Comments on: Dear Adobe, http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/ flash, fuse, swx and more Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:29:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: john http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-1316 john Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:50:59 +0000 http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-1316 i think that flash should be geared more towards animators and still be accessible to those who may not be familiar with programming. There are are other languages out there which are designed specifically for 3d graphics and have a very able drawing API and are all free like nodebox and processing. If flash would introduce palettes and ,maybe some easy to use raster effects it would be able to compete with some of the top animation software. At least they're now adding plane mapping (2.5d, so to say) and ik, and the deisel engine which runs on a timecode rather than frames will hopefully eliminate sound problems. It was originally meant to be a relatively accessible program but its just gone from something where you could quite easily create a fully interactive website with relative ease to a program which makes you relearn everything just to code the simplest of things. If they are going to introduce anything else like as3 they should look at what their target audience is and make any changes easy to work with because it still has the general structure and logic of flash. i think that flash should be geared more towards animators and still be accessible to those who may not be familiar with programming. There are are other languages out there which are designed specifically for 3d graphics and have a very able drawing API and are all free like nodebox and processing. If flash would introduce palettes and ,maybe some easy to use raster effects it would be able to compete with some of the top animation software. At least they’re now adding plane mapping (2.5d, so to say) and ik, and the deisel engine which runs on a timecode rather than frames will hopefully eliminate sound problems. It was originally meant to be a relatively accessible program but its just gone from something where you could quite easily create a fully interactive website with relative ease to a program which makes you relearn everything just to code the simplest of things. If they are going to introduce anything else like as3 they should look at what their target audience is and make any changes easy to work with because it still has the general structure and logic of flash.

]]> By: Rich http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-1248 Rich Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:04:20 +0000 http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-1248 I think Adobe needs to provide more detailed examples I think Adobe needs to provide more detailed examples

]]> By: nicemandan http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-497 nicemandan Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:24:53 +0000 http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-497 After the project I've just worked on, I'm pretty sure the Flash IDE is probably dead. I've just built a game, with all assets, text strings and animation sequences defined in XML and loaded in at runtime. Although possible in AS2, using AS3's XML/E4X capabilties made it a far more feasible task. All tweening was done with TweenFilterLite, I created an AnimationCell class that extends Sprite and takes a transparent png contaiining multiple "cell" images and animates though it. So the designers could concentrate on creating a whole host of assets, the programmers could build XML based MVC's frameworks till the cows come home, and best of all, it was done completely in Flash Develop, using the free Flex 3 compiler, so the software didn't cost a penny. After the project I’ve just worked on, I’m pretty sure the Flash IDE is probably dead.

I’ve just built a game, with all assets, text strings and animation sequences defined in XML and loaded in at runtime. Although possible in AS2, using AS3’s XML/E4X capabilties made it a far more feasible task.

All tweening was done with TweenFilterLite, I created an AnimationCell class that extends Sprite and takes a transparent png contaiining multiple “cell” images and animates though it.

So the designers could concentrate on creating a whole host of assets, the programmers could build XML based MVC’s frameworks till the cows come home, and best of all, it was done completely in Flash Develop, using the free Flex 3 compiler, so the software didn’t cost a penny.

]]> By: jamie http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-294 jamie Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:40:40 +0000 http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-294 totally agree with this post. Up until AS3 i could code anything i wanted a site, game, kiosk, you name it i felt that i could do it or at least figure out a way to do it in a timely manor. Now using as3 i feel like I'm starting over. I have worked in small studios and now having one of my own, smaller studios don't have the luxury of putting 10 people on a project and getting a flash developer and a designer. One of the best things about flash was there were many people who could take a design and then just run with it in flash. Now it seems more and more those roles need to be split up in the work. I have started to learn as3 but its just frustrating after 8 years of dev going from building a process and library of code to use in projects to having to start all over again. totally agree with this post. Up until AS3 i could code anything i wanted a site, game, kiosk, you name it i felt that i could do it or at least figure out a way to do it in a timely manor. Now using as3 i feel like I’m starting over.

I have worked in small studios and now having one of my own, smaller studios don’t have the luxury of putting 10 people on a project and getting a flash developer and a designer. One of the best things about flash was there were many people who could take a design and then just run with it in flash. Now it seems more and more those roles need to be split up in the work.

I have started to learn as3 but its just frustrating after 8 years of dev going from building a process and library of code to use in projects to having to start all over again.

]]> By: Mel http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-137 Mel Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:07:21 +0000 http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-137 i wont even tell my clients anymore that i do flash. it's too frustrating. the other day, i couldn't even get a button to work. a simple 'click to go to a URL' button. how ridiculous. it shouldn't be that hard. glad you addressed the issue to Adobe. i wont even tell my clients anymore that i do flash. it’s too frustrating. the other day, i couldn’t even get a button to work. a simple ‘click to go to a URL’ button. how ridiculous. it shouldn’t be that hard. glad you addressed the issue to Adobe.

]]> By: Joeflash’s Enigmacopaedia » Flex Websites are a Round Peg in a Square Hole (and Why Flash is Just As Good as Flex) http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-128 Joeflash’s Enigmacopaedia » Flex Websites are a Round Peg in a Square Hole (and Why Flash is Just As Good as Flex) Tue, 19 Feb 2008 03:04:14 +0000 http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-128 [...] of today are just as good. So don’t give me any of this Flash versus Flex crap. Just Stop it. Flash dudes, you’re just as good as the Flex guys. And Java-come-lately Flex developers, stop [...] [...] of today are just as good. So don’t give me any of this Flash versus Flex crap. Just Stop it. Flash dudes, you’re just as good as the Flex guys. And Java-come-lately Flex developers, stop [...]

]]> By: px4 hits layers mag | Another average flash developer http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-101 px4 hits layers mag | Another average flash developer Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:18:53 +0000 http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-101 [...] RC of Adobe's Layer's Magazine caught wind of my letter to Adobe and the future of flash article Lee Brimelow wrote also. It made the homepage of Layer's [...] [...] RC of Adobe’s Layer’s Magazine caught wind of my letter to Adobe and the future of flash article Lee Brimelow wrote also. It made the homepage of Layer’s [...]

]]> By: Extensions in Flash | Flash Frustrations & Futures | Congratulations in Order | Layers Magazine http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-99 Extensions in Flash | Flash Frustrations & Futures | Congratulations in Order | Layers Magazine Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:02:08 +0000 http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-99 [...] was a great relief to see the blog of Corban Baxter talking about the same thing in an open letter to Adobe. This got the attention of Adobe and one of their Evangelists, Lee Brimelow to speak a little bit [...] [...] was a great relief to see the blog of Corban Baxter talking about the same thing in an open letter to Adobe. This got the attention of Adobe and one of their Evangelists, Lee Brimelow to speak a little bit [...]

]]> By: Jim O'Keefe http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-76 Jim O'Keefe Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:46:29 +0000 http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-76 Is Flash changing that much? I see doors opening allowing us to do more things, but I don't really see any doors closing off what we've been doing. What I think is changing faster is the community of Flash users. Some of them are developers coming from a code-based perspective, and looking at Flash with fresh eyes and wondering out loud why certain features aren't there. Others approached Flash from a graphical perspective but discovered that the more code they could combine with their graphics the more Flash could repay them with an amazing user experience. Flash users are pushing the envelope of what's possible, doing amazing things, and for the most part sharing what what they've discovered along the way. Looking at all the tutorials on the web it's easy to think you're being shut out because you write procedural code, or haven't written a framework, but you can still do what you've always done, and provide a valuable service to well satisfied customers. Flash is a swiss army knife. It's amazingly versatile, sitting as it does on the cusp of two worlds. But if your concerns fall much more to one area or the other, there are specialized tools that may be more appropriate. On the coding side where I sit, there are alternative actionscript editors. Most anybody who spends whole days writing actionscript 2/3 should seriously look into one. On the graphics side, it's photoshop, and video and 3D programs and I don't know what all else, that's a different cubicle. The point is Flash is where it all comes together, and we're all asking more of it and doing more with it, and it's exciting and intimidating, but you can still bang out a banner ad if that's what you need to do. Is Flash changing that much? I see doors opening allowing us to do more things, but I don’t really see any doors closing off what we’ve been doing. What I think is changing faster is the community of Flash users. Some of them are developers coming from a code-based perspective, and looking at Flash with fresh eyes and wondering out loud why certain features aren’t there. Others approached Flash from a graphical perspective but discovered that the more code they could combine with their graphics the more Flash could repay them with an amazing user experience. Flash users are pushing the envelope of what’s possible, doing amazing things, and for the most part sharing what what they’ve discovered along the way. Looking at all the tutorials on the web it’s easy to think you’re being shut out because you write procedural code, or haven’t written a framework, but you can still do what you’ve always done, and provide a valuable service to well satisfied customers. Flash is a swiss army knife. It’s amazingly versatile, sitting as it does on the cusp of two worlds. But if your concerns fall much more to one area or the other, there are specialized tools that may be more appropriate. On the coding side where I sit, there are alternative actionscript editors. Most anybody who spends whole days writing actionscript 2/3 should seriously look into one. On the graphics side, it’s photoshop, and video and 3D programs and I don’t know what all else, that’s a different cubicle. The point is Flash is where it all comes together, and we’re all asking more of it and doing more with it, and it’s exciting and intimidating, but you can still bang out a banner ad if that’s what you need to do.

]]> By: Joseph http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-66 Joseph Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:02:03 +0000 http://blog.projectx4.com/2008/01/29/dear-adobe/#comment-66 I myself have been a huge fan of Flash since the early days. That was the time when i myself get fascinated with the experimental pieces done by Davis in his Praystation site, get awed with the sleek motion design of 2advanced, and enjoyed the sentimentality animation of Hillman Curtis. Pretty much at that time we only have the so called flash designers. When the slash syntax was changed to dot syntax a bunch of new titles have been coming up. Namely new media designers, flash developers and the likes. And now we have actionscript developers, flash engineers and NOW devigners??? I dont know if everything has been perfectly sense already but i myself is confused. By the time you get to master AS1, suddenly AS2 came in. And when you get to learn AS2, AS3 suddenly pops out of nowhere. Im even surprised that there are some clients of mine asking me whether I do know how to use AIR. The bottomline here is that, how come a person who started using flash 4, and was learning flash 5, then flash mx, then flashmx 2004, then flash cs so on and so fourth, could never have an edge to a guy who was learning directly to Flash CS3, in terms of coding actionscript. The things weve learned before with Flash actionscript, whether they have started in slash syntax, dot syntax, then AS1, then AS2 OOP, do sometimes prevents us from understanding the whole concept of the new AS3. And I think thats quite unfair. Its not like being a designer wherein if your working in illustrator for a couple of years already, you have an edge, because of familiarity, to anyone who are just learning illustrator coming from corel draw. cause if you are a corel draw user, and you just switched to illustrator, you have to start almost at the beginning to get a better feel and familiarity of the application -- illustrator. but here in flash now, if your a C+ programmer, you could adopt yourself directly to AS3, which i think, correct me if im wrong, quite unfair to us who have been using flash since flash 4. I dont know if that make sense to anyone here, but i myself felt the pain of the sudden changes of the application. I myself have been a huge fan of Flash since the early days. That was the time when i myself get fascinated with the experimental pieces done by Davis in his Praystation site, get awed with the sleek motion design of 2advanced, and enjoyed the sentimentality animation of Hillman Curtis. Pretty much at that time we only have the so called flash designers. When the slash syntax was changed to dot syntax a bunch of new titles have been coming up. Namely new media designers, flash developers and the likes. And now we have actionscript developers, flash engineers and NOW devigners??? I dont know if everything has been perfectly sense already but i myself is confused. By the time you get to master AS1, suddenly AS2 came in. And when you get to learn AS2, AS3 suddenly pops out of nowhere. Im even surprised that there are some clients of mine asking me whether I do know how to use AIR. The bottomline here is that, how come a person who started using flash 4, and was learning flash 5, then flash mx, then flashmx 2004, then flash cs so on and so fourth, could never have an edge to a guy who was learning directly to Flash CS3, in terms of coding actionscript. The things weve learned before with Flash actionscript, whether they have started in slash syntax, dot syntax, then AS1, then AS2 OOP, do sometimes prevents us from understanding the whole concept of the new AS3. And I think thats quite unfair. Its not like being a designer wherein if your working in illustrator for a couple of years already, you have an edge, because of familiarity, to anyone who are just learning illustrator coming from corel draw. cause if you are a corel draw user, and you just switched to illustrator, you have to start almost at the beginning to get a better feel and familiarity of the application — illustrator. but here in flash now, if your a C+ programmer, you could adopt yourself directly to AS3, which i think, correct me if im wrong, quite unfair to us who have been using flash since flash 4. I dont know if that make sense to anyone here, but i myself felt the pain of the sudden changes of the application.

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