Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
Flash Professional 8 constitutes a saltation in the evolutionary chemical chain for Macromedia ’s entanglement picture and liveliness author computer programme ; it provide significant sweetening in scripting , graphical effect , Web - telecasting display , and development of media destined for nomadic devices . ( Macromedia is also offer , for the first time , Flash Basic 8 , a lower - priced reading of the computer software that includes much of the political program ’s magnetic core functionality , but which is point to designers who do n’t demand gamey - remnant digital video or mobile phone authoring feature . )
Flash Professional 8 is more stable and crashes less often than its predecessor , Flash MX 2004 , and Mac users no longer have to go without utilitarian lineament such as tabs ( for toggling between multiple open papers ) that were useable only in the Windows variation ( see first screenshot ) .
The new Flash includes ripe textual matter , scripting , and video features . Improved vector graphics support higher calibre slope fills , with Illustrator - like restraint over gradients of as many as 16 colors .
New graphical features
Previous versions of Flash admit a set of vector drawing tools that were almost powerful enough for serious , professional graphic design . With Flash 8 , those tools have improved . designer now can do more complex illustrations mightily in Flash . For example , Flash 8 ’s draft tools let you project either in Flattened fashion ( the only mode available until this version ) , in which intersecting transmitter mold new objects , or in Layered mode , in which vector objects can now be on top of , or below other object . Interestingly , Illustrator CS2 ’s Live Paint mode is similar to the planate Flash vector environment .
Graphics filter ( similar to Illustrator ’s vector filter or Photoshop ’s electronic image filters ) go with major enhancements in Flash Player 8 so that viewers can see attribute like blurs , glows , and driblet shadows . That allows designers to include advanced vector graphics effects without importantly increasing the data file size . The downside : these personal effects are seeable only in Flash Player 8 , which user may have to download ( see screenshot below ) .
Digital video package
Flash 8 features new tools for embed picture change from popular digital video formats and compression system . newfangled plug - in puppet allow digital video producer to encode to Flash ’s FLV ( Flash Video ) data format straight off from programs like Apple ’s Final Cut Pro ( , October 2005 ) or Autodesk ’s Cleaner ( , June 2003 ) . Flash ’s telecasting encoder is also usable as a stomach - alone program for good deal telecasting encoding . I was impressed by how quickly and flawlessly the stand up - alone encoder converted video file cabinet into FLV . For example , I ignored Flash ’s word of advice that converting digital video to a Flash SWF single file may bring forth audio synchronization trouble , and - in my experimentation - the audio synchronization worked well . photoflash 8 compact QuickTime and AVI files substantially in change them to FLV , with no major passing of audio frequency or display quality . But you must encode television in Flash ’s proprietary FLV format .
Flash 8 also includes a new and telling set of tools for author artwork and liveliness , including a preview - and - examination environment for mobile devices , and accompaniment for the MIDI audio format that many mobile devices utilize .
Friendlier scripting
Flash 8 ’s Actions panel benefits from a new feature called Script Assist . This lets you create scripts without detailed knowledge of ActionScript . As a non - programmer who has hacked out enough ActionScripts to hold up , I found the unexampled scripting interface a significant improvement over the special ActionScript help in MX 2004 . levelheaded pop - up prompt make it easier to string together bug - free program line ( see screenshot below ) .
Professional or Basic version?
Budget conscious Flash user — especially those who do n’t need picture encryption capacity , who are n’t developing for mobile devices , and who can live without the bang-up new vector effects — can still create hefty animations and reach the full exercise set of ActionScript commands with Flash Basic 8 , which costs $ 300 less than the professional digest - alone version . But it may be hard to absolve buy Flash Basic 8 , even for its downcast toll , if you already own a previous version of Flash . In that case , you’re able to upgrade to the Professional version for $ 100 less than purchasing the stand - alone introductory version . Moreover , many of Flash 8 ’s most exciting advance in embedded video , graphic core , and refinements in animation ascendancy are usable only in the Professional edition .
Macworld’s buying advice
Flash Professional 8 packs such a muscular and well enhanced set of instrument for professional brio and interactive design that most professional developer will want to upgrade . But designers who were expecting a simple , more accessible software system should stick with their current installation .
EDITOR ’S NOTE : FlashPaper 2 , now part of Contribute 3 , makes it easy to generate SWF ( Flash ) files from Microsoft Office documents . See our evaluation of both FlashPaper 2 and Contribute 3 .
[ David Karlins is the author of theComplete Idiot ’s Guide to Flash 5 ( Alpha , 2000 ) , and 20 other books on interactional Web design . He is also an teacher with San Francisco State University ’s Multimedia Studies and Digital Video Intensive Programs . ]
