Do we have a Flasher in our midst? (Macromedia Flash 5)

Member Name: Morgenhund

Product:	Macromedia Flash 5
Date:	06/01/01 (357 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: More powerful, more functions, better integration

Disadvantages: Programming knowledge required to get the most out of Flash 5

Macromedia Flash has reached its fifth edition, having become a tool that has been wholeheartedly embraced by the web community, although when used badly it can cause the most mild mannered of people to become irate and curse its very invention.

I would not advocate overuse of Flash if you prime audience is going to be people with a very low bandwidth connection, because Flash eats up bandwidth. However for the purpose of Vector Graphics, it is more or less in its own class, although the W3C's new proposed standard SVG (Scaleable Vector Graphics) might change the status quo.

So if you've not got on the Flash Train already why should you get on now, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of Flash 5, and who is it for.

Myself having dabbled with Flash 3 and 4, and then left them to rot due to a lack of patience, willingness to learn and so forth, I was a little bit sceptical about Flash 5. From memory, it had always been a bit annoying, hard to integrate with other programs and had caused me to spurn it rapidly.

First impressions were good as the interface had been rewritten in keeping with other Macromedia Programs (latest versions of Fireworks, Dreamweaver etc.) and it looked simple to get going. Sure enough after the tutorials I was able to quickly get working and start producing my own little Flash films. Nothing swish, just a few little animations. I did find that at times I could have really done with having a second monitor, because it did get just that teensy weensy bit overcrowded with floating chips and palettes.

To help me on my way I thought that I would try using the import function to import a few files from Photoshop to use as a background, but I soon discovered that it only supported Version 2.5 and 3 versions for import. However the fact that Macromedia had added support to PNG graphics did cheer me up somewhat. I had wanted to add sound to Flash project that I was working on, and I was
overjoyed when I discovered that there was an option for the direct importing of MP3s.

The XML support that is present in Flash 5 helps to increase the general capabilities and potential for flash. Using XML Socket Objects, you can connect directly with servers, which makes multiuser projects, eg. Games or Whiteboards more of a possibility than was previously possible.

The in-built programming language, Action Script, which on the face of it looks a lot like JavaScript, and the range of functions has once again been improved, allowing behaviours to be placed on pictures and objects. Macromedia have made great play about OOS "Object Orientated Scripting" whereby film sequences can be customised according to events, thus making development of interactive elements a lot easier, e.g. building in movie clips into games. The sound interface is also much improved, with sounds being more controlable than previously, with options to change volume and balance.

The debugging process is also easier, with the new Movie Explorer making the individual elements easier to control, and whereas previously debugging was only possible when actually developing a project, it can now also work when playing the film. Shared Libraries allow elements to be used across multiple Films simultaneously.

The number of enhancements is considerable, but the crux of the matter is how easy is Flash 5 to use. Whilst the simplified user interface makes it easier to make a start, a non programmer will soon find that his knowledge or lack thereof won't allow him to get the most out of this product, thus creating some sort of a glass ceiling. The inclusion of XML support is probably a sign that Flash is destined for use in professional business applications rather than the Flash Movies and Games that have hitherto graced our screens.

The price is also going to put this out of range for most users, with the educational price for Windows or Mac b
eing £149 + VAT, the full version £259 + VAT or with Freehand 9 included £399 + VAT (prices from www.dabs.com). This is a serious outlay, so I would recommend try before you buy, and unless you really need everything that Flash offers, then I would advise getting an older fulll version off a Magazine Cover Disk, although for Professional users it is clearly a very useful addition to your armoury.

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