Switching from Flash to Flash Catalyst/Flex

For the last few years I have been developing applications for project reporting. To explain this in simplest terms, my clients give me hundreds of reports and supporting documents, graphics, videos, etc. which I then condense and reorganize into a presentation/application in Flash. The project is then published as an .exe to be burned to CD ROM or DVD along with any supporting files and is then distributed to project stake holders, investors, etc.
I'm considering the possibility of a switch from Flash to Flash Catalyst/Flex and want to outline what my needs are, here in the forum, in hopes that others now using Catalyst/Flex can help me decide if this is an appropriate move.
Features needed:
1. Basic animation, transitions, etc.
2. Full Navigation (up to 3 levels) for up to 300 slides.
3. Keyboard navigation (PageUp/PageDown) to navigate sequentially through the entire presentation.
4. Linking into other applications and documents - Word, Excel, Power Point, etc.
5. Full Screen Mode
6. Slide Show Mode
7. Search Features
8. Slide sharing (via email)
9. Video and audio w/controls
10. Pan and Zoom w/controls (panning and zooming of graphics and .swf files)
11. Scrolling (scrolling of text, graphics and .swf files)
12. Interactive forms
Can anyone please comment specifically on these features and wether or not they are possible using Catalyst and/or Catalyst/Flex in combination.
Thank you all for any insight or suggestions.
John

With the exception of making fre-form animations (like a cartoon for example), everything you can do in Flash can be done in Flex considerably faster.
The downside is that Flex applications (especially ones designed in Catalyst) are generally larger, and consume more memory. Personally, I never publish anything made in Catalyst without optimizing it in Flash Builder first.
If the drop in operating performance isn't a deal breaker (most of the time you can't even notice it), then I would certainly consider moving to Flex going forward on new projects.

Similar Messages

  • Switch from stand-alone Flash Builder to Eclipse plugin

    Hi, I understand I can install the Flash Builder as a stand along IDE or add it as a plugin to the existing Eclipse IDE. I have an existing Eclipse IDE where I have all my projects that I currently work on. The company just acquired and installed a stand along Flash Builder for me. I was wondering if I could somehow get it working as a plugin to my existing IDE so that I don't have to keep switching between two IDEs. Preferably I can do this switch on my own without having to go back to the department who did the original install for me which could be a hassle. Thanks.

    Hi John,
    Here is a PC solution for you.
    You can use our tools Jugglor and JStart
    http://www.jugglor.com
    http://jstart.flashjester.com
    This request is asked quite often, so here is an example file
    using a PDF
    and PowerPoint file instead of a Web browser.
    http://www.flashjester.com/?section=faq&cPath=14_56_26#316
    and
    http://www.flashjester.com/?section=faq&cPath=14_56_26#268
    So here you would specify the URL instead of the filename.
    Actually you can also use JWeb
    Here is an example
    http://www.flashjester.com/?section=faq&cPath=14_56_22#209
    Hope all the above helps.
    Regards
    FlashJester Support Team
    e. - [email protected]
    w. - www.flashjester.com
    "This has been one of the most impressive and thoroughly
    pleasant
    experiences of customer support I have ever come across -
    astounding!"
    Director - hedgeapple

  • LONG lag time switching from other programs to Flash

    (Intec-Mac - OSX - 1.5 GB RAM)
    Has anyone heard of this before? Any time I switch from any
    other open program to a project in Flash, I get a super long wait
    time before I'm able to work with Flash again. The lag time
    only happens when switching to Flash (I get the spinning
    ball of death while the Flash menus load again -EVERY time!)
    This happens no matter if I have just Flash open and I'm
    switching from the finder back to it or if I have 15 programs open
    at once...
    It is super frustrating and slowing down my workflow between
    Flash and any other programs! I just uninstalled and reinstalled
    hoping it would help but got same result - Any help?

    Your best bet at this point in time is more RAM, since the
    Flash IDE on
    mac is only PPC at this time it runs emulated in Rosetta on
    Intel macs,
    and I've noticed swap times can be quite slow, this is not
    unique to
    Flash in my experience, it happens whenever I swap in a
    resource
    intensive app. Parallels is another prime example - and it is
    intel
    native.
    Adobe engineers appear to have a new found love of the Mac,
    so we can
    only hope the intel native version ships it will be super
    zippy.
    John Pattenden
    Screentime Media - Flash Tools since 1997
    http://www.screentime.com

  • I have an external camera, IceCam2, connected to my MacBook Air, but I cant switch to the camera when I try to use videocam on a websayt. How do I switch from internal to externl camera? In use is Adobe Flash Player, but I cant open that program, is the s

    I have an external camera, IceCam2, connected to my MacBook Air, but I cant switch to the camera when I try to use videocam on a websayt. How do I switch from internal to externl camera? In use is Adobe Flash Player, but I cant open that program, is the s

    I think the McAfee suite will do the trick when I pay them a one-time fee of $69 or $179 for a year for unlimited support.
    Your call of course but IMO a waste of money. Please read this first:
    There are many forms of ‘Malware’ that can affect a computer system, of which ‘a virus’ is but one type, ‘trojans’ another. Using the strict definition of a computer virus, no viruses that can attack OS X have so far been detected 'in the wild', i.e. in anything other than laboratory conditions. The same is not true of other forms of malware, such as Trojans. Whilst it is a fairly safe bet that your Mac has NOT been infected by a virus, it may have another security-related problem, but more likely a technical problem unrelated to any malware threat.
    You may find this User Tip on Viruses, Trojan Detection and Removal, as well as general Internet Security and Privacy, useful:
    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2435
    The User Tip (which you are welcome to print out and retain for future reference) seeks to offer guidance on the main security threats and how to avoid them.
    More useful information can also be found here:
    http://www.reedcorner.net/mmg/

  • Vista-switched from Explorer to FF 3.6- can't download versions/updates like Adobe Flash-error message: INSTALLER WILL CONTINUE AFTER CONFLICTING MOZILLA FF IS CLOSED-Most pics blocked on sites/programs-can't open some programs that Explorer opens- Help?

    I have Vista, recently switched from Internet Explorer to FireFox 3.6-. Since switching over, it can't download alot of versions/updates like Adobe Flash: It error messages: "INSTALLER WILL CONTINUE AFTER CONFLICTING MOZILLA FIREFFOX IS CLOSED".
    Most pics blocked on sites/programs. I can't open some programs that Explorer opens. I would sure appreciate any help!!!

    For general advice see Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates.
    The steps in the second box are a guide to removing everything related to iTunes and then rebuilding it which is often a good starting point unless the symptoms indicate a more specific approach. Review the other boxes and the list of support documents further down the page in case one of them applies.
    Your library should be unaffected by these steps but there is backup and recovery advice elsewhere in the user tip.
    If the advice above doesn't resolve things you could try this alternate version:
    iTunes 12.1.0.71 for Windows (64-bit - for older video cards) - itunes64setup.exe (2015-01-28)
    which is a 64-bit installer for the 32-bit version of the core application, similar to previous 64-bit releases. Or roll back to the previous build:
    iTunes 12.0.1.26 for Windows (32-bit) - iTunesSetup.exe (2014-10-16)
    iTunes 12.0.1.26 for Windows (64-bit) - iTunes64Setup.exe (2014-10-16)
    tt2

  • Flex GUIs get a bad performance in normal screen mode when switched from full screen mode

    Hi, there :
    I encountered an odd situation and it is only happens on IE. Our project is a Flash 3D Game using Stage3D, and the Game's GUIs are created by CS6. When our game switch from the full screen( StageDisplayState.FULL_SCREEN_INTERACTIVE or StageDisplayState.FULL_SCREEN ) to normal screen ( StageDisplayState.NORMAL ), the performance of the Game GUIs decline to approximate a half FPS of full screen mode. But this condition is only happens on IE.
    The Game is normal screen when it is initialized and the performance is as same as fullscreen. The performance degradation only happens after switching to normal screen mode from full screen mode.
    p.s. : When the mouse is out of the view, the performance become better, from 20 fps up to 50 fps. But is still not as same as the original 60 fps.
    p.s. 2 : My colleague told me the Flash Pro CS6 be used to built a single swc file per GUI, and then package all ui swc files to one swc file by Flex Framework SDK( the command is "compc" ). and the IE version = 9.0.8112.16421, the Flash Player Version = 11.6.602.155.
    p.s. 3 : I have utilized Adobe Profiler Scout to observe the application, and I found that when it switches to normal screen mode from full screen mode, the time 「Waiting for GPU」 in 「Inactive」 grows up from 10ms to approximate 30ms which is triple. And in the 「Activity Sequence 」tab, it shows that the 「Waiting for GPU」 happens in the 「Copying to screen 」in 「DisplayObject List」.
    Thanks

    This does sound like a specific bug with IE. It would be great if you could file a bug report here (https://bugbase.adobe.com/), so we can get somebody to look into it.
    btw, Flex is really not a good framework for games - it's really slow and heavyweight. If you're just wanting some lightweight UI elements, you might want to check out the Feathers framework, which is built on top of Starling: http://feathersui.com/

  • Flash IDE Components in Flex 3 Design Mode. Can they be visible there?

    Hi,
    Im exploring Flex to get a grasp on its concepts and am currently looking into building components in the Flash IDE. Though i guess its likely that when you're more familiar with Flex you build your components in Flex, like said Im exploring its concepts and like to know where and how the Flash IDE fits in its workflow.
    I made a simple Flex Component in the Flex IDE, which shows up fine when I run the Flex project. But it does not show in Flex Design Mode.
    I have exported the component from Flash as an SWC and added the SWC to the Flex library path. The symbol in the Flash IDE extends UIMovieClip. Now I read in 'Using Adobe FlexBuilder 3' (p.67) that the Flex Components panel only lists visible components, according to the documentation 'components that extend UIComponent'.
    Note that my question is about being visible on the stage in Design Mode, not in the component panel. As UIMovieClip doesnt inherit from UIComponent (and the UIComponent class doesnt seem to be available in the Flash IDE), is this also the cause that the Flash IDE component is not visible on the Flex stage in Design Mode?
    Can someone confirm, or deny this?
    Regards,
    Marcel

    Hi Latha,
    thanks for your feedback. Reading it back though, Im still not sure whether Flex components build in the Flash IDE (using the Flex Component Kit for Flash CS3) can be visible in Flex 3 Design Mode.Maybe you can be a bit more specific and save a lot of Flex beginners a lot of headaches.
    I understand that MXML components can be used in Design Mode. I also understand that if your component is AS you have to create a Library and link that to your project to make them visible in Design Mode. I also understand that Flash Builder 4 does "support rendering of UIMovieClip objects which are in library (swc) and added to the project build path"
    This actually doesnt answer my question really. Does this mean there is no way to render Flex components build in the Flash IDE (using the Flex Component Kit for Flash CS3)  in Flex 3 Design Mode?
    Regards,
    Marcel

  • Publishing to Mac from PC with Flash Builder 4.6

    I have recently switched from Flash Pro to Flash Builder to write actionscript projects. I would like to publish the finished application for both PC and Mac. I don't want to use the air installer as most potential customers won't have air installed. I have tried the captive runtime option, and this will work well for the PC version, but I am unsure how to package the resulting files for use on a Mac or whether there is a more suitable option for the Mac app (such as the Mac Projector in Flash Pro)
    Any help would be appreciated.
    Richard

    Hi Richard,
    I'm moving your post our to our Flash Builder forum.
    -Dave

  • Can't drag and drop from library in Flash 5.0a

    Actually, I can drag items from my Flash 5.0a library--one, maybe two of them; then subsequent items refuse to stay on the stage and bounce back into the library.
    I am not alone in this. Apparently it's always been a problem with Flash 5 on Macs (although not universally), even pre-OS X. Macromedia actually has a tech note on the problem (and imply it's the result of a Mac bug): http://www.macromedia.com/go/tn_14442
    In this note they say "the cause of this problem is not known" but recommend trashing the invisible Drag file.
    I've tried this; it doesn't improve on the one or two drags I can get each time I reboot my Mac.
    Others in newsgroups report that starting Classic mode with the extensions off solved the problem. I tried this too. Once it seemed to work but then the problem returned.
    I ran Disk Warrior. I rebuilt the Classic desktop. I reinstalled Flash 5 (from a legit disc, of which I am the registed owner). I updated 5 to 5.0a with MM's official download. I queried MM Flash Forum but have not received any replies.
    Anybody got any other ideas? Thanks.
    eMac Mac OS X (10.3.7)
    eMac Mac OS X (10.3.7)

    I was suddenly having the same problem in Acrobat XI Pro for Windows (recently upgraded to CC from Acrobat X).  For the past while I've sometimes had to use the "insert from file" tool to get a page added from another file.  I couldn't figure out why dragging sometimes would no longer work, but was too busy to go looking for a solution until tonight. 
    The solution was given by JoshTatum24 above. Switch from a scrolling page display to single page display.  Now I can drag pages between documents again.  THANK YOU Josh!
    Oh, and CORREAdmin,  it does not matter whether the hand or arrow selection tool is active, my mouse pointer is always an arrow when positioned in the page thumbnails panel.  Switching selection tools does not make a difference in dragging, but switching between scrolling and single page display definitely DOES make the difference.

  • Loading Flash AS3/XML into Flex 3

    I'm seriously at a loss.
    I'm loading a Flash AS3 SWF into Flex via SWFloader and it
    will not load the xml data the file normally loads. The Flash file
    is fairly basic and loads XML data from a local file.
    I've tried all sorts of scoping within the Flash file
    pointing to the xml file just in case but still nothing. What do I
    need to do to get this file to read the XML through Flex 3?
    <mx:SWFLoader x="9" y="14" width="140" height="90"
    source="swfs/sponsors/top_sponsors.swf"/>
    The xml file is in the same directory.

    The migration of this file to proper AS3 is brutal. It would
    be easier to just rewrite the whole thing in flex. Screw it.

  • Should I write in Flash Professional or Catalyst?

    I have Adobe Design Premium CS5. I'm about to write a simple file web based SWF uploader (with chunking). Should I write my uploader in Flash Professional or in Catalyst, in Flash Player or in Flex. I'm confused, heck I do not even know which Adobe forum to post this question to :-(
    Can anyone point me to a list of simple heuristics to help me choose between IDEs and SDKs please.

    Just do it in Flash CS5.5. Sounds like you have no experience with Flash or you wouldn't be asking this question. There's no point in getting the Flex framework involved. You could use Catalyst to prototype the UI and then use Flash, but I wouldn't bother.

  • Flash vs Flash Catalyst

    Could someone tell me the difference between these two application? Could I use either to create SWF flipbooks?

    You can think of Flash Catalyst as a front-end for Flash Builder; it lets you lay out a project in Photoshop or Illustrator, import it into Flash Builder, and by assigning button and contents to states, make a Flex project.  Flex is alternative, component-based way of creating SWF files, based on XML and ActionScript.  You use Flash Builder (called Flex Builder before CS4) to manipulate the XML file that controls your project.  Like Dreamweaver, it has a design view and a code view.
    Flash is the traditional authoring tool for SWF files.  It is timeline based, and traditionally you build your project in a design window.  However, you can also use ActionScript with Flash, and it has faciliites for editing ActionScript files.  Thus you can lay out your project graphically, but still have ActionScript code interact with the design elements.
    They are sort of two different ways of doing the same thing, and it sort of depends on your perspective.  If you like designing your whole project in Illustrator or Photoshop first, and then adding animation, Flash Catalyst and Flash Builder is probably the easiest way to go.  If you like building your project in Flash, and pulling in elements made previously in Photoshop or Illustrator, Flash might be best, especially if you are used to working with animation timelines.
    You could make flip books either way.  With Flash Catalyst/Flash Builder, you would make your book with each page on a separate layer, with separate layers for "next" and "previous" buttons.  Then you would import your PSD into Flash Catalyst, and assign each page layer to a different state.  Then you would save this as an FXP file, and import it to Flash Builder to create your SWF file.
    With Flash, you could bring import the same PSD, and assign each page layer to a different frame on the timeline, and use the buttons to move between frames.
    But I would recommend that you do neither of these.  I would recommend composing your flip book in InDesign, which has an SWF flipbook export option.  Especially if your flipbook is designed like a book, with text and pictures (rather than just being a stack of images, for example), InDesign is set up for designing that sort of thing, much more so than the other products.  Certainly you can do fancier animation sort of things with Flash or Flash Builder, but if you just need to flip between pages, InDesign is the way to go. 
    (And there's actually another option: you can design your book in InDesign and export it as an XFL file, which you can then import into Flash if you need to add fancier animations. )
    Hope this helps,
    Lynn Grant
    Cross Design Group, LLC

  • What is the best practices workflow from illustrator to flash in cs 6?

    Hello- question from an illustrator to flash workflow n00b.
    I'm creating a flash experience with animated characters.
    I'm building my art assets in illustrator.
    I've found it relatively easy & straightforward to import assets from illustrator into flash.
    I can conveniently import my layers and symbols from illustrator as separate layers and symbols in flash and manipulate them.
    However, let's say after import I want to change something with an asset using illustrator. For example, I have a character with facial features, including eyes. I want to change the eyes in illustrator and have those changes then be propogated in some way- automagically or manually- in flash.
    What is the right way to do this? Are there best practices for being able to go back and forth between flash and illustrator?
    Thank you!
    ~ sae

    Thanks for the reply Suhas.
    I guess the answer to my question is that there is no good way. In the photoshop/illustrator workflow, I can paste a document from illustrator into photoshop and then double-click it in photoshop to open it back up in illustrator and edit the original. I have seen posts on people doing this between Flash and Illustrator with the now-discontinued Flash Catalyst- a process that was apparently called round-tripping. Ideally, this is the functionality I'd like to have between Flash and Illustrator but I take it from your reply that the answer is 'Does not exist.'
    ~ sae

  • How can I Access the Flash "Slide class" using flex and ActionScript 3?

    Hi,
    I hope someone can help me solve a problem...
    I'm using the flex SwfLoader to load a flash side
    presentation as follows...
    <mx:SWFLoader id="ss_slides" source="ss_slides.swf"
    width="320" height="240"/>
    I would like to access the flash "Slide Class" using flex so
    I can make the following call...
    Slide.gotoNextSlide();
    Anyone know how I can do that?
    Would it be through the SwfLoader Object?
    Is there another way?
    F.Y.I. Here is a snippets about the Slide class from the
    Flash 8 help...
    Using the Slide class (Flash Professional only)
    You use the methods and properties of the Slide class to
    control slide
    presentations you create using the Screen Outline pane for a
    Flash Slide
    Presentation, to get information about a slide presentation
    (for example, to
    determine the number of child slides contained by parent
    slide), or to navigate
    between slides in a slide presentation (for example, to
    create "Next slide" and
    "Previous slide" buttons).
    You can also use the built-in behaviors that are available
    in the Behaviors
    panel to control slide presentations. For more information,
    see Adding controls
    to screens using behaviors (Flash Professional only) in Using
    Flash.
    Thanks,
    Chris S.

    Hi Chris,
    You cannot access the methods of the Flash 8 movie from Flex.
    And you can't do it the other way around either.
    The only way to communicate is to create a LocalConnection on
    each side.
    M.

  • Embed a Flash Application into a Flex Application

    Hello everybody,
    I'd like to know if there is a way to embed a Flash
    Application into a Flex Application. My goal is to wrap Flash apps
    in Flex Modules, and I don't know how to do it.
    I know it is possible to embed swf by using @Embed and an
    mx:Image tag, or to use flash content by creating a flash swc
    component. However these two solutions don't allow to call the
    methods of the Flash app.
    On the other hand, it is possible to load a swf file via the
    Loader Class, and then call the methods via loader.content. But
    with this solution I can't embed the swf in my flex application and
    I have to load it at runtime.
    Any ideas ?

    Look into SWFLoader.
    Be aware though, you can not directly access AS2/FP8/Flash8
    swf's from within an AS2/FP9 app. Local connection is used in this
    case.
    There are dataType and timing issues with SWFLoader. Here is
    a complete example:
    http://www.cflex.net/showfiledetails.cfm?ChannelID=1&Object=File&objectID=690
    Tracy

Maybe you are looking for