Macromedia Flash - Tool Information


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Macromedia Flash

Latest Version:
MX

Developer:
Macromedia

Category:
Graphics > 2D

Platform:
Windows 98, NT4, 2000, XP, or MacOS 9.1+

License:
Commercial, List Price $499

Rating:
8.9 (6 votes)

Date added:
Nov 5th, 2000

Last updated:
Mar 20th, 2002

Review:
With Macromedia Flash web authors can combine vector graphics, bitmap images and audio to create interactive, animated content. Flash offers bezier editing tools, shape morphing, shared symbol libraries, an object oriented scripting language called ActionScript, streaming MP3 audio, and tight integration with Dreamweaver, Freehand and Fireworks.

Flash MX (aka Flash 6.0) is undoubtedly the biggest and most important update to date, which finally transforms the Flash format into a mature web site design and development platform. Before Flash MX, usability issues and hefty downloads plagued many Flash-based web site designs, but now all is well given that designers make good use of the new features such as the support for back and forward buttons of web browsers, and dynamic loading of JPG and MP3 files. Also built-in UI (user interface) components can not only help standardize the user-interface of Flash designs but reduce the time spent for custom UI scripting.

On the interface side, the cumbersome interface of the previous versions is gone for good. Panels can be collapsed now, and the new property inspector lets you manage the attributes of many different elements such as text, color, and frames from a single place. The ActionScript editor now supports syntax highlighting and code completion, and introduces a debugger.

Other new important features include dynamic masks that allow movie clips to act as masks, pixel snapping for precise pixel-level control, the distort tool for otherwise hard-to-achieve envelope effects, the ability to label elements to make Flash movies accessible to disabled, and support for video import such as MOV and AVI.

Finally, Macromedia is downplaying its expensive Macromedia Generator product line in favor of Flash MX. After all, ActionScript is now more powerful than ever with the addition of new commands, and a faster XML parser for querying external data files.

User reviews:

AnandVVN (2) - Apr 1st, 2006

Features
8

Usability
9

Performance
8

Documentation
9

Personal Slant
9

Overall 8.6

Very nice and easy to use tool and very easy to learn too.

aarondesign (15) - Aug 9th, 2003

Features
10

Usability
8

Performance
9

Documentation
?

Personal Slant
10

Overall 9.3

Without Flash, the web would be nothing. There really isn't anything that beats Flash - maybe, just maybe, in exception to Photoshop.

sho-maaan (29) - Jun 2nd, 2002
Wow, flash MX is great, it is very good, but use so much of ur processor, so it is not suitable for slow pcs

Hannibal Smith (31) - May 22nd, 2002

Features
9

Usability
9

Performance
6

Documentation
9

Personal Slant
10

Overall 8.6

With Flash MX, you don't need anything else!

flo (2) - Feb 10th, 2002

Features
9

Usability
9

Performance
7

Documentation
9

Personal Slant
10

Overall 8.8

what if macromedia never programmed a tool like this...

Mikis (8) - Jul 24th, 2001
Aaah...now what ugly things are there to say about Flash5?? No big issues really, only that it's interface still hasn't really improved. Still too many pop-up windows. Where is the tool for friendly Quicktime-integration? Overall: Absolutely Delicious!!! AAA+

[zoom in screenshot - 188K]

(47,378K - Windows)

Downloads to date:
2239

Related Links:
Feature Tour
Official Flash feature tour

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