Why doesnt Adobe just UPDATE Flash Professional? Arent they reinventing the wheel?

Question

Congratulations on getting to open beta with Flash Catalyst!
I know its late in the game to mention something like this but why didnt Abobe just update Flash Professional?
It seems that the arguments for flash Catalyst center around the following:
1) smooth workflow between Photoshop & Illustrator, especially because of the same layer view
2) No coding required to create components out of artwork
3) Can create FXG  and FXPs to be used in Flash Builder
4) Can create multi screen aplications
1) 2) and 3) could all be solved by adding a new types of symbols to Flash Professional's 3 currently available symbols(MovieClip, Button, Graphic)
1) could be solved by adding a new Sprite symbol.
Flash Professional needs to be updated to keep up with and match the structure of AS3 anyway.
Sprites were added in AS3 and now wireframe components are being added to the code structure, why not just at that on the design side as well?
Sprites are essentially MovieClips with out a timeline.
So if you created a new Sprite symbol and opened it up in the timeline, you would only see one frame with folders and layers.
A Sprite symbol is essentially organized the in layers and folders and would just like a photoshop file.
And if you really want it to look like a Photoshop layout, then you just move the timeline view over to the right.
This would solve problem 1.  Designers could import their artwork into Flash Professional as a Sprite and it would be a seemless experience.
Obviously I'm not saying that a bitmap is a sprite. But I am saying that layers of bitmaps and could be organized inside of a Sprite. And the designer could turn any of the assets into a Button, MovieClip, Graphic, Sprite, and hopefully other Classes and WireframeComponents available in Flash.
2)&3) could be solved by adding a new Symbols for the new Wireframe Components. The Button symbol already has a template with 4 states. Why not update Flash Professional to visually represent more Classes and Component Classes, instead of just the MovieClip Class and the Button Class. Even better, maybe there could be a way to make a template for creating our own wireframe components. Just assign a base class for the wireframe class and a base template, and the introspection view will display accordingly.
States of the component would be listed out at the top instead of frames,  just like the Button Symbol used to be.  Different layers could be designated for specific graphical parts of the component. The designer would be free to add their own layers if necessary.
In previous versions of Flash, everything was a movieclip and everthing had a timeline. Thats not the case anymore. The timeline is for intropecting MovieClips, but this view could be different when intropsecting different types of symbols such as Sprites, Buttons, Wireframe Components, and even Custom Wireframe Components(extensible).
These new Symbols and also Sprites could export to FXG very easily.
The multi screen applications in 4) look pretty similar to the Slide Presentation Template. Why not just make a new MultiScreen App Template and youre done. these MultiScreenApp Templates could exporte Screens to FXG or export the whole Template to a FXP.
I applaud the work done on the new wireframe components and FXG. Great Job!
But, just cant understand why you cant update Flash Professional with new types of Symbols(Sprites, new Buttons and wireframe Component Classes) and a new MultiScreen App Template.
Flash Professional needs to keep up with AS3 and also needs to export FXG and FXP.
Why doesnt Adobe focus on on this rather than create a new Tool? These features need to be added to Flash Professional anyway.
Isnt there more of a disadvantage to having 2  tools for designers that do the same thing?
I'm sure this issue has been debated before. Can anyone point to me links that have the arguments for creating a separate tool instead of updating?
Has anyone ever suggested that Flash Professional should keep up with AS3?
Has anyone ever suggested making Sprites a new symbol in Flash Professional so that it could be more seamless with Photoshop?
Has anyone ever suggested make Wireframe components in Flash Professional like the Button Symbol in Flash Professional?
Has anyone ever suggested updating Flash Professional so that it would export FXG and FXP?
What is your opinion on this?
-thomasglyn

Answer 1

@Ross
Thanks for your explanation. I appreciate your feedback.
I'm glad we agree that ideally there should be 2 main tools, one for designers(Flash Professional) and one for programming(Flash Builder).
You had mentioned "But, that assumes this is possible.  As it currently stands it is not" and the reason being "Catalyst, and Builder both use a completely different framework from Professional. The component architecture is drastically different, not to mention the entire backend of the software.".
You could also argue that, the reasons to make a separate flex component creation tool like Flash Catalyst assumes that updating Flash Professional CS4 is NOT possible. But is the statement about the framework being entirely different really true?
Well, that depends on what you mean by the term "framework".
Framework can refer to 3 things in this case.
1) the component framework
2) the code framework(AS3)
3) the flex framework (mxml, fxg)
If you are refering to #1 then you're right, because Adobe hasnt updated the flash component framework in Flash Professional from Flex3 Halo components to Flex4 Spark components.
Flash components have gone through many iterations, and the switch from AS2 to AS3 was probably more profound than the new wireless component structure(Spark). And now that we have AS3, isnt the only difficulty creating a intuitive UI in Flash Professional, and adding export features?
If you are refering to #2 then I think you're incorrect, because Flash Professional has been updated to AS3 and Flex4 Spark components use AS3. I would totally agree with you, if CS4 did not go through all of the trouble updating to AS3.
If you are refering to #3 then you're right, because Flash Professional doesnt export mxml, fxg, or fxp, but with a little creativity, it would probably be possible to allow such an export. Adding FXG/FXP export features could be solved by creating a new type of project file.  Adobe did this for AS2, AS3, flash lite, etc. Why cant they just make a new AS3/FXG file that only allows you to build fxg/fxp exportable assets.
Why cant Adobe make a Sprite class the default document class for AS3/FXG projects and when some adds a movie clip asset, export movie clips as swfs or swcs?
So to be honest, after opening up Flash Catalyst again and looking at it again, I almost get the feeling that its just a Flash Component creation tool with a Photoshop UI, for the new AS3/Flex 4 components(Spark components) that Adobe just refuses to add to CS4.  CS4 uses AS3 and Spark components use AS3.  CS4 needs to be a visual design tool for all the classes in AS3(as much as possible).
Perhaps Adobe originally meant to name this product...
ADOBE FLASH COMPONENTS
Or maybe Adobe Flex Components(but thats no longer true, because Flex 4 will be Flash Builder).
In regard to "reinventing the wheel". Flash components have been reinvented several times, and I totally agree with you that this is important to "reinvent" components to keep up with new techiques as2,as3,fxg.  You are right, this is a positive thing. However in this case, I am using "reinvent in a negative sense.
So maybe I shouldnt say "reinvent the wheel", but "reinvent the car".
Perhaps Adobe is trying to create a wheel for the upperclass RIA programmer Flex car, and isnt making it compatible common designer/programmer Flash car. And when they finished the wheel, and they decided just to make a Segway for the Designers and Flash people to ride, that uses this new wheel.
You might argue that its more approachable for designers, and designers feel at home because the ui is similar. This is precisely why Adobe should hurry up and finish updating the ui of the Flash Professional IDE so that its ui is more compatable with Photoshop and Illustrator. The fact that Photoshop and Illustrator is the standard for designers are perhaps one of Adobe's greatest advantages.  They could make the designers happy if they just make a Sprite inspector view with layers like photoshop in Flash Professional, instead of using the old "everything
is a movieclip" paridgim. Flash Professional has already upgraded to AS3 and in AS3 everything isnt a movieclip.  So it would be nice if they could make views for some of the new classes and wireframe components.
This is the age old debate, update or start from scratch.  I guess I'm saying that I think the hard work of updating to AS3 has already been done, and its just plain wierd that Adobe decides to build a separte tool for components, when they use the same AS3 code base.
Its just insanely exciting to just think about what could have been if Flash updated and brought on more Designers and at the same time linked in the Flex community. Thats what Flash has always been about! The meeting point between Designers and Programmers.
To go this far and quit just because of components just leaves me blue.
It seems that many projects stop at 80% complete and if the developers just spent the extra 20% on fine tuning things then they would have a very high quality product. In this case the remaining 20% is  components, ui, and export. I understand that there are probably many things I dont understand, especially when you through in marketing, and product life cycle.
But I think Adobe could have done it, if they put as much effort into it as they did to make an entirely new product.
Maybe we should make some noise before its too late.
I'm still interested in seeing more links that show the logic behind the initial discussions of this debate when it was first decided.
pls keep me posted.
@nwfa & macsavers
Yes, youre right. it does seem to be their plan.  I just hope they are just testing the waters.  Perhaps after they do the initial selling of Flash Compenents, then maybe they could offer a free update to CS4.
As I mentioned above, the main reason designers feel at home is because of the UI of Flash Catalyst. UI's can be updated, and I believe Flash Professional can and should update itsui for the reasons I mentioned above.