The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group
Macromedia Flash 5 Perspective
Ash Nallawalla
 ash@melbpc.org.au

Love it or hate it - that is the usual reaction to Macromedia Flash, which is an animation program used primarily on Web sites. Many corporate sites seem to use it only for a brief introductory animated spinning logo or moving text, although an enlightened few use its features to present more meaningful content, corporate presentations and training courseware as well. 

Some people hate it because the offending site's designer had little regard for the viewer's point of view. The worst examples force you to endure the effect until it has run its course, but most provide a merciful "Skip Intro" button. Chances are that such companies have no clue about designing Web sites and neither do their consultants. 


Figure 1. The main user interface of Flash.

Macromedia is now merged with Allaire. It was one of the most sensible corporate marriages of 2000 - in my view, Macromedia products provided the sizzle, while Allaire provided the muscle. They offer about 20 specialised products, some of which you might never hear of unless you visit their Web site http://www.macromedia.com. 

The Power of Flash 

Macromedia Flash 5 is a complex, full-featured program that is best used by a professional illustrator who is prepared to learn how to use it properly. That includes learning its object-oriented, scripting language, ActionScript. ActionScript resembles JavaScript, so the illustrator needs to have some appreciation of programming concepts such as variables, functions, operators, loops and so on. 


Figure 2. A sample of ActionScript code.

Flash has a rich set of drawing and colouring tools, which are harmonised with other Macromedia product user interfaces. You can use the drop-down menus or the more convenient side panels. You can incorporate MP3 and WAV sound files easily. The finished Flash effect you see is a "movie". To see any Flash movie, you need a Flash player and you are likely to have downloaded it when you came across your first Flash-enabled site. 

These days, if a strategic corporate application does not support XML, it is likely to become obsolescent or require a translator to remain useful. The predefined XML object in Flash 5 enables you to convert ActionScript to XML documents and pass them to server-side applications. You can also use the XML object to load XML documents into a Flash movie and interpret them. The predefined XMLSocket object allows you to create a continuous server connection to pass XML data for real-time applications. 


Figure 3. National Geographic has used Flash effectively to create a self-paced tour of Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941.

Generator 2 

Macromedia Generator is the server-based software for automatically delivering dynamic, on-the-fly, personalised Web graphics immediately or at scheduled times. Generator templates separate content from design, which automates Web graphics and Macromedia Flash workflow and reduces the time needed to maintain content. 

In Use 

I have only just received the review copy of Flash 5 (and the magazine is less than a day away from going to print), so this does not pretend to be a review. My aim is to inspire up-and-coming Web designers to carefully examine Flash and its stable mates, then choose the best tools for the job. 

The supplied printed documentation is thorough - about 4 cm thick, as well as online help, which is further supplemented by samples and tutorials. I would expect someone to take a week to go through the manuals and perhaps a month to be productive. 

Look at the virtual tour at the Sydney Opera House site: http://www.soh.nsw.gov.au, which took its own staff about six weeks to build. I consider that to be a very effective use of Flash. The main file is under 500 kB, which loads quickly over my 512 kbit/s ADSL link, and each detailed clip that you choose is about 75 kB. Modem users are less likely to explore every nook and cranny of the Opera House, so the designers have wisely kept each view as a separate download. 


A virtual tour of the Sydney Opera House (Flash).


Arrivals at Manchester Airport (Generator).

 

Manchester Airport: http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk has a great Web site (predominantly Lotus Notes based) that effectively uses Generator to display flight arrivals and departures data through a Flash interface. You need to register to get to that point, but it is a good example to ponder. 

Couldn't they have displayed the same information using ColdFusion or any number of alternatives? Probably not without making many assumptions about the viewer. Airports tend to be an exciting experience for the infrequent traveller, so why spare the bells and whistles? I don't agree with being forced to register, so I cheekily used an expiring e-mail address for that step. Contrast with our own Melbourne airport: http://www.melair.com.au/fids/info.asp, where you have to click a Refresh button to update the information. There is a valid argument that some users will refuse to obtain the free Flash viewer, or they prefer some obscure browser that does not support it. That is where the boring, plain HTML solution always wins, but do we really want the Web to be frozen around the 1994 time frame? The challenge is to tempt the viewer with attractive and useful content but keep the file sizes low. 

To see some live examples of Macromedia products in use, go to their top-level (US) site and explore the Showcase. They are grouped in several ways, but each example lists the tools used. 

You can buy Flash 5 around the $870 mark; upgrades around $325; and student pricing around $230.

Top 5 New Features 

(from the Macromedia site) 
Improved Workflow The updated Macromedia User Interface provides a familiar environment and seamless workflow with other Macromedia Web publishing tools and industry standard applications. Import FreeHand and other industry-standard documents, launch Fireworks for bitmap editing, and customise your work environment and keyboard shortcuts. Plus you can still publish your movie in Macromedia Flash 4 format. 
New Developer Resources Visit the Macromedia Exchange for Flash to download a wide variety of Flash 5 extensions such as Smart Clips, ActionScript samples, Macromedia Generator templates and source files. Keep current with the Macromedia Dashboard - an updatable, in-product resource with links to the latest new Flash sites, events, learning and support material. 
New Design Tools A new Bezier pen tool and sub-select tool complement the natural drawing tools, enabling traditional illustrators to create and edit precise vector graphics. New draggable guides and improved selection tools provide improved layout design accuracy. 
Tools for Workgroups Shared Symbol Libraries let teams of users organise and reuse shared media assets across a project. The Movie Explorer enables users to see all the components in a project and their relationships in an intuitive, hierarchical structure. 
Power Tools ActionScript is now a full scripting language with the same syntax as JavaScript, and the new Actions panel provides both drag-and-drop and direct text editing environments. Smart Clips encapsulate advanced interactivity (such as user interface widgets or multiple choice forms), which developers can share, reuse, and customise. Macromedia Flash 5 can easily integrate with application servers and databases through Macromedia Generator, URL encoded variables, and XML - including opening persistent connections. 

Reprinted from the July 2001 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia