Automatically generate images from SWF

Question

I'm looking for something that automatically generates images from the content in some SWF and stores the images on a server to be fetched if the user doesn't have Flash Player installed. The purpose is to at least show a static diagram instead of just a table with data, if Flash Player isn't installed.

It's quite easy to create an image from a DisplayObject using Actionscript, but that requires someone opens the SWF in the first place. I would like this to execute on the server side. Is it possible? Is there a headless Flash Player that could be used with PHP for example?

Answer 1

You could create a "shell" flash app that loaded in other swfs and took bitmapData "screenshots" at a predefined interval and dumped them to the server. You would have to be able to install the flash player server-side and run it from a command.

Answer 2

Maybe this will help: http://www.sephiroth.it/tutorials/flashPHP/print%5Fscreen/