Mar 6 2002
Flash MX
My freelancing days began with Flash, back in version 4. But for the last 6 months, I haven’t even bothered to rev it up. All the same, when the trial version of MX came my way I was like a kid in a candy store – in love all over again.
Flash-ier
First off, as many of you know, everything is better in X. Likewise with Flash. The interface is full of new enhancements. The dynamic properties window allows quick access to your settings for each object. The new dock-able windows glow with Aqua suave.
Flash faster
New tools also take away from the formerly frequent visits to the menubar. The free transform adds Illustrator finesse to image tweaking. Useful templates not only provide you with a useful pre-formated layout, they also come with instructions on how to customize them.
Flash more
One of the crippling shortcomings in Flash’s ancestry has been it’s lack of support for video. MX now supports all kinds of video import formats and publishes the video with Sorenson Spark. MX also allows dynamically loading JPEG’s and MP3′s, allowing you to include remote content.
Flash what?
My one complaint – and the only thing keeping MX from a perfect Weapon of Choice rating – is the implementation of the new UI components. I was thrilled to see pre-made combo boxes and scroll bars. I dragged one onto the canvas – and that’s where the romance ended. I double clicked it. I right clicked it. I scanned all my palettes, but the combo box wouldn’t heed my will. I came to find that to actually get it to do anything I had to open the Actions palette and hand code some cryptic ActionScript.
This disappointing drift from object oriented authoring to code based programming has made leaning and using Flash much harder than it needs to be.
All the same, you’ll find the new Flash More capable, flexible and sleek than anything else out there.
MacMerc’s Field Manual Breakdown:
Flash MX (AKA Flash 6)
Price: $499, Upgrade $199
Availability: March 15th, 2002
Performance: For what it does, the best.
Compatibility: Application: Mac OS 9.1/10.1 Player: Mac OS 8.6
Complaints: New components not accessible to common folk.
