Product: Flash 5.0
Company: Macromedia
Website: http://www.macromedia.com
Estimated Street Price: $399.00
Review By: Julien JAY

Introduction

Macromedia is the maker of the famous Flash software, an application that enables web designers to create high-end animated websites. First introduced in 1996, Flash has quickly become a world web standard to create high impact animations that use compact Flash Player file format (*.swf). At this time more than 248 million of viewers can watch Flash animations. The major characteristic of Flash that made its success worldwide is the incredible low size of flash animations combined to the fact that Flash animations are played while they’re downloaded (without the need of a special server) making possible to watch high quality animations even with a slow internet connection. Only a few months after Adobe has unleashed its “Flash killer” named LiveMotion designed specifically for new and graphic users, Macromedia answers by releasing the long awaited new version 5 of Flash. Many things are new in this software making it a major and valuable upgrade especially for developers. Below are the new features of Flash 5:

• New Macromedia User Interface

• Macromedia FreeHand Import

• Macromedia Generator Developer Edition Support

• Beziers Pen Tool

• Shared Symbol Libraries

• Movie Explorer

• Improved documentation and learning aids

• Macromedia Flash Player

• Web native printing

• QuickTime & RealPlayer Support

• ActionScript development tools

• SmartClips

• XML transform and HTML text support

• Enhanced MP3 streaming

• and much more!

Setup

Installing Macromedia Flash 5 is fast thanks to the InstallShield Wizard that will efficiently guide you to install properly this new version of Flash. Once the setup is finished you can start using Flash 5 right away after you have typed your serial number.

First Look

When you start Macromedia Flash 5 for the first time, you’ll instantly see that the main user interface has been streamlined making it similar to the DreamWeaver 3 one as it also features the same buttons icons. This new release of Flash harmonizes at last the Macromedia working environment. The TimeLine bar where you can change the animation settings (length of scenes, series, etc.) has also been enhanced: the selection mode is now more efficient & intuitive. When you click on an interpolation the selection applies to the whole line. The main goals of this new flash release are:

• More approachable for designers who are new to Flash or coming from other popular design tools,

• An unparalleled creative tool for professional designers and developers with a broad range of design, layout and choreography tool,

• The standard for creating high-impact Web sites and applications, playback reliability and broad consumer reach.

Macromedia Flash 5 New User Interface (click to enlarge)