2. Finding Original Art
How to search the recovery and inspect old Flash artwork.

Using GitHub Search
Using GitHub search
Search results may show old HTML/code instead of a picture. That is normal. The useful part is often the original filename.
If you see 
buddy_featured_v13.swf, copy it, return to the repo, use Go to file (or press T) and search the filename.
Compare multiple versions when they exist. A newer version is not automatically the best art reference.

SWF Gallery, Ruffle and Extraction
SWF gallery, Ruffle and extraction
Start here: https://millsberryreborn.com/swf-teasers
The teaser gallery contains previews from hundreds of recovered SWFs, but a teaser may only show one frame.
Use the live recovery too: https://millsberryreborn.com/
Demo login: 
testcitizen / 
millsberry
For standalone SWFs use Ruffle: https://ruffle.rs/demo/ or https://ruffle.rs/downloads
A SWF that looks blank or broken may still contain useful artwork. Ask in Discord instead of fighting it for hours.
Before redrawing something, ask whether the original artwork can be extracted from the recovered SWF. JPEXS can inspect images, shapes, sprites and timelines: https://github.com/jindrapetrik/jpexs-decompiler
Artists are not expected to learn JPEXS; the recovery team can extract things when needed.

Finding and Downloading a SWF
Finding and downloading a SWF
A GitHub search result is often only the beginning of the trail.
If a search shows a filename such as:
buddy_featured_v13.swf
copy that filename and go back to the main repository:
https://github.com/gitupofftheflooranddosomework/millsberry.com
Use Go to file near the top of the file list, or press T, then paste the filename. If we recovered it, GitHub should show the actual file path.
Check more than one version
You may find several files such as:
something_v7.swf
something_v8.swf
something_v13.swf
Look at multiple versions when possible. A higher version number is not automatically the best reference.
Download the actual SWF
Once you find the 
.swf file:
Click the filename in GitHub.
Use the Download raw file / download button.
Save the 
.swf to your computer.
Open it with Ruffle.
Ruffle web player:
https://ruffle.rs/demo/
Ruffle desktop downloads:
https://ruffle.rs/downloads
The desktop version is especially handy if you are going through lots of recovered Flash files.
Also try the live recovery
https://millsberryreborn.com/
The live recovery already has Ruffle built in and sometimes runs an SWF better than opening the file alone because the surrounding Millsberry files and paths are present.
Demo account when needed:
Username: 
testcitizen
Password: 
millsberry
If the standalone SWF looks blank or broken, that does not mean there is no usable artwork inside it.

Getting Good Reference Images
Getting good reference images
For most recreation work you do not need to turn the SWF itself into an editable drawing file. You can use Ruffle to inspect the original and collect reference screenshots.
Useful things to capture
For characters, try to grab:
full body
face close-up
different expressions
front/side/3/4 views if they appear
several animation frames
clothes and accessories
hands and feet
colours
outline thickness
shading style
anything that clearly shows proportions
For UI/buttons, capture normal, hover, pressed, disabled, and alternate states when they exist.
For locations/objects, capture the full object plus any close-up that makes the outline/shading easier to understand.
Take more than you think you need
It is much easier to ignore an extra screenshot later than to get halfway through a drawing and realize the only reference you saved cuts off the feet.
Before redrawing something exactly
If the SWF clearly contains the exact original graphic we need, ask first whether it can be extracted directly.
Ruffle is mainly a player. Tools such as JPEXS can inspect images, vector shapes, sprites, and timelines inside SWFs:
https://github.com/jindrapetrik/jpexs-decompiler
Artists are not expected to learn JPEXS. Post the SWF link/filename and the recovery team can try to extract the original art for you.
A clean original recovery is always better than spending hours redrawing something that still survives inside a Flash file.