Problem importing file into Flash

[technoknow]

I've posted this problem in the Flash forum too.
I'm trying to import a file from Illustrator 10 into Flash MX.
I've noticed in the keyword search that others have had this problem. I get the error message: "Part or all of the file may be missing", and it is. Some paths are completely missing and some are just very light, some are covered with a black image, others look fine.
I've ungrouped all of the paths and tried saving the file as an Illustrator AI version 8 and other versions but the same thing happens.
I've also saved it as an EPS at different versions which I can import to Flash without the error message, but part of the file is still missing.
I've also "saved for web" as a SWF file and then imported that into Flash which looks better but there are still major parts missing.
Cutting and pasting doesn't work either. What is really wierd is that when I click and drag the imported image in Flash I can see all of the paths but when I drop it they are either gone or covered up by a black spot.
What am I missing here?
Thanks,
TechNoKnow

 

[dimoj]

I've also "saved for web" as a SWF file

Huh?

You don't save for web as SWF you EXPORT as SWF. Is that what you meant?

Just two days ago I had a friend ask about problems he was having with .ai's that had drop shadows and clipping masks when imported into Flash. So I did some tests as to EXPORTING those graphics to SWF in Illy and all the graphics then IMPORTED nicely into Flash.

Are you sure you EXPORTED as SWF and didn't Save for Web as some other file type?

 

[technoknow]

dimoj,
Thanks for responding. I've been able to export the file as a SWF and it looks fine but that makes the file too big. It's just a sketch, it doesn't have any animation to it so I would prefer to export it as a EPS or an AI file. Any ideas as to why the file has parts missing when I import it into Flash as an AI or EPS?

 

[dimoj]

It's just a sketch

Are you talking about a scanned raster image, or did you 'sketch' it in Illy?

If it is a scan and you are not intending to vectorise it, I'm not sure why you would be using Illy at all. If you really want it to be an eps then I would save it from Photoshop (if you have PS) or even better just save as a PSD (they work nicely with Flash via the Quick Time plug in).

If it is a vector, the only problem I could forsee is if there are Effects on the image (like drop shadows etc). Flash may not be able to handle them.

I've been able to export the file as a SWF and it looks fine but that makes the file too big

I can't understand that one tech. An .swf exported from Illy is a MUCH smaller file than the .eps or .ai would be!!!

For example I just created a document that is simply a rectangle with a drop shadow. The .ai file is 404KB. I EXPORT to Flash and the .swf comes right down to 4KB! (even an .ai file with a raster object in it should have a similar result)