SmartBuilder > Help Documentation > SmartBuilder Interface > Main Toolbar

Import and convert SmartBuilder 3 to SmartBuilder 4

  1. Export the SmartBuilder 3 source file (.sb3) download sb3 package
  2. Import and convert the .sb3 file to SmartBuilder 4
  3. Since some features and assets might not be converted, you will need to review the converted lesson in SmartBuilder 4 and make adjustments as needed. See the Support by object and feature table below for explanations of which features are supported.

    4. browse for sb3 file

Support by object and feature

This feature allows you to convert lessons from SmartBuilder v3 to SmartBuilder v4. Due to the radical change in architecture from Flash to HTML, the feature will not convert all objects, and action and flow chart conversion logic is only partially converted.

V3 Feature Will it Convert? Comments
Basic Objects
Text Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion Arial font is best for consistency since it is installed on most operating systems and will have the least risk of variation across devices and browsers. However, if you use a different font, you may use v4’s font embedding feature to obtain consistency.
Graphic Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
PNG Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
JPG Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
GIF Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
SWF In most cases, you can use Adobe Animate to convert SWF (or FLA) files into JPG, PNG or GIF files, which are supported by SmartBuilder 4.
Media
MP3 (audio) Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
FLV (video) Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion

You will need to install a free third-party tool, FFmpeg, in order to convert Flash video (.flv) into the HTML5 supported video format (.mp4).

Windows FFmpeg instructions

Mac FFmpeg instructions

If your videos use the "FLV URL" property to point to remotely hosted video, you will need to convert the hosted video to MP4 and update the URL accordingly.
MP4 (video) Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Shapes
Common Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Rounded squares Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Symbols Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Lines and pointers Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion Lines with arrowheads are not supported.
Captions Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Response Objects
Check box Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Radio button Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Button Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion

If SWFs are used for custom buttons, these will appear blank when imported to v4. Once imported to v4, you can use JPG, PNG or GIF images instead of SWFs for the various button states.

If custom buttons are used in multiple places throughout a lesson, you can use themes and styles to quickly apply a button style throughout your lesson.
Hotspot Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Dropdown list Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Input text Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Drag and drop Rebuild action logic after importing to v4.
Display Objects
Timer Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Timeline Timeline control over showing/hiding other objects is not converted. The audio used in timelines is converted into audio in v4.
Percent Tracker Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Streaming SWF
More objects
RTMP Streaming Video
Cookie Object
Icon Tracker Object
iFrame Object Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Menu with Pages Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Scalable Shapes
Search Object
Volume Controller Object
Email Object
URL Data Object
Google Analytics Object
Menu with Topics and Pages Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Tab Object
SWF Messenger
MultiState button
Grouping Objects
Display set Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Question set Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Master pages
Master page content Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion

Many master page actions will not work out-of-the-box, but you can fix this manually:

Fix master page action logic after conversion
Background Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion SWFs used for the master page background are not converted.
Page navigator
Properties
Labels Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Fills Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Borders Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Graphic effects (shadows, bevels, etc.) Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion Shadows are implemented, others are not.
Object specific properties Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Transitions
Interactivity
Action list logic Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Flow logic Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Hyperlinks
To Web content Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
To assets bundled by SmartBuilder Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Variables
Local variables Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion Local variables are converted into global variables in v4
Global variables Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
LMS
SCORM tracking and reporting Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Translation
Source language Checkmark symbolizes feature works after conversion
Target languages

Convert Flash video (.flv) to HTML5 video (.mp4)

If your SmartBuilder 3 lesson contains Flash video, you will need to download a free third-party tool, FFmpeg, in order to convert Flash video (.flv) into the HTML5 supported video format (.mp4). Once the FFmpeg toll is downloaded to your computer, you will need to configure SmartBuilder to point to the FFmpeg executable file.

If your SmartBuilder 3 lessons only contain MP4 videos, you can ignore these instructions.

Windows users:

  1. Go to https://ffmpeg.org/download.html
  2. In the Get packages & executable files section select the Windows icon then select a Windows EXE build.
    ffmpeg download options
  3. Select a release build (e.g. 4.2.2), Windows 64-bit, Static then click Download Build.
    ffmpeg versions
  4. It is recommended to copy the downloaded zip file from your default download folder into a folder that won’t be accidentally deleted. For example, you can create a folder called Flash-MP4 Video Converter in your Documents folder.
    ffmpeg save file location
  5. Extract the zipped folder.
  6. Open SmartBuilder and click Edit > Preferences.
    smartbuilder prefrences
  7. Select SB3 Import then click Browse and select the ffmpeg.exe file in the folder you created in step 4 above.
    Note: You will need to drill down into the bin folder to locate the ffmpeg.exe file. Once you have selected the file, click Apply and Close.

    smartbuilder prefrences
  8. Click File > Import SB3 Lesson to import and convert your sb3 source file as normal.

Mac users:

  1. Go to https://ffmpeg.org/download.html
  2. In the Get packages & executable files section select the Apple icon then select Static builds for macOS 64-bit.
    ffmpeg download options
  3. Select a release build (e.g. 4.2.2), MacOS 64-bit, Static then click Download as ZIP.
    ffmpeg versions
  4. It is recommended to copy the downloaded zip file from your default download folder into a folder that won’t be accidentally deleted. For example, you can create a folder called Flash mp4 Video Converter in your Documents folder.
    ffmpeg save file location
  5. Open SmartBuilder and click Edit > Preferences.
    smartbuilder prefrences
  6. Select SB3 Import then click Browse and select the ffmpeg file in the folder you created in step 4 above. Once you have selected the file, click Apply and Close.

    smartbuilder prefrences
  7. Click File > Import SB3 Lesson to import and convert your sb3 source file as normal.

Fix master action logic after conversion

SmartBuilder 3 only has one master page per lesson whereas SmartBuilder 4 can support multiple master pages per lesson. When you convert a lesson, the loose page-level objects on your v3 master (e.g. Menu, Help and Glossary buttons) will be placed in one v4 master and the popup layers will be placed in a different master. Therefore, many master page actions will not work out-of-the-box. Here’s how you can fix this: