Macromedia's Flash 5 brings substantial changes and improvements to this dominant player in the Web animation tools arena. A new and customizable interface and improved scripting are the most notable of the new features. These, among other enhancements, make this upgrade almost essential to any serious designer.
Flash 5 now uses Macromedia's standard interface library, making Flash look more like other Macromedia products. Almost all commands can be accessed through onscreen dockable tabbed windows (palettes), which can be docked to each other or torn off and placed elsewhere on the screen. This means that layouts can be named, saved, and recalled, depending on the kind of work being done or a particular designer's working style. Keystroke commands can be customized as well, allowing for the designer to tailor the feel of the program.
The most important "under-the-hood" change is the revamping of ActionScript, Flash's internal scripting and interactive language. ActionScript is now more like Java than ever, making it easy for coders to shuttle between the two.
The Movie Explorer window is another important new feature. This allows developers to view the entire contents of a project in a hierarchy where edits and search-and-replace functions can take place.
The pen tool has, finally, been improved as well. It now behaves more like a Bezier drawing tool found in programs such as Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia's own FreeHand. Speaking of FreeHand, Flash 5's integration with FreeHand is now tight as a drum, too.
Design and deliver distinctive, low-bandwidth Web sites with Macromedia Flash 5, the professional standard for producing high-impact Web experiences, used by over half a million Web authors worldwide. Top, high-traffic sites use Flash to produce engaging experiences that attract and excite Web users. A familiar and intuitive Macromedia user interface makes it easy for designers to create engaging graphics, while powerful scripting, input forms, and server-side connectivity allow developers to create advanced Web applications. Work as a team with reusable objects and file sharing; use Macromedia Generator for personalizing Flash content; integrate Web production through connectivity with Macromedia's Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and FreeHand.
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THE ULTIMATE VERSION OF FLASH � A MUST HAVE!!!:
OVERVIEW: Flash 5 represents a significant upgrade from its predecessor, making it a "must have" for any serious web developer who wants to develop high-impact web content. The improvements are not superficial, instead Flash 5 impressively enhances the developer's ability to design, develop, and deploy. This tool is the resource for anyone who is serious about Flash and maximizing its amazing potential at a rapid pace.
At RAYHAWK.COM we have been using Flash to enhance our web productions for the last 2... more info
Many revisions have improved this application:
With Flash 5 (which is at the time of writing in beta only), Macromedia appears to have attempted to further bridge the gap between its original primitive proprietary functionality (in its previous life as FutureSplash) and the overall Macromedia interface; this gap has in the past often impeded usability and defied intuition. The most robust overhaul has been made on the behaviours and actions... it is much easier to tailor Flash to do what you want without having to rely solely on readymade (and often... more info
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