the library? For example, i put a timer script into the library. Hopefully you cannot open it and i can call it with a loadMovie.

I know this can be done without the library. But i need all the files contained into one file.

[wiifanatic]

You can do that, but then that SWF could be decompiled.
Sorry, but you cant hide code in flash :(

[grimdeath]

I don't know if this might work but you can try using an external actionscript file host it on your website and have the fla load the actions from it, the only downside is they wont be able to access the ASfile if they're not online.

Again this could/could not work

Good Luck

[jakattak]

Is it in your contract or terms of employment that they own the source? If not, and you're worried about giving your code out, say no. I understand you want to give them .fla so they can make changes themselves, but if you are concerned about it, don't do it... or charge them extra for the source. Unless you are a full-time employee it is very common for source files to be excluded from final deliverables.

[ksfkay]

mostly i want to make it easier for clients to get what they want. They want FLAs and the ability to change graphics. Sometimes the clients feel "safer" when they know they have the FLAs. But at the same time, I would feel safer if i didn't have to give away my code each time a client wants an FLA. It would be too expensive for them to buy the code because we would be talking years of development which they get in one week. I only want to exclude what needs to be excluded.

[hoolagon]

There is always a way, it just needs a bit of lateral thinking...

You can protect your code by first protecting your swf with encryption software. There are a number of them on the market. Some very expensive, some not so. Most come with trial/demo versions of which I found SWF Protect to be the only I could find which did not stick a huge water mark on your movie.. either way you can hide the watermark by adding a mask.

This will render your code within the swf unreadable. You then just need to do is decode your fla with a fla decoder which will produce an FLA containing all the graphics, but the code will be encryted. Genius solution for 8.30am I think.

Maybe you could re-organise the library so they know what to edit or as someone said previously, split up your fla into several movies and only encrypt the relevant ones.

Cheers,
Julian

[ksfkay]

"You then just need to do is decode your fla with a fla decoder which will produce an FLA containing all the graphics, but the code will be encryted. Genius solution for 8.30am I think."
- Julian

That sounds awesome. I didn't realize swfs were also vulnerable. does SWF Protect also protects FLA files as well as swfs? If not what program is recommended for that?

[hoolagon]

"You then just need to do is decode your fla with a fla decoder which will produce an FLA containing all the graphics, but the code will be encryted. Genius solution for 8.30am I think."
- Julian

That sounds awesome. I didn't realize swfs were also vulnerable. does SWF Protect also protects FLA files as well as swfs? If not what program is recommended for that?

Did I say decode. Well it was 8.30am. I meant recode.
I'll explain more clearly without the typos:

1) Create your FLA.
2) Publish your swf.
3) Encrypt your swf [All this does is encrypt the Actionscript within the swf]
4) Decompile the swf with decompiling software and export as an FLA.

You might want to open the new FLA in flash and publish to check the resulting swf still works, but i cant see why not.

Julian K

www.kigwana.com

[999]

As already mentioned you can't hide the code in the source.

Nothing mentioned so far would work.

If you even can include source from a web host at compile time (never tried it) you still have a clear path to the as file via the fla. Any securitys or passwords you add would also have to be present in the fla making it simple to snag the script.

Decompilers and encrypters wont work if the goal is to give the client a functional fla. Publishing, encrypting the swf, then decompiling to a new fla or swf will produce non-working garbage which is kind of the point of encryption software and if there were such a thing as an fla encrypter (I've never heard of one) what good would it do you? You'd have to nclude it as well for the client to make use of the fla.

The only opitions you really have are to not give up the source and make all the content dynamic so it can be changed by them by othr means, or make your source code so confusing and hard to read that no one will want to mess with it. In other words fill it up with garbage code but be prepared for the client to never call you again.

[ajcates]

just make the code really really hard to understand like use short hand if statements with vars that change names every 5 seconds, use binary instead of numbers, get creative.

[hoolagon]

To make the FLA usable by your client you would need to separate your swf into separate sections and only encrypt the relevant parts.