Flash MX Mac Upgrade

• Platform:   Macintosh, Mac OS X, PowerMac
• Media: CD-ROM
• Item Quantity: 1

There are getting on for half a billion installed Flash players around the globe and around 2 million people download the player every day. Flash is hot. The new features that are causing most excitement are those aimed at e-content developers and programmers. Integration with application servers such as Cold Fusion MX, Microsoft's .net and internet protocols like HTML, WebTV and Wap make it possible to deliver Flash content to a range of platforms from PCs to PlayStations and mobile phones.

But Flash MX also has plenty to offer those who aren't part of a large team of designers and programmers developing corporate sites. Novice users are provided with a range of pre-built, customisable components including scrollbars, buttons, list and combo boxes, and Quick Start templates for presentations, photo albums, ads and the like make it possible to achieve great results quickly.

The interface is now consistent with DreamWeaver and FireWorks. Nested layer folders and improved cursor feedback for frame adjustment makes the timeline more manageable and a context sensitive Properties panel and collapsing, dockable panels reduce screen clutter considerably. Vector drawing tools, one of Flash's weaknesses, have been largely overlooked, but there is a new Free Transform tool, which combines rotate, scale and skew. Video, another Flash weak spot has fared much better with the inclusion of the Sorensen Spark video codec. You can import a variety of formats including MPEG, DV, Quicktime and AVI and video clip objects can be animated and scripted in the same way as bitmaps--you can even use them on a mask layer.

Flash MX is backwards compatible with version 5, (you can publish version 5 swf files, but MX swf files require the MX player) removing the only argument for not upgrading. Those not yet convinced of the merits of Flash need only look around. --Ken McMahon

Manufacturer's Description
Macromedia presents Macromedia Flash MX, the latest version of the Macromedia Flash development environment, which will usher in a new generation of rich Internet content and applications. With support for video, application components, and accessibility, this milestone product builds on the track record of Macromedia Flash for enabling the creation of expressive online content and applications. Macromedia Flash MX unites designers and developers who can build on their existing knowledge to deliver more effective, rich Internet applications. Macromedia Flash MX applications provide increased return on investment for companies, and amazing user experiences across everything from mobile phones, PDAs, interactive TV systems, game machines, Internet appliances, Web pads, and in-room hotel entertainment systems.Macromedia Flash MX meets the needs of both designers and developers to deliver rich Internet content and applications that can be experienced consistently across all leading platforms and devices. The product simplifies the process of visual authoring for traditional Web developers who want to use a rich client technology for their applications. The more than one million designers already familiar with Macromedia Flash can use their existing skills along with new server technologies to address the emergence of rich Internet applications. Video support enables developers to deliver a better overall user experience by bringing and adding interactivity to video clips within the overall Macromedia Flash content. Video content in Macromedia Flash allows designers to maintain control of the look and feel of their applications, unlike today's existing video options, which require external players to be launched and have platform inconsistencies. Support for the Sorenson Spark codec ensures compressed, high-quality video playback. Macromedia Flash MX enhances the authoring workflow with a flexible workspace that can be customized to maximize productivity for both designers and developers. Pre-built user interface components accelerate development by providing users with customizable scrollbars, list boxes, and other standard interface elements to ensure a common experience across applications. Macromedia Flash MX also supports industry standards such as ECMAScript, HTML, MP3, Unicode, and XML.

• Software > Programming & Web Development > Web Page Editing & Effects