Must... have... Flash CS4....

[gerbick]

But you're coding in MXML and compiling in the Flex compiler, which still puts you in that framework, as opposed to the 'traditional' timeline based one, which you can compile to using MTASC, correct?

Yep... and yep.

I get what you're saying about "framework"... just sorta can't escape that one though given the way it's done up. I mean, I can code C# via any app I choose, but the second I turn on the compiler, I'm falling lockstep into the .NET Framework.

[jAQUAN]

^ I'm not sure what you mean. Flex uses eclipse to compile. Flex does not have timelines no? Only movieclips from the IDE.

But will it have a frame 0? That bugs me every time I use it.

We are all in frame 0 right now man.

In any case, this upgrade better be a ways off. One could make a career of staying on top of this sh*t.

This needs it's own discussion. I'm feeling like a flat tire despite four years of non-stop learning.

[gerbick]

You know... if you had a Flash movie and then went and wanted to introduce a preloader or something other logic before hand, a "Frame 0" could be pretty killer.

Just a random thought.

[jAQUAN]

That's what frame dumps are for.

[gerbick]

frame dumps, shame mumps.

I know... but I'm talking about the non-guru, my name isn't jAQUAN type of dev. Like me

It would just offer another way to do things.

[jAQUAN]

Heh, I spoke too absolutely.
By no means do I imply that flash is easy to make work right. All things considered, it really leaves a dev out in the cold. Preloading and frame dumps shouldn't be "up to the user to figure out". It really should be a shining feature of the IDE and is mysteriously left out of every release.

Just one more of the things I had to learn the hardway hence said flat tireness. I hear ya.

[PAlexC]

You know... if you had a Flash movie and then went and wanted to introduce a preloader or something other logic before hand, a "Frame 0" could be pretty killer.

Not to harp on it, but you mean like the Movie Script in Director, that was executed before the first frame?

Doesn't the Document Class in AS3 do the same thing, or does that get executed on the first frame?

[creativeinsomnia]

Don't take that comment so seriously. This is the CL!

Oh dont worry so much about it, I didnt take it too seriously.

I just said it was cute. Like when my daughter learns how to take off her own socks for the first time, she thinks its so funny how my 4 month old cant do it yet.

But little does she know, he just doesnt give a crap. He could do it, but he doesnt need to, we'll do it for him.

[MyFriendIsATaco]

Burnt Taco.

[Visionray]

looking at this screenshot...
http://www.flashmagazine.com/images/...Picture011.jpg

it's starting to look a lot like After Effects.

[gerbick]

looking at this screenshot...
http://www.flashmagazine.com/images/...Picture011.jpg

it's starting to look a lot like After Effects.

yes... and that makes me happy.

[jAQUAN]

I can't figure out the correct terms but there's a search combo out there that shows I predicted within one full adobe release they'd include the ae timeline.

[Googooboyy]

With that pic, I think I just began to understand its true potential..

[CVO Chris]

Here I made a little picture for you:



If you put your first keyframe on frame 1, then use units of 5s or 10s as a basis for timing, your first tween (or whatever) will be shorter than the rest, as you can't start from frame 0.

You can always start your movie at frame 5 instead of 1.

[Genesis F5]

Check out this video demonstrating the new tween features: video.

And INVERSE KINEMATICS! HELL. YEAH. video.

[PAlexC]

Damn that's cool (but Director-like in timeline implementation.) Nice to see they're not neglecting animators, even though they've focused a lot on video and programmers with the past couple of releases.

How can I get a paid job as an Adobe-ologist...where I just play with this stuff all day and make recommendations on how to use it?

[jAQUAN]

Agreed. The player upgrades and matching api have been a boon for playback and ubiquity but the timeline has the same damn annoyances since v3!
Imho, the current IDE is beyond repair. I always found it funny how accurately macromedia was named. They've got/had code based graphics down but Adobe owned the UI. Adobe surprised me by adding these new features this soon so they are closer to overhauling the whole thing than I thought. I'll go ahead and predict that within the next couple of releases, the Flash IDE will be discontinued in exchange for a brand new .swf publishing app. They might even call it Livemotion 3. :]

Here's a thought. What if adobe turned this virtual machine/display list architecture inward on their other IDE's? How long before Flash starts to push AE out of the spotlight? There's still a timeline pallet coming to AI, mark my words.


Disney has a branch called "Pooh" where they just test software for use on the production line.

[gerbick]

Not to harp on it, but you mean like the Movie Script in Director, that was executed before the first frame?

Doesn't the Document Class in AS3 do the same thing, or does that get executed on the first frame?

dunno, honestly. I sorta went from Flash 8, barely into AS3 in CS3 straight to Flex... and I have applicationComplete and creationComplete and can pull things right alongside the Flex init, even if it were an afterthought without having to move or change any frames.

[PAlexC]

They've got/had code based graphics down but Adobe owned the UI. Adobe surprised me by adding these new features this soon so they are closer to overhauling the whole thing than I thought.

According to John Dowdell, CS4 is the first release that was fully developed post-acquisition. CS3 was already in the works when the merger happened, which explains the discrepancies between certain products. Going forward, the UI's should be much more unified.

[PAlexC]

dunno, honestly. I sorta went from Flash 8, barely into AS3 in CS3 straight to Flex... and I have applicationComplete and creationComplete and can pull things right alongside the Flex init, even if it were an afterthought without having to move or change any frames.

Yeah, use a Document Class in Flash CS3, it does what you want.